we normally use teabags and so does every one we know
this morning a customer made me a brew and had used loose tea and it was
brilliant. might give it a go and see if it is any different .

any one have thoughts on the perfect cuppa .

Loose tea is lovely (Lapsang Suchong, mmmm…) but a right faff. Teabags is much easier.

I don't know whether it's just familiarity with teabags tea, but I struggle to make a good strong cuppa with loose leaf tea, I've considered getting one of those teapress pots to see if they work any better

I would stick with teabags if I was you.

Leaf tea is much nicer but a bit of a pain. We tend to have it at weekends when we have more time.
Some people (including my boss) make it in a mug with loose tea and just don't drink the last bit with all the leaves in. I don't fancy that much!

I dunno, but according to the google targeted advertising on the side, I can burn 3x more fat drinking original wu long tea, so I'm getting some of that.

tea strainer ball for a couple of quid let's you make a mug of tea using leaves….

Oh, warm the pot first, add one spoon of tea for each person plus one for the pot. Let it brew for a good five minutes or so (possibly depending on the type of tea?) and serve with a massive plate of cakes and scones. Lovely! My mum always reckoned that a metal tea pot makes a better brew, dunno if that's true or not.

There's an NZ made teapot that makes really good tea – Britdis. I think it's chrome plated copper.

Had one in Oz, would like another.

Tea bags were actually designed so that people could know how tea to empty into the pot (loose leaf) but since we are dam lazy, we just dropped the whole thing in.
Some years ago (showing my age), Tetley were advertising that the 'flavour floats' or something like that.. what they mean is.. it's better loose leaf
In China, they never bag anything (even bodies are dumped)
Loose leaf is best..

loose tea!

For those who use bags, do you put the milk in the cup with the bag in that aswell? or just the bag then add the milk later?

Seems a good thread to post this on

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8611228.stm

Bag in the cup let it brew then add a smidgeon of milk .

going to do a blind test with the missus and she if she can tell the difference .

Tommy,

I think the question should be, when do you add the condensed milk.

It's obviously not worthy to spoil good milk on a bag

Loose tea if we're making a pot – otherwise it's a bag in the mug

my favourite loose tea is masala chai , we bought a spoon type affair from Debenhams for loose tea you can get a really strong cuppa as you can stir the brew.
like this one->

http://www.coopersdirect.com/pageview.php?page=show_product&ecommerce_stockcode=5028250116208

Warm the pot (extra thoroughly if it's ceramic!) fresh drawn water definitely boiling, tea cosy on. 5 minutes at least to brew. Leaf tea (I think) tends to be better quality, but the bags must have an impact on the taste, even if they are unbleached etc. Letting heat escape into the pot by not warming it or into the air by not using a tea cosy also detract from the brewing process. I use my hat as a cosy in the winter just to get that lovely warm feeling as I pour the tea…… 😉

Bag in a mug is good enough for me. Tea snobs are almost as bad as wine and beer snobs!

They used to use formaldehyde in tea bags, nice…. not anymore tho, something about it being a carcinogen!!!

I reckon loose leaf tea is generally better quality but a good tea bag is just the job for a quick cuppa.

bakes, try using Assam leaves. They'll give you a strong cuppa.

edit: oh and loose leaf every time when i can. Preferably Darjeeling or Sencha.

Tea snobs are almost as bad as wine and beer snobs!

+1

Bags for every day but this thread has made me nostalgic for the tea of my childhood. Loose leaf, metal tea pot, home knitted cosy and a good long mash. Never wash your teapot with detergent either, just rinse it out with hot water.
Most importantly the best cups of tea are always the ones made for you by someone else, especially if it's just handed to you, not asked or offered.

Real tea is tea bag. Funny thing is when I moved to england, everyone was raving "how good english/british were to make a cuppa".
My experience is that I mostly got some over brewed sh1te from a tea bag.
But then you could say I am a tea-snob. So it's rare blends of tea… And the whole leaves most of the time.

Oh an no milk. What the frak is that stuff about putting milk in tea 😐

Either way make it Yorkshire Tea!!

Oh an no milk. What the frak is that stuff about putting milk in tea

With you on that one , can't stand milk in tea.

funny thing about Yorkshire tea being for yorkshire water
took some on hols to Daytona a couple of years ago and it was shite .
then when we got back and had a brew with the same tea it was great .
weird 😕