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PaperclipPerfector  1mo ago (text post)   2271 thread views

Wellness Wednesday for October 9, 2024

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I am getting into tea to replace my drinking habit. I dialed down to a healthy consumption a while ago, just didn’t really have a replacement for a while.

First, any recommendations?

Second, is it worth it to get the whole setup over continuing to use teabags when most of the time, it’s just going to be one person drinking tea at a time.

I love my electric kettle with temperature/time settings for different kinds of tea. Keeps things warm, and can even have the tea ready for you at the time you ask for it. Less expensive models also exist.

If you buy loose-leaf tea I would suggest you store it in a vacuum-sealed container like this one. Oolong tea is my favorite, particularly the stuff grown at higher elevations (usually called something like "high mountain tea"), but I get it when I travel to Asia or from friends and family, so I don't know what it costs to order online or where else they sell it. If you want something a bit different you can get some Kirkland brand green tea and cold-steep it in the fridge overnight for a refreshing drink the next day, and if you ever want something caffeine-free you can try barley tea (although if I remember right this was an acquired taste for me).

For cold tea, I like rooibos and barley tea. Roasted green tea (hojicha) is also good hot or cold. These are all fine from tea bags imo, if you're drinking it like water. For hot loose leaf tea as far as setup goes I have a kyusu and T-fal kettle with variable temperature settings. Not too much of an investment.

I live in Japan but green tea isn't my favorite. If I'm not just drinking a teabag of Earl Grey or something I have a stash of Lapsang Souchong which probably sounds fru-fru but it's really just this robust black tea. It was said to be Churchill's favorite. It's definitely mine.

I can't describe the taste well. Some call it bacon tea but that's not quite right. It's not that easy to find but you can find it. I keep mine in a Ziploc bag and that bag in a metal tin, just to contain the aroma, which always gets a snide comment from my wife if she smells it.

Loose leaves, get one of those one-cup tea steepers or just a small pot if you're thinking of a few cups at a sitting.

Edit: This tea is hated by many people.

Silver needle white tea is fantastic, if you're still looking for recommendations.

I'd really recommend you try cold brewing at least once. Fill a water bottle or jar with room temp water, add tea/tea bag and let sit overnight. Get a lot more of the non bitter flavours to shine through.

Re loose leaf, I usually get it because it is cheaper (although the boutique expensive stuff is sold in this form as well), but I just leave it loose in the cup and just toss the last quarter to avoid eating the leaves. Boutique stuff is a good gift to receive but I never buy it for myself

I'd like to offer that after years of hating that nothing hits quite like a cold beer at the end of the day, I discovered that a glass of cold milk actually does. At least for me.

I like chamomile tea, and decaf green tea.

I also like anise, black tea for caffeine, etc. I'd recommend going to an indian or middle eastern grocery store as teas there are usually way cheaper than at the standard supermarket. And yeah, teabags are fine. Don't believe the snobs.

Caffeine is a problem for me due to what is apparently wacky physiology on my part but a variety of green tea called kukicha solves that problem. It's made from the stems, rather than the leaves of the plant. Very much green tea without the caffeine.

oh I just buy decaf. haven't heard of kukicha but I might try it.

Whether it's worth it to get a "setup" vs teabags is really more about how much of a tea snobgourmet you want to be. If you try some fancy looseleaf that's a named variety from China and decide you really like that better, go ahead and invest more. But it's okay if you can't taste the difference and want to stick with the teabags available at the grocery store.

Can't you just get something like this for single cup use?

I use these all the time if I'm making tea for <3 people.

What is "the whole setup"?

Buying loose tea can be worth it, but it costs more. You get more variety to choose from, and somewhat stronger flavors.

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