Interested in loose leaf tea. What items do I need?

[Pepin]

There are several methods for brewing loose leaf tea.

The flow-through baskets;
Wire or perforated balls; and
Empty tea bags.

The last one is good for a single cup, with nothing to wash out.
Tea shops sell packages of empty tea bags. Perfect for the office.
I have a tin of tea, and the bags in my desk drawer, just put in a teaspoon or so and use like a normal tea-bag.

There are many online stores to choose from if there is not one close to you.
Tealish
http://www.tealish.com/Default.asp

 

[ciderguy]

+1 for a gaiwan

 

[NEWBY WAN KENOBI]

am I the only one here who just uses an old fashioned whistling kettle and a cup? I've tried these various balls and infusers and they're not for me. Sometimes I feel they alter the taste.

Unless you are away from home/in a rush I think a stove top kettle and cup is fine. A kettle works even if you only want 1 cup. just put less water.

 

[natenaaron]

I've had an Inginuitea (sp) for a couple years and really like it. Problem is I dropped it and one of the stand legs broke off. Now it is a PIA to use. If you get it be careful.

 

[LilyElsie]

am I the only one here who just uses an old fashioned whistling kettle and a cup? I've tried these various balls and infusers and they're not for me. Sometimes I feel they alter the taste.

Unless you are away from home/in a rush I think a stove top kettle and cup is fine. A kettle works even if you only want 1 cup. just put less water.

I still use a stove top kettle. If I'm making one cup of loose leaf tea, I'll make it in a cup with a wire mesh teaball. If I'm making more than one cup, I just use a good old fashioned tea pot. I used to use a large tea ball to contain the leaves, but I've noticed that the flavor is really at its best if I just let them swirl loose in the pot. It's more of a pain to clean out, but the flavor is really that much better that it's worth it to me!

 

[Mason]

I have a very small tea room on the south coast in the UK and I have been using the same tea and coffee supplier from the time I started my little business, the company I use is The Kent and Sussex Tea and Coffee Company, they sell their loose teas to the public and also trade customers. I think now they have over 1000 different blends of Loose Teas, you can view the teas on their website, www.tea-and-coffee.com

 

[Ad Astra]

+2 on the stainless-steel basket. Allows the leaves to be themselves, unlike the teaballs etc. which squish them.

AA

 

[Snappy Lunch]

I use one of these from Teavana, works great and easy to clean.

 

[CurtisB81]

An set of scales that can wight .00 of a gram is a nice way to dose out your tea..3gs is nice cup and can get 2-3 cups of tea..

 

[Saxonbowman]

A small pot and a strainer is the minimum. My current one holds about 20 oz which is right for breakfast. There are glass carafes that hold about 1 cup that also work. If I just want one cup I have a cup with a dedicated basket or a Piao i which works quite well.

 

[WarriorMonk]

Got this at Starbucks for cheap. Works great!

 

[G-Dogg]

Pardon my Englishness, but...

I don't think that anyone has mentioned a good old fashioned teapot, full stop. No internal basket, no nothing: you just put the tea in the bottom of the warmed pot, add hot/boiling water, and away you go. The advantage being that the leaves move freely in the pot rather than being cramped in a basket, expand more, and release more flavour. You then strain from the pot into the cup.

Don't over-complicate it - it's just tea.

 

[Saxonbowman]

Pardon my Englishness, but...

I don't think that anyone has mentioned a good old fashioned teapot, full stop. No internal basket, no nothing: you just put the tea in the bottom of the warmed pot, add hot/boiling water, and away you go. The advantage being that the leaves move freely in the pot rather than being cramped in a basket, expand more, and release more flavour. You then strain from the pot into the cup.

Don't over-complicate it - it's just tea.

Very true! The basket is convenient, but there are some teas that really need the room to expand. A pot, a teaspoon, and a strainer are all you really need. The rest just makes it more convenient...sometimes.

 

[Ad Astra]

And now that we're using loose tea, imagine what sins teabags have been hiding all these years ... Stems. Bugs, perhaps. We'll never know!

AA

 

[Saxonbowman]

And now that we're using loose tea, imagine what sins teabags have been hiding all these years ... Stems. Bugs, perhaps. We'll never know!

AA

I did find a grasshopper in a can of loose Oolong once. At least I could see that one!

 

[Ad Astra]

I did find a grasshopper in a can of loose Oolong once. At least I could see that one!

Now that's an eye-opener!

My Oolong comes in a glass jar; going to double check next one!

AA

 

[Saxonbowman]

Now that's an eye-opener!

My Oolong comes in a glass jar; going to double check next one!

AA

This was 40 years ago. I haven't had a problem since!

 

[Ad Astra]

Love the Oolong; best of worlds being green/black.

This is the one I'm working on.

Tung-ting tea - Wikipedia

Chinese market has the best stuff here; can't wait to try some of their others.


AA

 

[linty1]

Tea basket is the way I do it, I don't really like my tea to be too strong, and I can always re-dip if I want another cup/stronger. I got mine at Davids Tea during there "semi annual sale", and it came with a lid to rest it on. It's easy to clean. I'm sure one of those tea dongles would work just as well. Oh I also have some empty tea bags that have a draw string, you just put in your tea, pull the bag closed and use like a tea bag.