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    #26
    Usually they're called a strainer

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      #27
      Originally posted by WOM View Post

      I buy my wife these frou-frou teas from a place called David's Tea and they use them. It's usually those gourmet 'sachet' bags, often shaped like pyramids for some reason.

      She cuts the corner off and puts the tea into a metal strainer thing. Whatever they're called.
      All teabags have some plastic content. It's what keeps them intact in hot water. Apparently Yorkshire Tea will shortly introduce a fully bio-degradable teabag. Good for them. The pyramid ones with string on are purely evil. No need for them whatsoever.

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        #28
        Dad, do you know the piano is on my foot?
        You hum it son and I'll play it....

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          #29
          delicatemoth is the board's resident tea expert I think, especially if you're looking for more 'fancy' loose leaf/non-milk stuff.

          Roobios isn't normally particularly vanilla flavoured, but I think you can get vanilla-scented versions, so maybe look out for those if you like that?

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            #30
            Coffee in the morning (2 cups) when at work for me, tea at home. We're not sophisticated tea drinkers; Dilmah Extra Strength is our tea of choice. We do have Peppermint and Cammomile teas at home for my wife (occasionally) and daughter-in-law when she visits.

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              #31
              I’m not a tea connoisseur (apart from knowing I don’t like earl grey) but wanted to add my own ongoing tea-purchase considerations concerning plastic in teabags.

              It bugged me greatly to find that all of the main brands (and,indeed every single bag on sale in my usual Sainsbury’s) were using plastic as I have been composting them for years. Of course this can be solved by using loose tea but as someone said above there is the ‘arsed’ factor-especially as Ms F takes decaff so Id be making two pots.

              Only bags I can afford/am prepared to pay for that are currently plastic-free are Clipper (also use unbleached paper) and (we have a winner) Aldi own brand.

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                #32
                Yorkshire Tea Decaf.

                Lots of it.

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                  #33
                  Originally posted by Felicity, I guess so View Post
                  I’m not a tea connoisseur (apart from knowing I don’t like earl grey)...
                  Indeed... Earl Grey is disgusting stuff

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                    #34
                    Clipper is also a decent tea for a teabag.

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                      #35
                      Using loose leaf tea - we never used a strainer in my house at all, and my mum still doesn't, and it is really not a faff at all (though obviously you do need to use a tea pot and you can't make it in the mug as you can with a bag). As long as you let the tea mash* the right amount of time then the leaves sink to the bottom (indeed that's how you know it's ready) and then there is no issue.

                      (*I realise that most of you use "brew" here, but in South Yorkshire, and hence the tea language i grew up with, it's mash)

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                        #36
                        Generally, tea in Germany is either (1) shit, or (2) makes dubious medical claims.

                        Fortunately, my dear mother furnishes me with boxes of Yorkshire Tea.

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                          #37
                          I think chai tastes great, maybe not all the time, but certainly as a special treat. Stay clear off chai latte, though. I'd also second the rocomendation of roiboos teas, they come with a range of different tastes as well a the classic one, which is a fairly close substitute to regular black tea.

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                            #38
                            I do like Earl Grey, and I can take camomile in the evening if it's late, but I don't really like it. Rooibos is hit or miss, for some reason, and some peppermint herbal teas are okay. I'll have to keep an eye out for a box of that Yorkshire Tea and give it a go.

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                              #39
                              Oh, I thought you were trying to select a cleaner!

                              I'm currently drinking M&S Luxury Gold teabags, but want to posh up to some nice leaf tea soon.

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                                #40
                                Originally posted by WOM View Post
                                I'll have to keep an eye out for a box of that Yorkshire Tea and give it a go.
                                It's pretty standard stuff, really. No airs and graces. But if you're just a regular tea drinker and just want something of decent quality it fits the bill.

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                                  #41
                                  Originally posted by MsD View Post
                                  Oh, I thought you were trying to select a cleaner!

                                  I'm currently drinking M&S Luxury Gold teabags, but want to posh up to some nice leaf tea soon.

                                  Yes, genuinely so did I when I first saw the thread title!

                                  You're drinking an M & S premium tea product and you want to "posh up"!!! Oooooo, 'ark at 'er!

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                                    #42
                                    The legal firm I worked for in October had Birchall's teas, and I think about them still. Might buy their leaf tea when my finances have recovered a bit.

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                                      #43
                                      Originally posted by Nocturnal Submission View Post
                                      It's pretty standard stuff, really. No airs and graces. But if you're just a regular tea drinker and just want something of decent quality it fits the bill.
                                      I grew up on Red Rose tea, but I think it was a Canada-only brand. Red Rose boxes often came with a little ceramic Wade figurine, of which my mom collected hundreds over the years. I have them now. The gingerbread man from the nursery rhyme series is now worth big money. I have 2.

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                                        #44
                                        Originally posted by laverte View Post
                                        – A breakfast tea that will wake me up. i like the strength of PG tips etc but i find it rather blunt and i can taste the paper from the teabag when i brew it with boiling water. It seems to be a blend of mostly assam teas. Is that what i should be looking for in loose-leaf form? Would any other black tea be as satisfying? (i don't take milk or sugar in hot drinks.)

                                        – An afternoon tea that will help me to wake up after my nap but ideally would be less strong than the morning tea. Something fresh and flavourful would be nice. Often to be accompanied by a chunk of dark chocolate.

                                        – A late afternoon or early evening brew that has no theine and might help me to digest my dinner or prepare me to get to sleep. Sometimes to be consumed with a biscuit. Herbal teas frequently seem to come with dubious health advantages; has anyone found one that works?

                                        In the past i have found that drinking tea makes me hungry. Any tips for avoiding this (or is it all in my head anyway)?

                                        i'm quite into my speciality coffees so am eager to become every bit as much of a snob/bore about tea. All advice welcome, then.
                                        As others have suggested, Twinings English Breakfast teabags make a very nice morning cup. There are lots of tasty loose leaf blacks; I tend to cycle between Yunnan (reasonably strong, not bitter), Rwandan tea (a bit like Assam but slightly less harsh) and Golden Buds for a treat (premium, soft, juicy mouth feel). I think most blacks bar Lapsang would perform the waking you up function (but Lapsang is fucking great, different ones are so varied. It just isn't strong).

                                        Fresh, flavourful, accompanying chocolate? I recommend the oolong Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). Again, there are lots of different versions, but what they have in common is a slight floral flavour that goes really well with cakes and such. If dark chocolate is a bit strong for that then maybe go for a darker oolong - a previous poster suggested Frozen Summit, which is divine (incredibly long aftertaste) but expensive, at least round here.

                                        I can't help with no-theine tea, but pu'er is often recommended as a digestif. I've never been able to get into pu'er, but it's a whole world in itself and its devotees wax lyrical on the internet. If I'm drinking late and don't want to wire myself up then I'll opt for white or yellow tea, both of which have fresh and gentle vibes, but these do contain theine.

                                        Yes, tea can make you hungry. Don't drink green tea on an empty stomach unless you need to force yourself to eat.

                                        Steepster is a good website for people talking about tea, and you might get even more detailed recommendations if you post there (https://steepster.com/).

                                        I'm really glad I got into loose leaf tea, it is a wonderful luxury that is so much cheaper than luxury boozes. I mean, you can spend a lot on it, but you really don't have to.

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                                          #45
                                          Thanks everyone for your tips. i was going to go to my nearest tea shop today to stock up but it's icy underfoot. Unfortunately the shop doesn't do a Tie Guan Yin; its bestselling oolong is Wuyi. Would you recommend that?

                                          i think i can sniff the samplers in the shop. At this stage i suppose i'm just looking for a pleasant odour, right? i would expect there' to be a more direct connection between aroma and taste than there is in coffee but perhaps that's more the case for green teas. Still, i ought to be able to pick up 'floral', broadly speaking.

                                          When the packet says something like "two doses of tea leaves for one cup", and i want to make two cups, can i just double the dosage? Or better to brew a bit less but for longer?

                                          Weaning myself off coffee is going to be a longer-term project than i had hoped especially as nextdoor is having a party tonight. Last weekend they let off fireworks at midnight, having let off fireworks for most of October-November and christmas-new year. i don't know whether to go to bed really early and try to get some sleep before the party starts, or simply wait up for it to finish.

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                                            #46
                                            Don't they invite you? If they're making that much racket it'd be the neighbourly thing to do.

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                                              #47
                                              Originally posted by laverte View Post
                                              Thanks everyone for your tips. i was going to go to my nearest tea shop today to stock up but it's icy underfoot. Unfortunately the shop doesn't do a Tie Guan Yin; its bestselling oolong is Wuyi. Would you recommend that?
                                              There are a few Wuyi oolongs it seems - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuyi_tea

                                              Out of those I only really know Da Hong Pao, which I like a lot, the two most expensive teas I've bought were both DHP (https://meileaf.com/tea/undercover-dhp/). Good DHP feels like juicy rain-damp rock in the mouth, it's divine.

                                              Does the shop do 5 gram samplers? The shop I've linked to above do, which is how come I ended up buying more.

                                              Originally posted by laverte View Post
                                              When the packet says something like "two doses of tea leaves for one cup", and i want to make two cups, can i just double the dosage? Or better to brew a bit less but for longer?
                                              I drink lots of tea with my fab friend so I just double the amount I'd use on my own. I'd hope to get five or more brews from an oolong session. Currently drinking this - https://yunnansourcing.com/products/...ong-oolong-tea

                                              If you think the tea smells good it would likely taste good. My sense of smell isn't great, but read the reviews underneath the link above.

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                                                #48
                                                I don't get the Yorkshire Tea thing at all. I've tried it twice and it was as weak as piss. Honestly it was as pointless as Lipton

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                                                  #49
                                                  I do like M&S tea, they have different strengths, I usually get the extra strong and Tescos Fairtrade is pretty strong too.

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