Novice -- help anyone?

[TeaNovice]

Hello there --

I have been a coffee drinker for years, and (don't ask me why) but lately I have been drinking tea every morning and have come to prefer it over coffee!

I've just been using Lipton tea bags (I know -- how unoriginal of me) but I really don't know all of the ins and outs of brewing my own tea. I don't know what kind of equipment I would need or what brand of tea is the best for drinking in the morning. I DO like a bit of a caffeine kick in the AM -- it's just that the taste of coffee has lately been a big turn off for me.

Can anyone help? Suggest a website or stores where I could purchase the basics for what I would need to make GOOD tea every day? I would like to make real tea like they drink in England - not out of a Lipton tea bag. Thanks!

[Pentox]

Hello and welcome!

There are a lot of things that you can get into with drinking tea, but thankfully it's easy to start off small and work your way up.

If you're making lipton in the morning I'm guessing you have a ready supply of hot water already? If not you should probably look into a kettle of some kind. Zojis, UtiliTEA, Kamjoves, or other.

As far as brewing equipment, almost anything will work well for starting off. I'd suggest something nonspecialized, either a IngenuiTEA or personaliTEA.

If you like a caffeine boost in the morning i'd suggest starting with a black tea sampler. Matcha probably has more caffeine than black, but that's more along the lines of advanced tea addiction.

If you're looking for Brick and Mortar store that depends on where you live, if you 're looking for online Adagio is a good place to start out. Once you've gotten your teafeet wet we'll gladly help you with the more specialized stuff. (Most of the stuff I just listed was from Adagio)

[treazure]

Welcome to Tea! I cannot do anything without my Irish Breakfast Blend tea. I buy my loose teas online, but have an emergency stash of tea bags for those times I'll be away from my own kitchen.

Some will faint at this, so long term tea people stop reading. I suggest that you get to the grocery store or super Wal Mart or something like that and pick up a box of Twinings Irish Breakfast Blend. If you like it (and it is SO good with a bit of milk and sugar), then you can go on to loose tea.

It's good stuff. I'm having a cup right now. You can get it decaffeinated as well.

There's time for you to discover your inner tea. You know...I'm jealous. I've been drinking tea for darn near 60 years and sometimes stop to think how a new tea drinker would like what is in my cup.

Glad you're here!

Other than Adagio, I strongly suggest you sign up with Upton. The catalogs have an incredible amount of information about the history of tea, brewing and everything else. Some don't approve of them, but I have never had a bad tea from them. Don't get overwhelmed by the sheer number of teas.
http://www.uptontea.com/

[TeaNovice]

Thanks for the advice so far - I appreciate it.

I will look at those sites for sure. I guess with loose tea, I'm not sure what I would need to buy to make it the right way (I've never made tea from loose tea leaves in my life.)

And no, I don't even have a tea kettle to boil water -- LOL! I just put water in a cup, nuke it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, and then plop the Lipton's bag in for a bit.

I was going to go out today and buy a tea kettle just so I could boil water on the stove, but then I thought I'd look online to see what other things people use. I don't think in England or other countries where tea is as popular as coffee that they boil water and dump it over a tea bag -- right?? I'm not sure? But I guess those sites you both mentioned will help me figure this out.

I saw some kind of little metal ball looking thing, and I'm assuming you put the loose tea inside of that and then boil it in a hot teapot? You all must think I'm a bit of a nutcase here, but I just want to make it the "right" way. Coffee just hasn't been doing it for me the past couple of weeks - makes my stomach turn when I drink it now, and I don't know why that is. But tea I've kind of gotten addicted to.

In fact, I'm having this Celestial Seasons Chai tea (decaf) tonight and on the box it said to add honey and milk and I did -- it is AWESOME!!! What have I been missing all these years!?

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

If I had to recommend the most basic starter kit to a newbie it would include 1)Infuser basket, 2)Sampler of Green, Black, White, and Ooolong Teas and perhaps some flavored ones that catch your eye and might be more familiar to your palate. It i very easy to get carried away with teaware as MANY of us here are..........but, as long as you have good quality water and something for the loose leaves to open up in, you are in business. As far as a shop????I would recommend Adagio....they have a great selection of beginner teaware as well as some excellent sampler sets and teadrinker reviews. Anyway, welcome to the forum! Enjoy the ride!

-Nick (TaiPing)

[Victoria]

You need a kettle, electric or stovetop, and a brewing basket (forget the ball type), and the Black Tea Sampler from Adagio. After a week or two you will know your direction. It's like magic, trust me.

Good luck!

PS - I like the Finium Brewing Basket

[Proinsias]

I don't think in England or other countries where tea is as popular as coffee that they boil water and dump it over a tea bag -- right?? I'm not sure?

Unfortunately most people over here do make tea that way, though usually the water is boiled in an electric kettle than dumped on the teabag. If you have a cafetiere they are great for making tea, aside from that you can't really go wrong with a traditional teapot which should be cheaply available. I'd agree with the above suggestions that Adaigio is a great place to start, and that's not because I spend too much time on their forum.

Aside from the blends, Irish breakfast or English breakfast, I'd recommend some nice Assam or Keemun for a good dose of black tea caffeine in the morning.

[Space Samurai]

I don't think in England or other countries where tea is as popular as coffee that they boil water and dump it over a tea bag -- right??

You'd be suprised.

[Salsero]

It i very easy to get carried away with teaware as MANY of us here are..........

I consider this a personal affront!

Besides that, TaiPing's advice is exactly right. I also started with a box of Lipton teabags that had been sitting around for years before I got to it, but I guess it sort of took hold.

Avoid the little metal balls, they don't give the loose leaf enough room to expand. You will hear the tea leaves desperate screams of pain as they are smothered by their own expansion. I wouldn't want you to have to experience that. A large infuser basket nearly as big as your cup will be more humane for both the tea and you.

Check out the Getting Started section of Wikicha for some good infusion basket and other paraphernalia information. Much of it was written by a noted experts in the field ... sort of.

While you are visiting WikiCha, be sure also to check out the avant garde style, mouth brewing. Please do not try this at home without adult supervision.

And if that doesn't completely discourage you from consuming tea, be sure to stop by TeaDay each day for a fun poll, chit chat about tea and life, and at least one stunningly beautiful tea photo each day.

[ABx]

I started out with The Tao of Tea (taooftea.com) and SpecialTeas (specialteas.com). Both specialize in mostly black teas with a variety of others to get you started. Tao of Tea is local to me, and I don't drink black tea, but I've often heard that they have some of the best black and flavored teas (like the blue flower earl gray, which I actually still have some of). They also have more info on every tea than I've ever seen anywhere else.

I also started with an infuser mug and really loved it. They work very well, and are very convenient and easy to use. Most department stores and chain import stores (like Cost Plus World Market) have them very cheap. You can often find them even cheaper at Asian grocers if you have a good one near you. I would say that these are even easier to find than teapots of any type. If you search Google for 'infuser mug' you will find tons of results with at least one that will suit your personal aesthetic.

Upton (uptontea.com) has cheap electric kettles that are all stainless steel. I can't vouch for how long they'll last, but I have one that's had a fair amount of use - then again I had another (I can't remember where I got it) that only lasted a few months.

For brick and mortar stores you might check the TeaMap (link at the very top of every page on this forum). The directory is more for tea houses than tea shops, but most tea houses sell loose leaf as well as serving it.

[treazure]

I forgot. The Ingenuitea (how the dickens is that spelled?) is sold at Adagio and looks like it would be a splendid vehicle to introduce you to loose tea.

Black teas - boiling water but do not boil your tea!!!!!!!

Greens, yellow and white, not boiling water.

I've had an electric kettle by Cuisinart for many years and so far it's working well. Wal Mart (if you have one nearby) has a much less expensive water kettle. Eventually, if you really go wild over tea (not like any of us here are like that), you'll want a variable temperature kettle. It is cheaper to run one of those than the stove and if you are at school, the kettle is wonderful for heating water for tea, soup, co$$ee and whatever.

I just looked over the part about don't boil tea. OK, yes, I have a recipe in which you simmer tea and a lot of whole spices together till it reduces, then I add it to a cup of tea with milk and sugar, but that is the only time I abuse tea.

Happy Tea Addiction! Pardon me, the kettle is boiling and I need another pot of tea.

In my cup, almost, Constant Comment made from loose. Yum.