Tea basics?!
But for now all i have are mugs and a microwave, so can you tell me i should make it. Do i put the tea bag with it in the microwave or do i have to wait. If i wait do i just leave there for the steeping time or move it around or mix it with a spoon? does the steeping time completely relate to what i am doing?
How long do i keep it in the microwave?
Now for the much more important question, what should i add to it? Milk, honey, creamer, splenda etc
You can tell me what you do for:
black
green
white
oolong
flavored?
more
If this question has to many answers the you can also point me in the direction of where to look
Answers: I am new to this whole tea thing and i just want to mix it up with coffee and lower my overall caffeine. I don't have a teapot or any extra stuff. Is really useful? If i really like tea i will consider buying stuff, so if you like you can include a list stuff that you find useful. Also a good place to buy tea, the extra stuff, and your favorite teas would be very helpful
But for now all i have are mugs and a microwave, so can you tell me i should make it. Do i put the tea bag with it in the microwave or do i have to wait. If i wait do i just leave there for the steeping time or move it around or mix it with a spoon? does the steeping time completely relate to what i am doing?
How long do i keep it in the microwave?
Now for the much more important question, what should i add to it? Milk, honey, creamer, splenda etc
You can tell me what you do for:
black
green
white
oolong
flavored?
more
If this question has to many answers the you can also point me in the direction of where to look
Wow! That's a lot of question... but all good questions.
For now your microwave and a cup will do.
Just make sure your cup is microwave safe. Some cheap mugs have air bubbles that have been known to burst.
Boil your water in the cup in the microwave first. Be careful not to overheat and overflow the cup.
Then add a tea bag.
Each tea steeps for different amounts of time. and everyone likes different strengths. I have a friend that likes it really strong. I'm middle of the road - one minute steeping for most teas.
You'll need to also experiment with what is your favourite flavour/brand of tea.
If you are looking to have less caffeine then you should steep your tea less. The more you steep the more caffeine you'll get.
Where to go? Visit Wikipedia to find out more about tea in general. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_ceremon...
If your town has a Chinatown or asian area I would recommend shopping there for tea and equipment. You can get kettles and cups and pots for less money. They also have hundreds of varieties. The more expensive teas are not always the best - personal taste is vital to the tea experience. You may like the tea you get at Dollar General best of all. Personally I have princess tea tastes and spend $25-50 every time I go to the tea store.
When you have a bit of time and a few extra dollars (and you live in or near a large city with a Chinatown or asian district) seek out a tea store and ask about upcoming tea ceremonies -
The best tea stores won't let you come and just buy the tea - they will invite you to come, sit and try a few teas with them.
basics for great tea (beyond your microwave and cup method):
- buy a kettle or electric kettle (I like electric)
- boil the water
- get a tea pot that is the right size for you - how much tea will you make at one sitting?
- fill the tea pot with hot water while your water boils.
- fill the pot with the boiling water. Add your tea bag(s) - how many bags depends on the size of your pot and how strong you like your tea.
- leave the bag in for as long as you like to get the strength you like - trial and error for this one
- don't poke, or squish the tea bag... just let it steep out the tea flavour.
- Take the tea bag out - don't squeeze out the water - just take it out.
(personally I like loose leaf tea - but you'll learn about that at a chinese or japanese tea store and it requires more equipment)
- let it sit for a minute
- pour into mugs
I prefer my tea without anything...
but... as with everything else about tea, it is personal preference.
- lemon and honey
- just lemon (nice with earl grey)
- sugar (I prefer raw sugar not white)
- cream
- milk
- evaporated (canned) milk is also popular in the UK
So your ultimate lesson? Don't buy big boxes of tea bags until you figure out which brand and flavour you prefer.
I'm going to grab a cup of tea now!
yellow pluss green equals window
Here's a website all about the basics of preparing teas:
http://greentealovers.com/greenteaprepar...
No special equipment is necessary to get started--------
Although I am a big time coffee fanatic, I do enjoy a nice cup of tea on occasion....
* Black Tea : good if you still desire caffeine
* Green Tea : supposedly the most healthful w/ anti aging oxidants
* Herbal Tea : Celestial Seasonings has a large variety;
Morning Thunder (high caffeine content) and Sleepy Time are two of my favorites
Once you get started, you can decide whether you want to brew w/ teabags or bulk leaf (loose) tea; If brewing 'loose' tea, some kind of "steeper" is required, either a metal tea ball or a bamboo type strainer that rests on top of the cup.....
The best place to purchase a wide variety of tea is Trader Joe's or another import/specialty type of store.
****Hope this helps....Cheers.
Anything works, experiment to see what you like, I'm on a chi tea latte kick right now. Dont boil the water it may burst the bag. If I plan on drinking a bunch by my computer at work all day I make a pot or half pot in the coffee maker. I save the rest in the fridge and nuke individual glasses when I want them, Have fun good luck!
Tea is a matter of taste. Do not mix it with coffee. Buy it at the grocery store. Put the tea bag in a cup and add boiling water. Some people add cream or milk, some add lemon, some add sugar, some honey, some nothing at all. It is just about what you like.
I am from the deep south, and good southerners only drink sweet tea....any variety. If you don't have a stove, you put water in a cup in the microwave and heat until steaming heavily, then add the tea bag and dunk it until you get the right consistency....then you add whatever....again, I only add sugar.
First of all, you can search yahoo answers. Just type in How to make tea...I'm sure lots of people asked the same thing, but basically I'll give you a few tips.
First of all, start with tea bags. You can heat up water in the microwave, but it's not really recommended because you could super heat the water and it could explode on you. If you can, buy a tea kettle and heat up the water on the stove.
Now, which tea to try? Start with a sampler pack at the grocery store. They usually have sampler greens, sampler black teas, sampler whites, etc. oolong is a bit harder to find. Where to buy it? Try whole foods market for a great selection. But any grocery store or target will carry tea.
Now follow the directions on the package. Depending on which type you make, you'll need to heat up the water accordingly. This is why a microwave doesn't do well. If you need boiling water, you'll never boil water in a microwave. If it says to boil, then let cool for 5 minutes (usually for green or white teas), a microwave doesn't know when it's cool enough. You COULD use a meat or other analog thermometer to measure the temp. 212 F is boiling and 180 is the ideal temp for white and green teas
follow the directions on the package. Add sugar, milk, both, but I usually like to drink it straight, nothing added.
tea is beneficial....
get a hot water maker---- do not rely on a microwave for hot water.
tea with no sweetener is best for you
get green tea, white tea, herbal tea and medicinal tea
First I will say if you are doing it only to reduce your caffeine then you have to be really careful about what you drink because when I was pregnant the doctors told me to cut out tea because of the amount of caffeine that it was as bad as coffee.
You don't need a tea pot unless you are making steeped tea, you can boil water in the microwave just as easily.
Milk, honey, creamer will depend on your personal taste and the different teas you are drinking, so experiment.
Black-nothing
Green-no milk
the rest just experiment and decide what tastes good to you.
Enjoy!
@@"
how does tea got to do with microwave .... >.<"
weird question...
anways ..
tea is relly simple ..
cup+hot water+ tea bag= tea
it's healthier if u don't add those milk honey and definitely no creamer ..... stuff ...
anyways.. if u leave teabag too long in the cup it will start to go bitter..
I enjoy Peppermint tea, it calms me down, and has a great taste.
I just microwave the water for 2 minutes, and add one teabag per 8OZ of water. I also let it sit for about 8-12 minutes to let the flavor to actually spread.
I just drink it like that, but you can add some sugar if you want it alittle sweeter.
T 4 Life,
TidusJames
Hooray to another tea drinker. I love tea. There's all sort of tea, and the only way to really know which one's you'll like, is to try them. My personal favorites are
English breakfast, Lemon Zinger, Mandarin Orange Spice, Earl Grey, Ginger Tea, and Green Tea.
Celestial Seasonings is a good brand of tea.
If I only had a microwave, i'd put a cup of water in the microwave for about a minute or until the water is hot, add a tea bag and let it sit about a minute. Add sugar/sugar alternative to taste.
If you have a pot, i'll tell you how we make tea in Kenya.
Put 3/4 of a cup of water in the pot.
Put 3/4 of a cup of milk in the pot.
add a pinch of ground ginger, and a tea bag.
Let mixture come to a boil.
Be sure to watch the pot, because once the mixture boils it rises and will spill over the pot. Turn off heat once the mixture begins to rise.
Use a sieve/small strainer and pour tea into mug.
Add two lumps of sugar, or whatever you prefer to use (honey, splenda, sweet n' low)
and enjoy with ginger snaps or biscotti.
Another thing I like doing, is adding lemon to my tea. Pls DO NOT add lemon to tea that has milk in it.
First, when you're trying to cut down on caffeine, check when you buy the tea to make sure that it is caffeine free. I love the Red Rose tea because it comes with the little animal figurines, but it is also caffeinated.
If you've never experimented with tea before, I recommend buying a variety pack of herbal teas. That way, you're sure to find one you like! Look for flavors that interest you and go with your instinct, but keep in mind that many that you would expect to be sweet often have a bitter flavor as well. I add honey to mine, it makes it richer and sweeter.
Green tea is very good for you. The best idea I could give as to taste is that my first impression of it was like the smell of fresh-cut grass--weird, for a flavor, but it grows on you. Chamomile and peppermint are very soothing, peppermint especially if you suffer from indigestion.
One thing that isn't often discussed about tea (unless you're a dentist) is that it is very acidic and drinking too much of it (like 6+ cups a day) can eat away at the enamel on your teeth. So drink tea, like coffee, in moderation.
Making tea:
Heat your water in a mug in the microwave, or in a teapot. Add the teabag after, and let it steep for several minutes. The box usually gives a recommended time. If you want it stronger (this often makes it more bitter), let it steep longer. I've seen people not remove the bag for the entire time they're drinking their tea, so if you don't mind the stronger flavor, there's really no such thing as "over-steeping" it. I tend to forget about mine for 15 minutes or more and it doesn't do too much damage. Some people like milk in their tea, I don't care for it. Use sugar or honey in moderation, as too much will detract from the natural flavor of the tea.
My suggestion is to try as many flavors as possible, to expand your tea-drinking horizons. Don't add anything until you've tried it plain first. Get some friends and have a tea party!