Which is better: tea or coffee?

[Jotis]

Tea is good, but coffee is life itself.
Take my house, but leave my coffee.
Call me what you will, but take my coffee and wait for the war.
Coffee is a gift from the gods, even if you don't believe in them.
There is nothing like fresh glasses of freshly roasted coffee topped with a thick, rich, caramel-colored foam. Drunken black or perfect three-layer (coffee-milk froth) cappuccino with a touch of cinnamon.
Perfection. Chocolate is jealous.
But don't get me wrong. Tea is fine, but still my love for coffee is very great.

 

[Atlantic59]

Looks like you're new to the forum. The answer is, of course, "both".

 

[EclipseRedRing]

I am guessing you like coffee Me too, I have never found a tea that I enjoy enough to drink regularly but I have coffee every day. Nothing fancy, I grind store bought beans and use a Delonghi Dedica coffee maker. Welcome to the forum

 

[Dave himself]

I'm from Belfast where a wee cup tea makes everything better. Not for me though its a wee cup of coffee

 

[Chevyguy]

Strong black coffee with chickory is the only way to go. The chickory makes it rich and flavorful.

Clayton

 

[Toothpick]

So it was a rhetorical question.

I gave up coffee a year or so ago and switched to tea. Less caffeine. Depending on the tea I would say coffee is better or worse. I do miss a good cup of coffee though. Don’t think I could handle it at this point.

 

[Legion]

Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon.

 

[Tirvine]

^
This.

 

[musicman1951]

I also drink coffee in the morning and tea all afternoon. If I had to choose I wouldn't (but the tea tastes better and the coffee works better in the AM). There seems to be a lot more variety in the tea.

 

[linty1]

It's whichever gives you enjoyment. I drink both, more tea during the winter months, coffee is year round. For me it's not -just- the coffee, it's the process of getting there, like how it is with shaving.

 

[McBlade]

For me, coffee has too much caffeine to drink more than one or two cups a day. I'll guzzle tea when I'm thirsty but a rich, strong cup of coffee after dinner is an essential part of the day. Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans, home-roasted medium-dark & freshly ground. Mmmmm.

 

[Vikram]

Tea.

 

[Trem]

Tea when I'm at home, coffee when I'm out.

The tea I tend to prefer isn't expensive or particularly 'fine tea'. It's strong and bitter, served with a touch of milk (which gets added to the cup first in my house). And there's definitely enough caffeine that you feel it. It's best if made in a teapot. This particular tradition of preparing tea just isn't common in the US and so ordering tea when I'm out of the house is only setting myself up for disappointment -- hence the coffee. But I like coffee too, don't get me wrong. Preparing it well usually requires expensive equipment (and time and counter space) though that better lends itself to a coffee shop rather than my kitchen, at least for me.

On the subject of tea made the British/Irish way, a couple of well known essayists -- George Orwell and Christopher Hitchens -- laid things out well: how to correctly make it (Orwell) and why it often sucks in America (Hitchens). Both good reads.

 

[Trem]

Tea when I'm at home, coffee when I'm out.

The tea I tend to prefer isn't expensive or particularly 'fine tea'. It's strong and bitter, served with a touch of milk (which gets added to the cup first in my house). And there's definitely enough caffeine that you feel it. It's best if made in a teapot. This particular tradition of preparing tea just isn't common in the US and so ordering tea when I'm out of the house is only setting myself up for disappointment -- hence the coffee. But I like coffee too, don't get me wrong. Preparing it well usually requires expensive equipment (and time and counter space) though that better lends itself to a coffee shop rather than my kitchen, at least for me.

On the subject of tea made the British/Irish way, a couple of well known essayists -- George Orwell and Christopher Hitchens -- laid things out well: how to correctly make it (Orwell) and why it often sucks in America (Hitchens). Both good reads.

To round things out, here's one more short piece by an English author writing about tea -- this time by Douglas Adams, also to an American audience.

 

[David]

Tea when I'm at home, coffee when I'm out.

The tea I tend to prefer isn't expensive or particularly 'fine tea'. It's strong and bitter, served with a touch of milk (which gets added to the cup first in my house). And there's definitely enough caffeine that you feel it. It's best if made in a teapot. This particular tradition of preparing tea just isn't common in the US and so ordering tea when I'm out of the house is only setting myself up for disappointment -- hence the coffee. But I like coffee too, don't get me wrong. Preparing it well usually requires expensive equipment (and time and counter space) though that better lends itself to a coffee shop rather than my kitchen, at least for me.

On the subject of tea made the British/Irish way, a couple of well known essayists -- George Orwell and Christopher Hitchens -- laid things out well: how to correctly make it (Orwell) and why it often sucks in America (Hitchens). Both good reads.

Good reads in those links.

“All true tea lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes—a fact which is recognized in the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners.”

I took this advice and added one teaspoon to my morning pot and it definitely made a difference in both taste and giving me a little extra jolt.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Tea, no wait coffee, no, tea…ok wait, coffee.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Or tea.

 

[Balthier]

I like both, but so many types of tea black, green, oolong, white etc., then you have herbal and fruit teas unless you only mean tea made from the tea plant.

 

[Shaveprentice]

First thing in the morning everyday around 5:00am I have a big strong cup of coffee with a generous amount of heavy whipping cream. Then about an hour later I have a strong cup of black tea, also with a little heavy whipping cream. I would have to say that I really enjoy both coffee and tea with maybe a slight preference for coffee if I had to give one of them up.

 

[Ponycarman]

Just depends on my mood for me. I do like coffee and have been getting more into it lately. I just have to be careful and dilute it somewhat. If its too acidic it makes my belly churn and feel weird. I switched tried hot teas a few years ago to get away from the feeling coffee made me have. Really enjoy hot teas. Lots of variety, just as comforting and warming, and less caffeine and acid. Recently have discovered that I can stomach coffee if it isn't straight black coffee. If I soften it a bit somehow it agrees with me better. Have even tried espresso with success. So now I'm exploring both coffee and tea haha.