The perfect cup of tea and coffee?

FrugalJo

Penelope_Penguin wrote:

HI, WM! :beer: I totally agree! A mug doesn't have the volume to make a good cup. It tends, therefore, to extract tannin in preference to the aromatic tea flavours, which makes the drink bitter.

Ageandjo, try investing in a nice teapot. You won't regret it if you like tea! Have you tried Earl Grey? Lovely and refreshing in the afternoon.

Penny. x

Penny you know I'm probably addicted to the tannin, since I stopped smoking my tastebuds just don't know what's what !
I do however love Earl Gray...
Jo

seraphina

I agree with Becles - the Lidl coffee is great, at least as good as the supermarket own brands. I also rate their espresso.

As for tea, I avoid PG Tips like the plague - it's like sawdust! I usually use Tetley. The water quality makes a huge difference to the taste of tea.

The other day I was speaking to one of the patent holders on the PG Tips pyramid-shaped bags and he said it does nothing for the flavour. It's just cheaper to make than round tea bags because there's no wastage of tea-bag material - if you make round teabags you lose all the bits in between the circles when you stamp out a row of tea bags. The taste thing is adverstising spin:mad:

dumpy

But of course the best cup of tea is one made for you by someone else whilst you collapse on a comfy chair!

I'm afraid I'm a tea bag dunker but my Gran would always say she could tell if the pot hadn't been warmed before making a pot of tea....

QueenB.

The only tea i really drink is herbal and i can't drink coffee as it makes me ill.

However the odd times i make a cuppa i am afraid i am a dunk a bag in a mug kinda girl and i have it so weak that my OH often says its more like warm milk than tea:D

recovering_spendaholic

I agree that tea in a teapot is so much better than teabag dunked in a mug. I always use a teapot and use two teabags for a medium pot. I use Twinings everyday teabags as they are lovely - so much nicer than PG and the like, and not much more expensive. I use Gold Blend half caff or decaff but don't really drink all that much coffee really.

Linda32

I don't like ordinary tea, only fruit tea.

However, for coffee you need to let the water go off the boil before putting it in the cup or pot. Otherwise the coffee is scalded.

Blairweech

I know tea in a teapot is better, but for ease and speed (as I usually NEED my tea NOW) I use a teabag.

1. Put teabag in mug (mug, not a cup)
2. Pour on boiling water
3. Add milk
4. Squeeze teabag to desired strength
5. Remove teabag
6. Add sugar

I know this goes agaisnt the laws of tea-making, scalds the milk etc but it works for me. The theory is that if you put the sugar in with the teabag before you pour the water on, it is just dissolved into the teabag, so I wait until after the bag is removed. I use Yorkshire Tea.

Here is a guide to the perfect brew.

Have you read 'Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down'?