How many (if any) times can I reuse tea bags?!
I let my tea steep until it is DARK, but 6-7 cups and tea bags a day gets very pricey.
Answers:
Loose tea really isn't that hard to use; buy a pound or so (the local Middle Eastern grocery store carries a pound of a common brand for $7, and that pound should make at least 200 cups), use a teaspoon or so per cup (that's why it's called a teaspoon), and steep it as long as you'd steep the tea bag. Then use a strainer to strain the tea as you pour it, or remove a built-in infuser basket, or use a tea ball.
The real trick is finding loose decaf. I haven't had much success; the local co-op carries a very expensive fair trade Ceylon decaf and that's it.
You can get tea at the dollar store...Many people don't know it, but tea they put in bags is the left overs from the tea they sell in the loose form. The loose tea leaves are the best way to buy tea.
Drinking 6-7 cups a day defeats the purpose of drinking tea. Unless you just drink it because you like the taste. If that's the case, I've seen boxes of 100 at the dollar store. Real tea isn't cheap.
It's not bad to reuse tea bags. However, the tea's color or flavor (especially with how dark you like it) will not make it to your standards. I'd say no more than 3 times...after that there wouldn't be any flavor left whatsoever. That is, if you can even make it to three times!
Hope this helps!
I've found that 1 tea bag can make a whole pot. Maybe you could have a large Thermos, fill it with boiling water and 1 tea bag, then have hot tea all day.
