Do you use a teapot to make a cuppa?
- Thread starter PeteXXX
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figbat
Former slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
Almost always a bag in a mug unless making for a group, then it’s a pre-warmed pot with a cosy.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Like Figgers, If its just me and/or Mrs D I brew in the mug.
If I've got visitors its quicker and easier to bung the teabags in my novelty Coronation Treet teapot.
If I've got visitors its quicker and easier to bung the teabags in my novelty Coronation Treet teapot.
Flick of the Elbow
Old School Working Class
Always. And never a tea bag since I learnt that they contain plastic.
Drago
Legendary Member
- Location
- Suburban Poshshire
Although the ones that dont contain plastic don't, erm, contain plastic.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
Personally I always make it with a bag on a mug
NOT EVER a bag and milk in a mug - then water - that is just verging on the American!!!
If given a choice, my wife prefers Green tea in a pot with boiling water and then left to brew for at least 3 minutes
(I do occasionally mention that she is a fussy bitch at time!!!)
but normally, if we are away from home, she has to put up with a bag of green tea in a mug
At cafés we (i.e. me) have to watch carefully and try to intercept the person behind the counter to get them to put the mug in first and not just deliver a mug of hot water and a bag of green tea is a pretty paper wrapper next to it
NOT EVER a bag and milk in a mug - then water - that is just verging on the American!!!
If given a choice, my wife prefers Green tea in a pot with boiling water and then left to brew for at least 3 minutes
(I do occasionally mention that she is a fussy bitch at time!!!)
but normally, if we are away from home, she has to put up with a bag of green tea in a mug
At cafés we (i.e. me) have to watch carefully and try to intercept the person behind the counter to get them to put the mug in first and not just deliver a mug of hot water and a bag of green tea is a pretty paper wrapper next to it
@ebikeerwidnes NOT EVER a bag and milk in a mug - then water ..
🤮 Yuck!! That's a whole new discussion as is the use of a microwave! 🤮
🤮 Yuck!! That's a whole new discussion as is the use of a microwave! 🤮
figbat
Former slippery scientist
- Location
- South Oxfordshire, UK
As a curious scientist, and a chemist at that, I did some research into the chemistry of tea brewing. For black tea (which is all I drink) you need the water to be as hot as possible to dissolve the flavour chemicals out of the tea as they are not especially water soluble. Hence using freshly boiled water, pre-heating the pot and covering it with an insulating layer (cosy). This is also why you don’t put the milk in whilst steeping.
There’s a lot going on in the steeping process, and timing is important - too long and you start extracting increased levels of bitter chemicals that cause the ‘stewed’ taste.
Water quality is important - using hard water generates ‘scum’ on the surface which is unsightly, but the minerals in the water also affect the steep and the flavour. We live in a hard water area and always use water from a filter jug for tea.
Of course, each to their own.
There’s a lot going on in the steeping process, and timing is important - too long and you start extracting increased levels of bitter chemicals that cause the ‘stewed’ taste.
Water quality is important - using hard water generates ‘scum’ on the surface which is unsightly, but the minerals in the water also affect the steep and the flavour. We live in a hard water area and always use water from a filter jug for tea.
Of course, each to their own.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
using a microwave is OK
no -no - stop - wait till I finish - I'm not married to you!!
a microwave is just a way of heating water up
so if you heat a mug full of water up to boiling in a microwave
THEN pour the water into a second mug (or teapot) with a bag in it
then that would be acceptable
Chromatic
Legendary Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
As previously stated by @figbat
using hard water is less than ideal
The wonderful United Utilities converted us to hard water a year or two ago and the tea taste changed
so did the amount of "gunk" on the walls of the mugs and the bottom of the teapot and kettle
actually 2 kettles broke - one brand new - soon after the water changed - something to do with the way the auto off switch worked
so we always use a water filter now
using hard water is less than ideal
The wonderful United Utilities converted us to hard water a year or two ago and the tea taste changed
so did the amount of "gunk" on the walls of the mugs and the bottom of the teapot and kettle
actually 2 kettles broke - one brand new - soon after the water changed - something to do with the way the auto off switch worked
so we always use a water filter now
deptfordmarmoset
Full time tea drinker
- Location
- Armonmy Way
Loose leaf tea and freshly boiled water into a warmed pot with a cosy. It keeps hot for ages. Usually black tea with a little milk. Very occasionally I'll have one of those green tea bags but that's mostly to use them up before I get some more green leaf tea.
classic33
Leg End Member
As I'm only making the one pot of tea, it's a teabag in a previously scalded mug. With the milk being added after the teabag has been removed.
If there's more than one, and we're not in a rush, then it's loose tea in the teapot.
The teapot has often been a kettle pressed into service as a a teapot.
If there's more than one, and we're not in a rush, then it's loose tea in the teapot.
The teapot has often been a kettle pressed into service as a a teapot.
But certainly not microwaved with milk & teabag in situ!
