Where to get some good tea and how to brew it

[neilyasno]

Ok guys, so I'm here looking for a little bit of help. When I was still growing up, my dad would always drink standard Twinnings Early Gray Tea. It seemed to suit him so that's what I occasionally drank. But after I found out how those teabags are made I did not want to drink them anymore. I then began just brewing tea with a metal basket. I have various loose leaf teas from such places as Harrods and what not.

But recently, my friend made me some special tea he got from China and it was very very different. He brewed it in a heavy clay pot and the tea had some taste that I've never tasted before.

Anyways, I want to experiment with drinking some tea. What is the best type of tea to get a nice jolt in the morning, what's the best way to brew it, and what's the best container to drink it out of. I would really appreciate some advice on this topic

 

[tjg5181]

I have only been brewing loose leaf teas for about a month, so I have very little to contribute, however, Teavana makes "My Morning Mate" which I find to be a great tea to make in the morning for a quick jolt. It has as much caffeine in it as coffee, unlike their other products, and has a rich, earthy, almost coffee like taste! Recently they were doing a 75% off sale in the store, and I bought a whole mess load of teas to try out. I enjoy their CocoCaramel Sea Salt, and the Azteca Fire as well. I have not experimented with teas from any other companies yet. Best of luck!

 

[_JP_]

But recently, my friend made me some special tea he got from China and it was very very different. He brewed it in a heavy clay pot and the tea had some taste that I've never tasted before.

The tea was most likely a puerh variety, the pot a yixing, and the brewing style often referred to as Gong Fu. If you go the the Jas-e-tea website you can learn about it.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

I believe it was Ouch who said, "Friends don't let friends use tea bags"

+1 for Jas-e-tea They have great service and selection.
http://www.jas-etea.com/

I bought from Mark T. Wendell for over 10 years
https://marktwendell.com/

Mandala Tea also has great service and selection
http://shopmandalatea.com/

There are lots of suggestions here in the Cafe for brewing the different varieties of tea.
The tea selling websites have basic guides to brewing the different types of tea, but it's really up to the individule.
For example, most pu-ehr drinkers like multiple, quick brews per batch but, I like it brewed strong.
Experiment and have fun!

 

[mdevine]

Upton Teas is another excellent online tea vendor.

 

[jwhite]

I'm a big fan of my yixing but I recommend getting your feet wet a little bit before getting one. They are unglazed and really do best when devoted to one type of tea so you might as well hold off until you have a better sense of what you like. A porcelain or glazed earthenware gaiwan is an affordable way to use the same brewing techniques on any tea as you get started.

 

[hillbilly pick]

A buddy of mine started this company and recommend any of them. Follow the brewing directions provided.

http://www.teavana.com/

 

[smalltank]

+1...my wife LOVES their black tea!...tea filter cup combo is included..works perfectly!

A buddy of mine started this company and recommend any of them. Follow the brewing directions provided.

http://www.teavana.com/

 

[hedonist222]

TWG has excellent tea.

 

[Hunter]

Tomorrow after work I'm going to Davids Tea to indulge in an AD, and I need to buy double since I need a healthy amount at work and home.

 

[gimpochin]

wwwyunnansourcing.com, owned and operated by fellow American inn China.Scott Wilson has a good supply of teas and his prices are right and quality and service are AAA++++. Also a nice selection of guans,clay pots etc. Go to the source. Why screw around.

 

[ouch]

Anyone who recommends teavana is free to do so. Anyone who listens to that recommendation should have their head examined.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

Teavana is way overpriced.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

www.yunnansourcing.com - WOW! They have quite a selection!!!

 

[ouch]

Dragon tea house has a much better selection for greens, blacks, and oolongs, but yunnan sourcing is one of the top spots for pu'er.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

Dragon Tea House looks pretty awesome too - I'm going to have to guzzle my current stash of chai to make room for some new chai!
http://www.dragonteahouse.biz/

 

[neilyasno]

I'm a big fan of my yixing but I recommend getting your feet wet a little bit before getting one. They are unglazed and really do best when devoted to one type of tea so you might as well hold off until you have a better sense of what you like. A porcelain or glazed earthenware gaiwan is an affordable way to use the same brewing techniques on any tea as you get started.

Ok but my question is how big of a difference comes form a yixing? Is it actually significant? Or is it sort of like the cherry on top?

 

[Kazeryu]

Ok but my question is how big of a difference comes form a yixing? Is it actually significant? Or is it sort of like the cherry on top?

It rounds out the flavour of what is in your teapot by adding a little bit of what was in your teapot. This can result in a "better" but arguably less "pure" tea flavour. Some people swear by them and some people think they're not worth the bother. One catch is that you can't (or at least shouldn't) mix & match tea varieties in them... a teapot seasoned for ripe pu'erh would brew a very strange pot of green tea.

Personally, I switch between different varieties of tea quite often and can't be bothered to own 3-5 different teapots so I prefer using a glass one. I think glass is nice because care/cleanup is a snap, it doesn't matter what you brewed in it yesterday, and it lets you see the colour of the tea very well.

Disclaimer: I've never tried a yixing, and I have a hard time imagining myself ever using one.

 

[Kazeryu]

I use this style of teapot at home and at work. Not very glamourous, but you can buy them for as little as $4 in some places and it will brew any tea or tea-like substance perfectly well.

At that price I think they are the perfect starter workhorse. As always, however, YMMV.

 

[Doc4]

It's pretty much all been said.

I agree on getting a gaiwan or porcelain/glass pot to brew, at least to start. You can really experiment with different teas without worrying about it affecting your yixing pot.

I'd try a raw pu-erh sampler from Jas-e tea ... get a gaiwan while you are at it, and maybe e-mail Steve (the guy who runs it) and he can suggest an Oolong, green and white for you to try.