Please help me convert my morning coffee habit to tea
June 15, 2010 8:03 AM Subscribe
I'm Tired of coffee in the morning. I want to try to kick coffee and embrace tea for a bunch of reasons. I currently make my coffee in a 5 cup maker (drip). Can I convert the coffee maker to a tea maker? I need one hearty mug and one travel mug to be filled for my morning routine. Help!
My first instinct would be to clean the coffee maker really well and stuff 3-5 teabags in the filter basket and brew as usual. My concern is that there is no real time for steeping.
Should I just put the teabags in the pot and skip the filter basket?
Should I buy a whole new appliance? (would prefer not to)
Btw, I like really strong tea when I make it once and while.
here is my current coffeemaker if it helps at all
My first instinct would be to clean the coffee maker really well and stuff 3-5 teabags in the filter basket and brew as usual. My concern is that there is no real time for steeping.
Should I just put the teabags in the pot and skip the filter basket?
Should I buy a whole new appliance? (would prefer not to)
Btw, I like really strong tea when I make it once and while.
here is my current coffeemaker if it helps at all
Unless I am missing something, you don't need the coffee machine at all to make tea. Just put the teabag(s) in your travel mug along with some hot water (and milk/sugar if required). Hey presto, tea!
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:07 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:07 AM on June 15, 2010
Just use the coffee maker to make plain hot water in the put and pour it into your drinking devices that have teabags in them.
posted by WeekendJen at 8:12 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by WeekendJen at 8:12 AM on June 15, 2010
My mom gave me a tea maker and honestly it works pretty much exactly like a coffee maker--you throw teabags in the basket, water filters through them into a pot below. It makes strong tea on purpose that you're supposed to dilute a bit with water and ice for iced tea. It only just now occurs to me that it is seriously just a coffee pot with a big pitcher instead of a small carafe, because I am slow.
So yeah, why not try throwing some tea bags into your filter basket and see what happens? Worst case scenario is you waste a couple tea bags and some water, best case is that you can set it to have tea waiting for you when you wake up.
posted by padraigin at 8:15 AM on June 15, 2010
So yeah, why not try throwing some tea bags into your filter basket and see what happens? Worst case scenario is you waste a couple tea bags and some water, best case is that you can set it to have tea waiting for you when you wake up.
posted by padraigin at 8:15 AM on June 15, 2010
I use my coffee maker to make tea all the time. Either by doing what WeekendJen said, or by putting tea bags directly into the part where the coffee usually goes -- but without the filter! One tea bag per cup of water. Perfect for pitchers of cold sweet tea or hot green tea.
posted by Juicy Avenger at 8:16 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by Juicy Avenger at 8:16 AM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: Yes, bypass the machine entirely if you're doing teabags. Just fill your containers with hot water and teabags and get on with things.
Once you get used to the taste sensation of tea instead of the smack-you-in-the-face sensation of coffee, you might want to get a french press or a proper tea pot for steeping loose leaf tea, which is less expensive in larger quantities and often tastes better. The problem with putting your tea into a drip coffee maker is that tea leaves need a few minutes to steep in the hot water to make the tea taste like something that isn't slightly dirty water. What with the water flowing through, this doesn't happen so much in a drip machine. Since you like your tea strong (me too) this is an especially futile plan.
An aunt of mine keeps a little plastic container in her car's glove compartment for storing used teabags from her commute; this way they don't get sogginess all over her car and her tea doesn't become bitter from over steeping it. However, she prefers lighter teas and herbal things in the morning, whereas I like Russian Caravan tea, something I have never been able to over steep and is as close to coffee as tea probably gets.
posted by Mizu at 8:19 AM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
Once you get used to the taste sensation of tea instead of the smack-you-in-the-face sensation of coffee, you might want to get a french press or a proper tea pot for steeping loose leaf tea, which is less expensive in larger quantities and often tastes better. The problem with putting your tea into a drip coffee maker is that tea leaves need a few minutes to steep in the hot water to make the tea taste like something that isn't slightly dirty water. What with the water flowing through, this doesn't happen so much in a drip machine. Since you like your tea strong (me too) this is an especially futile plan.
An aunt of mine keeps a little plastic container in her car's glove compartment for storing used teabags from her commute; this way they don't get sogginess all over her car and her tea doesn't become bitter from over steeping it. However, she prefers lighter teas and herbal things in the morning, whereas I like Russian Caravan tea, something I have never been able to over steep and is as close to coffee as tea probably gets.
posted by Mizu at 8:19 AM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you decide to do loose leaf, you might want to get either a tea ball/dunker or one of those coffee press mugs- with loose leaf Chinese teas, you can often steep for a tiny 5-20 seconds and get a great brew. Simmering water, not boiling, is best. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a gaiwan (one of the covered tea cups) to steep in, and decant into another cup.
posted by yeloson at 8:22 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by yeloson at 8:22 AM on June 15, 2010
If you're a fan of really good-tasting tea, you will want to use water that's pretty close to boiling temperatures, so running a coffeemaker carafe full of hot water and pouring that over a teabag will probably be unsatisfactory.
Putting bags into the filter basket probably won't work - as you say, the water will run straight through, in the absence of coffee grounds and paper filters to slow the flow to a drip. You could use a coffee-filter to slow the water down but just tossing the teabags in the top. (one of those metal "permanent filter" thingies might be perfect for this, if your test with a paper filter goes well).
Putting the teabags into the carafe might work. You might want to do a test run to figure out the timing - set a timer when you press go on the coffeemaker, and sample the tea 1,2,3 minutes after it finishes the cycle, then you'll know when to pull the bags out. The lack of "automatic" here is the disadvantage - and presumably if you felt like running a timer and being in the kitchen not in the shower while it brewed you'd be making your tea the manual way anyway.
In short, there's several possible methods, and no substitute for just trying them all and seeing what suits you.
posted by aimedwander at 8:27 AM on June 15, 2010
Putting bags into the filter basket probably won't work - as you say, the water will run straight through, in the absence of coffee grounds and paper filters to slow the flow to a drip. You could use a coffee-filter to slow the water down but just tossing the teabags in the top. (one of those metal "permanent filter" thingies might be perfect for this, if your test with a paper filter goes well).
Putting the teabags into the carafe might work. You might want to do a test run to figure out the timing - set a timer when you press go on the coffeemaker, and sample the tea 1,2,3 minutes after it finishes the cycle, then you'll know when to pull the bags out. The lack of "automatic" here is the disadvantage - and presumably if you felt like running a timer and being in the kitchen not in the shower while it brewed you'd be making your tea the manual way anyway.
In short, there's several possible methods, and no substitute for just trying them all and seeing what suits you.
posted by aimedwander at 8:27 AM on June 15, 2010
I just switched from coffee to tea about 10 days ago and have been consistently off coffee. Here's what did it for me: Coffee Break from the online tea purveyor Good Leaf Tea. (Actually, I get it from their brick-and-mortar store in upstate NY, but that's about to close; the online store will stay open.) I recommend the 9 oz. tin. Coffee Break is a blend of black tea, yerba mahte, chickory, and cacao. Higher level of caffeine than black tea alone, but still much lower than coffee. It's specifically designed to help coffee drinkers switch to tea. (It's not coffee-flavored.) After drinking that for a while, you can try switching to Rise Morning, which is the variety of black tea used in Coffee Break. If you want to make a really smooth transition, you could make your own blends of those two, gradually decreasing the the ratio of Coffee Break to Rise Morning.
I don't see the point in trying to use a coffee machine to make tea. (You've already marked a best answer that explains this better than I could.) There are products specifically designed for tea. I just assume those are going to yield the best results. I put the loose tea in tea bags (not available at that link).
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:08 AM on June 15, 2010
I don't see the point in trying to use a coffee machine to make tea. (You've already marked a best answer that explains this better than I could.) There are products specifically designed for tea. I just assume those are going to yield the best results. I put the loose tea in tea bags (not available at that link).
posted by Jaltcoh at 9:08 AM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: You may find a hot water pot handy. They may not be very common in traditional American department/big box stores, but an Asian supermarket will have plenty to choose from, and obviously online is an option too.
More or less these ingenious gadgets hold hold water at just under boiling, then pump it out with a motorized pump, or a manual pump. It's got the same footprint as a coffee maker, but are useful for so much more than coffee or tea. Just push a button, and you've got boiling water. Instant oatmeal, ramen noodles, french press coffee, mug 'o tea, egg poaching liquid, etc.
I'd suggest you take a travel mug + bag or two of tea + hot water. Ready in 10 seconds, plus how long you'd like to steep it. If you like really strong tea, you don't need to take the bags out.
posted by fontophilic at 9:09 AM on June 15, 2010
More or less these ingenious gadgets hold hold water at just under boiling, then pump it out with a motorized pump, or a manual pump. It's got the same footprint as a coffee maker, but are useful for so much more than coffee or tea. Just push a button, and you've got boiling water. Instant oatmeal, ramen noodles, french press coffee, mug 'o tea, egg poaching liquid, etc.
I'd suggest you take a travel mug + bag or two of tea + hot water. Ready in 10 seconds, plus how long you'd like to steep it. If you like really strong tea, you don't need to take the bags out.
posted by fontophilic at 9:09 AM on June 15, 2010
Yes, do not use a coffee maker for tea. Not only does it not let you control the infusion time, but it will also make your tea taste like old coffee. Actually, don't use anything plastic for tea: since it's less strong-flavored than coffee, it picks up the plastic taste. Use ceramic or glass containers only (steel might be OK, but it can impart a metallic taste).
Tea balls are bad because they're so small; they don't give the leaves room to expand when you brew them. They're also really hard to clean.
The minimal equipment you need to brew good tea is two mugs and a small strainer (like this, or the "Chinese" kind that covers the whole cup).
1. Put your tea leaves directly in a mug.
2. Add hot water; wait a few minutes.
3. Pour the tea through the strainer into the second mug (or your thermos, etc).
4. Drink.
posted by k. at 9:50 AM on June 15, 2010
Tea balls are bad because they're so small; they don't give the leaves room to expand when you brew them. They're also really hard to clean.
The minimal equipment you need to brew good tea is two mugs and a small strainer (like this, or the "Chinese" kind that covers the whole cup).
1. Put your tea leaves directly in a mug.
2. Add hot water; wait a few minutes.
3. Pour the tea through the strainer into the second mug (or your thermos, etc).
4. Drink.
posted by k. at 9:50 AM on June 15, 2010
Actually, if you're drinking green tea, it's even easier: put some leaves in a big mug or glass and fill it with hot water (steaming but not boiling). The leaves settle on the bottom, so you can drink directly from the cup. That's it. You can refill the water a few times, and if it gets weak you can add more leaves. I think glass beer mugs are ideal for this, but there are also travel mugs designed to be used that way (with a built-in strainer).
If you only drink tea bags, you may not be aware that real green tea doesn't get bitter if you steep it for a long time.
posted by k. at 10:03 AM on June 15, 2010
If you only drink tea bags, you may not be aware that real green tea doesn't get bitter if you steep it for a long time.
posted by k. at 10:03 AM on June 15, 2010
My strainer links were backwards. The "regular" strainer is the second one.
posted by k. at 10:05 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by k. at 10:05 AM on June 15, 2010
Best answer: I suggest buying an electric kettle - it heats water to boiling much more quickly and efficiently than doing so on the stove. I like this one, it's inexpensive and durable. I find that an automatic shut off is essential - I forget about it all the time.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:39 AM on June 15, 2010
posted by insectosaurus at 10:39 AM on June 15, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks everyone for all the suggestions. I'm sure the engineer in me was overthinking the problem but I'm glad I posted the question. I never considered an electric kettle. That is most likely the route I will go. I will work my way through what I have left of tea bags then switch to loose tea. I will likely use the strainer method that "K." recommended.
Now I need to pick out an electric kettle.
Thanks again everyone!
posted by cmar618 at 12:07 PM on June 15, 2010
Now I need to pick out an electric kettle.
Thanks again everyone!
posted by cmar618 at 12:07 PM on June 15, 2010
Just in case you have hard water: Your electric kettle will get a white gunk on the inside after you use it for awhile. Pour some white vinegar in and let it soak for a few hours to overnight and then rinse well. Works like a charm.
posted by TooFewShoes at 12:28 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by TooFewShoes at 12:28 PM on June 15, 2010
What kind of tea? Hot water is fine for green tea, but if you're talking black tea then buy a kettle. One reason that Brits moan about the tea served in the US is that it's never made with properly boiling - not boiled, boiling - water, and and as a result tastes insipid and horrid.
posted by Jakob at 1:05 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Jakob at 1:05 PM on June 15, 2010 [1 favorite]
I agree, what ever you do, make sure the water is boiling when you add it to the tea bags. It makes all the difference in the world, and really doesn't take very long!
posted by cleo at 2:32 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by cleo at 2:32 PM on June 15, 2010
This is the electric kettle I have and I love love love it, but there are lots of good options out there. I definitely recommend getting one that is "cordless," meaning the kettle sits on a base that plugs in and can be lifted off the base for pouring, rather than one where the cord is attached directly to the kettle. Also as insectosaurus mentioned, look for one with automatic shut-off - this was the main reason I bought mine, after setting a small kitchen fire while waiting for my tea kettle to boil!
posted by platinum at 2:44 PM on June 15, 2010
posted by platinum at 2:44 PM on June 15, 2010
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