Looking for a method for brewing a single cup of tea

[sol92258]

You know, it must be a trait with us wet-shavers. Some of the tea guys around here are as obsessed as the coffee guys. Call me crazy, but I'm happy if the tag on my store-brand orange pekot doesn't accidentally fall in the cup.

+ 0.8314158

as a Alabama born, Texas raised southern baptist, gimme plain 'ole sweet tea and I'm happier 'an a horse with two tails at fly-swattin' time...
however, I do enjoy oolong, green, white, & various combos thereof, but I can't afford to get into the big sub-culture of tea (or coffee for that matter) geekery, as much as I believe I'd enjoy it....so I'll live vicariously through every one's reports here...although I have been tempted by the Bodum tea infuser thingamajig at Target...

 

[grasslander]

I don't know how much help I'll be, because for money reasons I have to use cheap teabags, but here's what I do: I run the water hot from the faucet, put my bag in, and give it about 30 seconds in the microwave. I like to let it sit in there for a bit after it's finished, which isn't really steeping, I know, but it acts similar. I drink a LOT of tea, a cup at least every two hours, and sometimes one an hour, and I've done it this way for years. I know, I really should get a teapot! LOL The way you're talking about does make sense though, as this is how, I know, with many variations, teas are made and drunk from fresh chamomile or mint that one has picked.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

I tried so hard not to become a tea snob, because I'm a coffee snob, and wanted to have a hot beverage I could enjoy anywhere! My little sister gave me an assortment of nice looseleaf teas one Christmas, though, and my eyes, as they say, were opened.

I know what you're saying, but I don't know if snob is quite the right word - when applied to people, it implies a condescending superiority complex, not wanting to sully one's hands with anything inferior. There are many pleasures to be had in a simple cup of "Yorkshire Tea" or a Twinings Earl Grey - I don't know if I would snub the basics.


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Suzuki]

+ 0.8314158

as a Alabama born, Texas raised southern baptist, gimme plain 'ole sweet tea and I'm happier 'an a horse with two tails at fly-swattin' time...
however, I do enjoy oolong, green, white, & various combos thereof, but I can't afford to get into the big sub-culture of tea (or coffee for that matter) geekery, as much as I believe I'd enjoy it....so I'll live vicariously through every one's reports here...although I have been tempted by the Bodum tea infuser thingamajig at Target...

I don't know how much help I'll be, because for money reasons I have to use cheap teabags, but here's what I do: I run the water hot from the faucet, put my bag in, and give it about 30 seconds in the microwave. I like to let it sit in there for a bit after it's finished, which isn't really steeping, I know, but it acts similar. I drink a LOT of tea, a cup at least every two hours, and sometimes one an hour, and I've done it this way for years. I know, I really should get a teapot! LOL The way you're talking about does make sense though, as this is how, I know, with many variations, teas are made and drunk from fresh chamomile or mint that one has picked.

The funny thing is that good tea can actually be less expensive than store bought - and certainly less expensive than even a $1 cup of coffee.

I can easily buy a pound of good tea for $20 (just about any kind of tea - excluding really high-end stuff). A pound converts to 453 grams - at approximately 5 - 6 gramms per cup, that equals at least 70 cups of tea at about 30 cents per cup. Even if you only made one cup from your leaves, that would still be pretty decent value, as even inexpensive bag tea is about 15 - 25 cents per bag. The real kicker is that you can brew good loose leaf tea multiple times, signficiantly reducing the cost per cup.

The most important thing is that even decent loose leaf just blows the doors off of virtually any bagged tea out there (perhaps excepting some of the really fancy stuff that comes in the mesh triangle steeper bags - but the cost of those is pretty high and certainly more than loose leaf).

Also, theres a lot of inexpensive pots, steepers, etc. so using loose leaf isn't much of a hassle once you have your routine down.

Just my $0.02 - if you're happy with what you're drinking now, stick with it - but there's no harm in experimenting every now and again!

I know what you're saying, but I don't know if snob is quite the right word - when applied to people, it implies a condescending superiority complex, not wanting to sully one's hands with anything inferior. There are many pleasures to be had in a simple cup of "Yorkshire Tea" or a Twinings Earl Grey - I don't know if I would snub the basics.

I prefer "affcionado" to "snob", as its really about just being interested and enjoying good tea and wanting to learn about different teas and how to best brew them. As far as I can tell from the posts, most of us are looking for what we each think is good tea (and that definitely differs by individual preferences) and are quite happy when we find an unexpected gem that doesn't cost that much. Mostly its just about being curious and wanting to try new stuff.

 

[sehrgut]

There are many pleasures to be had in a simple cup of "Yorkshire Tea" or a Twinings Earl Grey - I don't know if I would snub the basics.

Yes, but one does come to the point where one realizes that there aren't any pleasures to be had in a cup of Lipton . . . or any D/F-filled teabag, for that matter.

 

[Confuzius]

I just picked up something very similar to this last night at a local asian grocery store for $5.00
http://www.amazon.com/Ceramic-Tea-M...3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1223474310&sr=1-3

Although I realized as soon as I got it I made abit of a mistake, because the one I got was dark brown which makes it much harder to judge how brewed the tea is. I'll probably go back and get a white one and pass this one off to my girlfriend who likes oversteeped black(red) teas.

 

[expatCanuck]

The funny thing is that good tea can actually be less expensive than store bought ...A pound converts to 453 grams - at approximately 5 - 6 gramms per cup, that equals at least 70 cups of tea at about 30 cents per cup. ...

Agree with most of what you've said.

But I thought that a pound was 454g?

In any event, you're brewing strong tea (IMHO).

I use 4 - 4.5 grams / 12-14 oz. mug, and find that that's a plenty adequate leaf:water ratio.

454g / 4.25g/cup ~= 105 cups (106.82, but let's allow for a bit of waste dust / fannings). At $25/lb., that's still under 25¢/cup. Even at a decadent $75/lb (which buys you a lot of very nice tea), you're under 75¢ cup, and halve that if you typically infuse twice.

[At this point, I'm gonna have to go figure out what my home-brewed coffee is costing me at $14/lb. ]

- Richard

 

[ouch]

Agree with most of what you've said.

But I thought that a pound was 454g?

In any event, you're brewing strong tea (IMHO).

I use 4 - 4.5 grams / 12-14 oz. mug, and find that that's a plenty adequate leaf:water ratio.

454g / 4.25g/cup ~= 105 cups (106.82, but let's allow for a bit of waste dust / fannings). At $25/lb., that's still under 25¢/cup. Even at a decadent $75/lb (which buys you a lot of very nice tea), you're under 75¢ cup, and halve that if you typically infuse twice.

[At this point, I'm gonna have to go figure out what my home-brewed coffee is costing me at $14/lb. ]

- Richard

If we're going to be pedantic -
1) 1 pound = 453.59237 grams
2) 454g / 4.25 is not 106.82, because you would be using significant figures incorrectly


Obviously, the cost per cup depends on the price per pound and the number of servings per pound, the latter of which has signifcantly more wiggle room. The standard, teabook yarn is "200 servings per pound", which may work with long steepings and small servings, but not in the real world.

You may use 4-4.5g per 12-14 ounces, while Hobbes may use 9g per 4 ounces. You don't have to be a rocket surgeon* to realise that the number of servings may vary wildly. I believe Suzuki's numbers are influenced by his deepening descent into the maelstrom of pu'er. My latest teaware is so small, I have to put on my reading glasses to use them.




*Rocket surgeon is a registered trademark of Ouch International.

 

[sehrgut]

[At this point, I'm gonna have to go figure out what my home-brewed coffee is costing me at $14/lb. ]

Ideally, 21.5c/cup, assuming 64 perfect 7g cups and no grinder waste. More likely, you'll get 50-55 cups per pound, at 25-28c a cup.

But why are you spending fourteen a pound when you could roast your own?!?!

 

[Suzuki]

If we're going to be pedantic -
1) 1 pound = 453.59237 grams
2) 454g / 4.25 is not 106.82, because you would be using significant figures incorrectly


Obviously, the cost per cup depends on the price per pound and the number of servings per pound, the latter of which has signifcantly more wiggle room. The standard, teabook yarn is "200 servings per pound", which may work with long steepings and small servings, but not in the real world.

You may use 4-4.5g per 12-14 ounces, while Hobbes may use 9g per 4 ounces. You don't have to be a rocket surgeon* to realise that the number of serving may vary wildly. I believe Suzuki's numbers are influenced by his deepenig descent into the maelstrom of pu'er. My latest teaware is so small, I have to put on my reading glasses to use them.

You are indeed right about my descent into pu'erh influencing my numbers - I just used that as a very conservative way to figure out the cost per cup - to the extent you're using black tea and/or brewing teas English style (small amouts of tea and long steep times), the loose leaf only gets cheaper.

Beyond the economics, the real reason to use the loose leaf is that its better tea - the fact that its often cheaper than bagged tea is just a bonus.

 

[ouch]

Beyond the economics, the real reason to use the loose leaf is that its better tea - the fact that its often cheaper than bagged tea is just a bonus.

Exactly. When it comes to teabags, you pay through the nose for the convenience, and at the price of quality.

Ultimately, we put up with all the convention and rigmarole because we want to. The process of brewing tea is as pleasurable as consuming it.

 

[Peppery John]

I don't know how much help I'll be, because for money reasons I have to use cheap teabags, but here's what I do: I run the water hot from the faucet, put my bag in, and give it about 30 seconds in the microwave. I like to let it sit in there for a bit after it's finished, which isn't really steeping, I know, but it acts similar. I drink a LOT of tea, a cup at least every two hours, and sometimes one an hour, and I've done it this way for years. I know, I really should get a teapot! LOL The way you're talking about does make sense though, as this is how, I know, with many variations, teas are made and drunk from fresh chamomile or mint that one has picked.

This is just about the worst method I have ever seen for brewing tea.
Hot water from the tap is tainted and guaranteed to taste yucky. There can't be anything easier than boiling a kettle of water, warming the cup then dropping a teabag into steep.

 

[sehrgut]

No, the worst method would've been if he'd said, "And then I use a teabag-squeezer to wring the bitter dregs out of the bag".

Gah! Teabag-squeezers . . . of all the useless implements, that has to be one of the worst!

 

[Roman414]

I wouldn't call it snobbishness, but knowledge. I grew up on bagged Lipton, Twinings, and even generic stuff from the supermarket and enjoyed it well enough. But the first time I tasted a good, loose leaf tea...the difference was amazing. Be it a single-estate or a good blend, it blows the socks off the "tea dust" you get in the mass-market bags. Spooning the tea into a pot or infuser is very little more hassle than dunking a bag, probably no more expensive, maybe less, and it tastes so much better you will never look back.

 

[Peppery John]

No, the worst method would've been if he'd said, "And then I use a teabag-squeezer to wring the bitter dregs out of the bag".

Gah! Teabag-squeezers . . . of all the useless implements, that has to be one of the worst!

Or even adding milk with the tap water

 

[ouch]

Drinking fine coffee or tea isn't snobby.

Shaving with Coates, Harris, and Penhaligon's is snobby.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Drinking fine coffee or tea isn't snobby.

Shaving with Coates, Harris, and Penhaligon's is snobby.

Hey now, I'm a Blenheim Bouquet man...


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[ouch]

Hey now, I'm a Blenheim Bouquet man...


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

My all time favorite. Have you tried the BB shave cream- outstanding.

 

[Hobbesoxon]

Scotto was kind enough to send me some in exchange for pu'er samples back in Spring - superfine deluxeness!


Toodlepip,

Hobbes

 

[Ltltony]

I use a Tea Tiger

Find them here




I also have a single cup tea pot.

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