Tuesday TeaDay 4/27/10 TeaTechiness and gender bias?

[Amaikokonut]

I (being female) love getting all techie, but I won't usually pull out the gram scale for my morning black tea blends-- I make those often enough to eyeball. I still use the timer though-- mostly because otherwise I'll get distracted and forget it's brewing.

Everything else warrants pulling out the scale and thermometer though. I think I generally enjoy the ritual of preparation as much as the tea itself; the exception is my morning cup-- fumbling with all those details isn't really something I can deal with first thing in the morning.

[iannon]

For me..im in between..it really depends on which type of tea I am drinking. For Oolongs..Eyeball all the way. for Japanese Greens I am a bit more techie. I *usually* know the temp of the water pretty closely by the sight and sound and steam but I DO spot check myself often with a thermometer and i do spot weigh a bit more carefully with a digital scale for my Senchas for sure.

[Victoria]

I use a timer for English brewing. Everything else I eyeball. Except of course the Japanese, which require the full artillery. But this is limited to weekends, and even then limited to what's going on.

Started my day with Balasun FF Darjeeling from last year, better use this up, new samples on the way.

[laura99]

Female and in between. Use a timer most all the time for all teas. For water temp, I use an utiliTEA to get to 180 or boiling so that is pretty much eyeballing. But I do spot check with a thermometer now and then. Don’t have a scale yet so just use a teaspoon and adjust the amount depending on past results as to how many/how full a scoop.

[Skippyandjif]

I'm female and kind of in-between when it comes to techiness. I time all of my steepings and have an electric kettle which I can program to shut off at different temperatures so nothing gets scalded, but I eyeball amounts. Over time, I've found the best leaf proportions for every cup that I own, so I just go by those.

Oolong-green tea-jasmine blend right now-- although it tastes a little odd due to a weirdly cheese-tasting mochi I just ate by mistake -- to be followed by a rooibos-lavender tisane later.

[debunix]

xpecting. More on this later.

I am male with all the tech tools

Love the special kitten teaware balance tester. A very refined tool suitable for the finest yunomi, hagi, and chawans.

[artmom]

Received a note from Den's Tea, informing me that my order of Hashiri Shincha would be delayed about a week because of cold weather in Japan.

Been to dentist--lip too numb to drink my four o'clock cuppa'!

[Chip]

Received a note from Den's Tea, informing me that my order of Hashiri Shincha would be delayed about a week because of cold weather in Japan.

Been to dentist--lip too numb to drink my four o'clock cuppa'!

Whoa, you POed the Hashiri? This could be interesting!!!

Next up, Maestro Da Hong Pao.

[Chip]

I am male with all the tech tools

Love the special kitten teaware balance tester. A very refined tool suitable for the finest yunomi, hagi, and chawans.

Ohhhh, is that what that hi tech gadget is?

[artmom]

Received a note from Den's Tea, informing me that my order of Hashiri Shincha would be delayed about a week because of cold weather in Japan. . .

Whoa, you POed the Hashiri? This could be interesting!!!

. . .

I had to do it, Chip, after all your "moanin'" about running out of Shincha!

[LauraW]

When officially tea tasting, I use all the equipage. When brewing just for me, I tend to eyeball.

I'm about the same; it's nice to get a baseline and then be able to play around with it!

MF Marco Polo this morning, no time for dinner tea this evening

[Chip]

Wow, the poll results are indeed interesting! And so are the posts!

Currently Sakura Sencha from O-Cha in a Sakura Pink Shino SO cup! How cool is that?!?!

I had to do it, Chip, after all your "moanin'" about running out of Shincha!

I am seriously awaiting this tasting!

[geeber1]

debunix, your kitten accessory is adorable!

I voted female, and I sometimes use tea tech. Actually I always use a timer (on the microwave or on the computer at work) because I have a tendency to walk off and do something and forget my tea! I use a scale when brewing larger leafed or green teas, and a thermometer for green teas. Since I can set the Zoji for 208, I don't worry about a t-mometer for blacks or oolongs.

Very little tea today, just some Nilgiri Blue in the early morning. It's too late to have any now!

[murrius]

Mine didn't come with the small cat.

[debunix]

My kittech is actually a procedural quality control inspector who monitors the entire process from heating water to drinking finished tea. Sometimes she monitors from my lap, other times from the stove.