Tell me about tea.

January 20, 2006 7:09 AM

Tell me about loose teas.

I'm currently in love with Ashby's Peppermint tea (which I understand isn't really tea, it's peppermint leaves, I guess, but whatever). I'd like to try steeping loose peppermint tea, which is cheaper and by all accounts better. There's lots of conflicting advice on the actual steeping of the tea. Do you put it in a little tea ball? Loose in the cup (and how do you get it out)? Loose in the teapot?

Do you have a favorite source for buying loose teas online?

posted by dpx.mfx to food & drink (28 comments total)

My personal favourite is to put the leaves in loose in the pot and then pour out through a strainer. I find tea balls don't let enough water over the leaves.

Also asked here.
posted by GuyZero at 7:11 AM on January 20, 2006

I recall past threads with some good advice.

I use a large tea ball when at the office - it's probably an inch in diameter and the handle acts as a spring to keep it closed. Sometimes I'll also use paper filters like these.

And the above linked site, Adagio, is where I buy much of my loose tea. Their Earl Grey Bravo is a favorite. I'd recommend picking up a sample pack or two of theirs. The tins are handy for holding loose change or twist-ties when you're done...

If you live in a city with a large asian area you might be able to find bricks of pressed tea at a fraction of the cost, depending on the kind of tea you're after.
posted by sohcahtoa at 7:23 AM on January 20, 2006

I buy empty tea bags and hand-pack them with loose tea just before steeping. The bags are made by a Japanese company and fold into themselves very nicely. They're also made for holding full-bodied loose tea so they are nice and large. When I go home tonight I can look and see what the brand is, but I bought them at a local export market.

This makes drinking loose tea almost as easy as drinking tea-in-a-bag, and of course it invariably tastes better.

I dislike metal contraptions because they are hard to clean and sometimes introduce a metallic taste in the tea.

Some teapots have a strainer integrated into the pot so you can just put loose tea in. That is quite nice.

And of course you can just have the loose tea swirling around... not going to kill you or anything. I find it annoying, though.
posted by selfnoise at 7:31 AM on January 20, 2006

I got a cheap Bodum teapot at Target or whatever.. large mouth, add tea, fill with water, then there's a strainer that fits in it after it's steeped. Works very nicely. It's made of glass so it shouldn't screw with the taste of the tea. You can supposedly use a french press to brew it as well, but I don't know how you'd do it.
posted by mrg at 7:35 AM on January 20, 2006

I use a metal tea ball when I'm not at home, and when at home I use the IngenuiTea, which I learned about from someone here at AskMe. It's sort of like a French Press, except for tea instead of coffee. It works really well - love it.
posted by iconomy at 7:36 AM on January 20, 2006

Alton Brown did an episode of Good Eats about tea where he extolled the virtues of loose tea and gave his advice on brewing equipment, much of which was similar to that given above. Unfortunately the web site is only a very watered-down version of the show, so if you can get it, you may want to catch that episode
posted by TedW at 7:37 AM on January 20, 2006

Previous info here. I'm a black tea (and occasional green tea) drinker. And I agree with GuyZero. Tea balls don't allow for sufficient circulation. I was at a tea shop in Arlington VA, and they steeped the loose tea in a pot. Don't know if the pot had a strainer. But when they poured it out, they used a small screen to filter out any errant leaves (I have not been able to find said screens). Seemed to work. Probably the best way to maximize flavor.

Other tea advice:
- Make sure the water is at a rolling boil
- Pour a little boiling water into your pot to pre-heat it
- Don't over-boil water
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:38 AM on January 20, 2006

I use a spoon-shaped tea infuser with a handle, like this one; convenient and easy to clean. I think mesh tea balls get gunky too easily. Lots of tea-infusing gadgets (including the one I have rudely direct-linked) available for cheap on this page.
posted by junkbox at 7:38 AM on January 20, 2006

Do you put it in a little tea ball?

Nah. Too squished up. The teapot+strainer, or teapot-with-basket is good. Though when you get peppermint tea in north Africa, you'll often find the leaves poured into the cup. They settle.

World Peace is a good mint blend.
posted by holgate at 7:41 AM on January 20, 2006

PS. If you want to find a teapot with a built-in strainer, troll consignment shops and the like. A lot of old, nice teapots have this feature. That's where I got mine.
posted by selfnoise at 7:41 AM on January 20, 2006

I use a thermos with a screwtop lid as a teapot. It's designed to unscrew partially and allow you to pour out the contents via a small channel that will prevent most leaves from leaving, too.

I've been buying from adagio and enjoyingtea.com. They both have lots of samplers.

Here is a transcript of that Good Eats tea episode.
posted by stavrogin at 7:45 AM on January 20, 2006

The good eats fan page has a transcript of the tea episode.
posted by O9scar at 7:46 AM on January 20, 2006

Here's a transcript of Alton Brown's Tea Episode.
Thank you andrew cooke for pointing me in the direction of Good Eats transcripts.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006

Damn! You guys are too fast!!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:50 AM on January 20, 2006

I use a french press when brewing a pot of tea, but when I brew by the cup at work I use the Gamila Teastick.

It's cute.
posted by poq at 8:01 AM on January 20, 2006

brewing time is a key component.... after about a minute of brewing some black teas tend to get rather strong .. meaning somewhat bitter and acidic. Sometimes so bitter and acidic that you have to dilute. To get it brewed just right, you have to practice with the time and quantity of loose leaves you put in your tea-mesh/tea-ball/tea-bag
posted by gregb1007 at 8:01 AM on January 20, 2006

I'm seconding, or thirding, Adagio as a tea and teaware source. They do have a really nice peppermint tea, and the IngenuiTea is featured in a starter set that gets you any one of 4 sample sets of tea as well. Also, if you know anyone who buys tea there, that person can send you a $5 gift certificate for your first order at no cost to themselves.
I do not work for Adagio Tea. My name is donnagirl, and I'm a teaholic.
posted by donnagirl at 8:03 AM on January 20, 2006

I use an i-pot.
posted by forallmankind at 8:11 AM on January 20, 2006

Lots of really good advice here, too.
posted by onlyconnect at 8:12 AM on January 20, 2006

Hmmm... I just got through reading the AB transcript. And he says to add milk before the tea. But without an explanation why. He usually cites his sources. Anyone know the rationale behind this?
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 8:12 AM on January 20, 2006

Anyone know the rationale behind this?

So that you don't scald the milk. There's a supposed rationale to it (control over how much to add based on the strength of the tea) but that's a post hoc justification for something that's pure etiquette.
posted by holgate at 8:18 AM on January 20, 2006

Let me do my best Alton impersonation: when you pour a small amount of cold liquid to a large amount of hot liquid, it causes a more drastic change of temperature than pouring a large amount of hot liquid into a small amount of cold liquid, i.e. you will scald the milk.
posted by holgate at 8:22 AM on January 20, 2006

I use a cup and strainer set made by ForLife at work. I use it for a wide variety of teas. I also bought a small strainer something like this one for use at home: brew with loose leaf tea in the pot then filter through the strainer. You want one with a tight weave, but that is relatively small so that you can see how far you have filled your cup.

Whenever I travel I try to find a tea shop and purchase one or two that seem interesting. If you are into peppermint, you might want to give Teaism's Eight Herb Tisane a try. I bought it when I was in DC and think it's great.

As previously posted, some things to keep in mind when brewing tea are: 1) how much tea you use; 2) how long you brew the tea; 3) how hot your water is. Usually the tea store you are buying from will have tips as to how to best brew the tea you have selected. Not all teas have the same requirements!
posted by GeneticFreek at 8:24 AM on January 20, 2006

I drink white tea or silver needle tea... it sits for longer in the cup and it's the quality of the tea that matters not the use of the tea ball... tea balls work great for me.
posted by ewkpates at 9:29 AM on January 20, 2006

boiling and 5 minutes for black or oolong (also peppermint tea)
160-180 degrees and 3 minutes for green

1 tsp (a *real* teaspoon despite what alton says) per 8 oz

I like to use loose tea in the water and pour it thru a strainer afterwards.

these are the most important factors in getting a good result.

I hightly recommend Harney for fast service and decent prices.
posted by jockc at 10:06 AM on January 20, 2006

I've heard good things about the Teastick.
posted by apple scruff at 11:26 AM on January 20, 2006

For green, white, Oolong, and art teas -- I've never found an online source better than www.twohillstea.com. Most orders are by the pound,though, so order with friends.
posted by mrmojoflying at 1:29 PM on January 20, 2006

My favorite online retailer Stash Tea, has loose peppermint tea available in both 50g and 100g quantities, as well as a variety of tea balls, infusers, paper filters, etc.
posted by invisible ink at 5:57 PM on January 20, 2006