newbie question, please help
Posted: Nov 22nd, '11, 17:54
I've been drinking tea casually for many years but only recently got serious about it (ordering loose tea from Canton Tea Co. + brewing in glass teapot=serious, for me, LOL), but as I'm tempted by more and more expensive tea, I'm wondering if I need to start taking things even more seriously. Let me explain.
I like to brew a large cup (12 oz) to drink while doing school work, this is how I drink 90% of the time. sometimes I brew 18 oz and bring to school in a Kleen Kanteen thermos. I started out drinking green tea, but now I seem to prefer oolong, but would like to continue to be able to drink any tea and therefore dont want to be limited by my equipment (ie, would LOVE to get a yixing but i am still sampling all the varieties of tea).
The more I research, the more it seems that the "correct" way to drink tea is multiple, quick, small infusions, from a tiny teapot, with tiny cups. I seriously love this idea but it simply does not fit my schedule at this time in my life. So, would I be wasting money on nicer teas (anything costing more than $30/100g is expensive for me) if I brew it in a 18 oz glass teapot and only drink one or two large glasses? I rarely take the time to re-infuse unless I'm brewing an oolong, then i'll infuse twice, but since i brew so much at once I usually feel satisfied after my 12 oz. i realize this is kind of wasteful so i started using less leaves but brewing for slightly longer (5-7 minutes for oolong, 1 tsp per 6 oz) ... I dont know what I'm asking really, LOL ... I just dont want to be one of those guys that buys really fancy stuff without knowing how to use it.
I would be willing to brew with a gaiwan, but instead of drinking each infusion, i'd just pour each one into a glass mug and drink the mixture (which seems silly, but maybe its not?) ...
I just dont want to spend more on tea if i wont be able to taste the difference due to my equipment/need for convenience.
Any advice, comments, or suggestions would be appreciated. I realize my question is really unclear, but if you think you can understand what i'm rambling about, by all means chime in!
I like to brew a large cup (12 oz) to drink while doing school work, this is how I drink 90% of the time. sometimes I brew 18 oz and bring to school in a Kleen Kanteen thermos. I started out drinking green tea, but now I seem to prefer oolong, but would like to continue to be able to drink any tea and therefore dont want to be limited by my equipment (ie, would LOVE to get a yixing but i am still sampling all the varieties of tea).
The more I research, the more it seems that the "correct" way to drink tea is multiple, quick, small infusions, from a tiny teapot, with tiny cups. I seriously love this idea but it simply does not fit my schedule at this time in my life. So, would I be wasting money on nicer teas (anything costing more than $30/100g is expensive for me) if I brew it in a 18 oz glass teapot and only drink one or two large glasses? I rarely take the time to re-infuse unless I'm brewing an oolong, then i'll infuse twice, but since i brew so much at once I usually feel satisfied after my 12 oz. i realize this is kind of wasteful so i started using less leaves but brewing for slightly longer (5-7 minutes for oolong, 1 tsp per 6 oz) ... I dont know what I'm asking really, LOL ... I just dont want to be one of those guys that buys really fancy stuff without knowing how to use it.
I would be willing to brew with a gaiwan, but instead of drinking each infusion, i'd just pour each one into a glass mug and drink the mixture (which seems silly, but maybe its not?) ...
I just dont want to spend more on tea if i wont be able to taste the difference due to my equipment/need for convenience.
Any advice, comments, or suggestions would be appreciated. I realize my question is really unclear, but if you think you can understand what i'm rambling about, by all means chime in!