Tuesday TeaDay 3/23/10 Brewster dislikes?

[Chip]

Welcome one and all to TeaDay! So, fill a pot and share with us what is in your cup today...all day...frequent updates are needed. If you need to, you can stop back and reflect on your TeaDay as well. Make sure, as always, that you check out what everyone else is sipping!

Yesterday we discussed our personal tea brewing prowess. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic, what if any part of your tea preparation and enjoyment do you dislike the most or like the least. So, vote in the poll and then discuss your answers here.

I am looking forward to hearing from everyone today and sharing lots of tea with each other!

[debunix]

Obviously I hate scalding fingers or tongue....but as I've been working more with both lower temperatures to brew green teas, and more gong fu for teas brewed hotter, it's less common for my tongue to get zapped by near-boiling tea.

Over and underbrewing is also often a problem, some days more so than others. I was a bit worried when I brewed up a pot of my dark roast Ti Kuan Yin this morning, to see how much the leaves expanded, then worried that I'd overcompensated for too much leaf by underinfusing, but though the brew ended up just a little bit light, it was marvelously flavored, neither over or underdone.

[Jack_teachat]

Burning my fingers (don't often burn my tongue!) is one of the only stages of the brewing process that can really upset the pleasant harmony at the tea table!

Aoki sencha from East Teas (London) for me this morning. I suspect poor storage in packets by the vendor has somewhat spoiled this usually fantatsic Kyushu sencha! Hojicha maybe?

Jack

[Victoria]

There is nothing I really dislike; not fond of burned fingers or forgetting the time and overbrewing, but it's all part of the proceess.

In my cup this morning Darjeeling Oolong from Camellia Sinensis.

[JBaymore]

Nothing... it is all part of the totality. Tea is a simple celebration of life... with all of its various aspects.

best,

................john

[leiche2]

Over/underbrewing, scalding my fingers, and cleaning my teaware are my least favorite aspects of enjoying tea. It's part of the experience, though.

East Friesian Blend this morning. Hoping to shake off the morning sleepiness and fend off a cold.

[Chip]

The weekly descaling of the kettle and other teaware was a task that I never really enjoyed, but could not put off. However the GraviTea has changed that as I have not had to descale in 15 months. So ... hard to put that at #1 anymore which is a very good thing!

Cleaning teaware would fall into the top spot, though technically, it would be going to start a new session/tea and dirty teaware is lined up from either the night/day before or just the last session (though waking up to dirty teaware is likely the worst, since I then have to do it first thing ).

So, all teaware is cleaned the before hitting the sack!!! Which would be I guess my #3.

Began the TD with a blend of mystery sencha from Ryu Mei and a little gyokuro as an experiment ... the gyo really did not do much. Still good as SweeTea could attest to while Gandalf and Koi were morning visitors to the TeaTable.

[Mrs. Chip]

I would have to choose the 'other' option due to the fact that I do not brew at home since ... Chip reigns Supreme in all TeaThings in our abode!

However, I do brew at the flowershop with a very archaic, almost prehistoric set-up! I have a very small area in where I keep my tea and teawares all but hidden to protect them from airborne sprays i.e. floral paints, glitter, and overall floral debris!

Of course I am terribly spoiled at home with our perfect set-up so it is difficult to truly enjoy the brewing process at work. It is always hurried due to phone interruptions or customers walking in. Not really much fun, in fact it's almost chaotic!!! Overbrewing/underbrewing was my other vote as often times I am interrupted during the brewing process.

But ... I DO enjoy the result ... TEA! And as a bonus I sometimes get to share tea w/Chip via the phone.

Great mystery sencha again this morning ... many catz mulled about while we sipped.

[AdamMY]

My biggest dislike is the time it takes the kettle to boil, but I like my kettle so much I just live with it, and try and find something to do close by while its heating up. Other than that it might be the occasional burns I sustain, but they are seldom that bad any more.

[debunix]

This morning, I was finally ready to try my pomelo-flower infused Anji white tea, and the annoying limiting factor was waiting for the water to cool enough to infuse it.

But that's not an option on the poll.

Fortunately, patience won out, and I am drinking heavenly floral tea to start my day.

[artmom]

As I had to give up my favorite kettle (too large, too heavy, too awkward to fill from sitting position), I dislike waiting for the water to boil. I do use my ingenuiTea frequently for lower than boiling temps, but I miss the kettle whistle!

Mariage Freres Marco Polo this morning; I felt the need to pamper myself.

[depravitea]

Cleaning sucks.
That is all.

[brlarson]

The only aspect of tea-drinking that bothers me at all is cleaning up afterward. In fact, it's only cleaning up after having matcha that is a chore. I learned the hard way that you don't leave the chashaku soaking in dishwater for any length of time (or it will straighten itself out).

I started the day with Hou De's Ban Tian Yao and I just had Yame matcha Sansui with lunch.

Have a good tea day folks.

[Geekgirl]

Why would you ever put your chashaku in water at all? I just wipe it with a slightly damp towel, one swish and it's done.

[JBaymore]

I learned the hard way that you don't leave the chashaku soaking in dishwater for any length of time (or it will straighten itself out).

Life lessons learned. It is the journey.........

best,

...............john