Sat/Sun TeaDay 7/16-17/11 To can or not to can?

[Chip]

Greetings TeaFriends, worldwide. Please drop in and share what is in your cup. Also discuss the day's topic!

Yesterday we discussed International TeaDay. Please continue to discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. A member asked, which do you prefer when buying tea, to receive it in a canister or in a pouch? What do you prefer? Please share.

We are looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up.

[David R.]

Bag is ok for almost every kind of tea. Nonetheless, I prefer teas with fragile long shaped leaves such as yancha or dan cong shipped in a canister to protect them.

[strickmr]

I'm a hermit. I can't throw anything away, especially those nicely decorated tea pouches. They're much easier to put in a box and sort through later than a whole bunch of canisters in a drawer somewhere.

Or am I supposed to say, "the tea tastes better out of a pouch"?

[brlarson]

Teas are more expensive in a canister so I usually buy them by the pouch then transfer them to canisters when I open them. I have already invested in several good canister sets to protect my open teas.

Oh, whenever I order from Postcard Teas I always order some teas in canisters in addition to teas in pouches. Royal Mail might treat their UK deliveries with kid gloves but their contractors in the US are less careful. Some shipments are delivered in what appear to be Tyvek bags, so including a few canisters along with the pouches helps (I think) to keep the bagged teas from being crushed. This was my first delivery from Postcard Teas: strange truck roared to a stop in front of my house, heard something smash into my front door followed by a thud onto the porch, truck roared away. Elapsed time was less than 5 seconds, the driver never left his truck; this was a hint as to how they treated the order up to that point. They have great teas, but US delivery could use some improvement.

Seven Cups Tie Luo Han is on the breakfast menu this morning.

[debunix]

Pouches take up less space



and the tea inspector approves of them



I went through a phase of trying to keep all of my teas in nice cannisters, but getting them to match for easy stacking was all too frustrating, and as the number of teas went up, the cannisters got pushed aside. I like their looks, and I do have a handful of teas still in cannisters because of the leaf's size/shape/cost but generally I prefer pouches.

Starting today with some Diamond TGY from Norbu, because I have a little cold and am feeling sorry for myself.

[rhondabee]

I almost always buy in pouches. I have enough canisters at work, but still need some more at home, so may purchase some of those cute Japanese canisters some day soon.

Today drinking some 2009 Li Shan oolong from a new vendor based in St. Louis, The Fragrant Cup. I'm happy to have found a local vendor that has Taiwanese oolongs.

[Skippyandjif]

It depends on the canister and the price. If the canister is significantly more expensive, I'll go with a pouch. But I do find canisters very useful for holding craft and art supplies when the tea has been all used up-- like pen nibs, sewing needles, straight pins, portable water containers if I'm taking paints somewhere, etc.

Genmaicha (from a pouch! LOL) all day today, also all night. I just love genmaicha.

[Chip]

Seems the vast majority of the tea I have purchased in any desirable canister was crapola or close to it. Very rarely exceptional.

Seems the best teas I purchase come in some kind of pouch.

Simple for me, I choose pouch the vast majority of the time ... however I will admit to buying tea just because of the canister. I just never expect too much from the tea in this case.

Great TD started out with an OTTI 10 tasting of Aoi from O-Cha with the Mrs.

Next up, a tasting of Yame Sencha also from OTTI 10 ... and Xell.

Last up, Guricha from OTTI 10 and Xell.

All pouched tea and all great!

[Chip]

Seems this topic needs some more posters and answers. So, this topic will carryover to Sunday!

Please continue to share what is in your cup and discuss the topic of the day.

As a bonus, also share whether you sometimes buy tea just for the canister and if you keep all those tea canisters ... and pouches?

We are looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with ... everyone. Bottoms up.

[olivierco]

Bag is ok for almost every kind of tea. Nonetheless, I prefer teas with fragile long shaped leaves such as yancha or dan cong shipped in a canister to protect them.

+1

After opening a bag, I always put the tea in a cannister.

[bob]

I usually buy tea in pouches since it makes the shipping cheaper. But I might go for a canister if I like it and it has a double lid. Otherwise I don't bother anymore, I have a bunch of old single lid canisters lying around, mostly from Sir Winston and Twinnings days...

If I like the new tea and I have enough of it I transfer it to a washi canister and label it. It makes the daily tea selection process much nicer!

And I tend to keep everything, all the pouches and canisters. It comes handy when I give samples to friends or take some tea with me on a trip.

Today I had more time so I started with the new tea I'm testing, Uji Asamushi Sencha Hana-no-Kaori from O-cha. Very nice, interesting mix of umami, vegetables and a bit of that buttery taste that reminds me of Taiwanese high mountain oolongs.

I will continue with a bit of matcha. I like the taste and texture very much, one serving just leaves me craving for more. But it seems my stomach doesn't react very well to matcha, I always get unpleasant feelings about 20 min later. So I'm trying to drink it in small doses daily, hoping I'll get used to it...

[JRS22]

The only "canisters with tea" purchase that survived spring cleaning are the ones that came with an O-Cha gift set that I gifted to myself. Now I store my teas in a combination of canisters and double-bagging. Except for samples, which fit in my collection of Upton sample tins.

In my cup this morning - some 2010 Asa-Giri from O-Cha that I'm on target to finish before my OTTI package arrives.

[Chip]

Except for samples, which fit in my collection of Upton sample tins.

I use these sample tins extensively and recommend them.

I buy a pouch, open it and split it in halves. Each half goes into one of these sample tins. One tin will go back into reserve (if Japanese green, it goes back into the TeaFridge).

The other half, I place the sample tin into the double lidded Washi canisters ... so it is well protected as I use the tea.

For years, I would buy tea in tins and could never throw the tins away. Now I try to only get canisters I really like.

Began the TD with Yutaka Midori from OTTI 10 with the Mrs.

In my cup this morning - some 2010 Asa-Giri from O-Cha that I'm on target to finish before my OTTI package arrives.

Better hurry!

[tortoise]

I'm suspicious of canisters sold with tea. I like canisters and it's almost as easy to fetishize them as teapots, but the ones sold with tea are usually not neat enough to justify the expense.

Death roast shui xian for me today.

[Chip]

I'm suspicious of canisters sold with tea. I like canisters and it's almost as easy to fetishize them as teapots, but the ones sold with tea are usually not neat enough to justify the expense.

Funny, I view it most often the other way around, the tea sucks, but the tin might justify to purchase.

Sakimidori fuka organic to continue the TeaDay.