BS 6048:1987, ISO 3720-1986 Specification for Black Tea

BS 6008:1980, ISO 3103-1980 Method for preparation of a liquor of tea for use in sensory tests

BS 6325:1982, ISO 6078-1982 Glossary of terms relating to black tea

I haven't been able to experiment with the amount of milk much cos I'm always using differnet size mugs and I have no idea how much I'm putting in.

you want to leave your teabag in the water for at least 30 seconds (and that's for v weak tea) otherwise you're just drinking rusty coloured water

Actually, milk-in-first when doing making anything in a cup is just wrong.

You should move away from instant coffee too.

BAGS

BAGS

BAGS

My dear girl, what is the point in using a teapot it you then soil it with teabags.

But tea bags generally contain the dust of tea that's been swept off the floor, don't they?

And then you can experiment with *foreign teas*.

This is the most stoopid thing I have ever written but you know what I meant, right?

definitely put milk in last. for tea: teabag in, then boiling water (this is key - boil it just before you put it in the mug). leave for a minute, squeeze gently against side of mug w/a teaspoon, add milk (and sugar if you're that way inclined).

also - and this is prob horribly rockist of me - i think twinings' teas thrash tetley's etc. i'm not much of a fan of that style of tea anyway (more of an earl grey/assam/chai man myself), so you might have to discount this.

this is probably the place to mention that i have a dozen different kinds of tea in my house (and this is without counting herbal/green etc teas). for some reason people tend to find this weird/amusing.

I'd also say to be sure to make it strong enough, otherwise it'll taste like industrial coffee, which almost never is. And definitely do some experimenting with the beans themselves (even if you have to get them ground at the shop) to see which kind you like best. For standard non-flavoured coffee I'm definitely a fan of Arabian Mocha Java or something similar, but obv. your tastes will be your own. Experiment!

I think I'll make some coffee. Here, you pick out your flavor, put this tiny packet in the top of the machine (you don't even have to open the packet), place mug underneath, and hit the start button. Eh, voila!

rectify this *immediately*, julio!

I just drink bcz it wakes me up really.

I have died and gone to puerile heaven.

And sweet baby jesus and the orphans, do *not* use the same grounds twice. Ever. You would be surprised at the number of restaurants and cafes where I've seen them re-use grounds or use the same espresso grounds to make about 4 shots. YUCK.

I don't use a drip coffee maker, but they're ok as long as you drink it fresh. Me, I wouldn't leave it more than 20 minutes. The problem I have with drip machiens is that the coffee isn't that hot when it's done.

(and that's machines, not machiens, durrrr...)

Plus we use this disgusting space age "milk product" whose sole "advantage" is that it doesn't require refrigeration, a convenience tempered by the fact that it immediately congeals upon contact with any other entity. The end result is like drinking battery acid with little bits of congealed yogurty fluid sacs floating around in it.

anyway, get rid of your drippers and whatnot and buy a pump espresso maker. it's the only way to drink coffee.

My secret technique is pouring boiling water over the bags and squeezing 'em a bit with a spoon. I figured that out all by myself, too. :)

I have a little Krups espresso machine at home which I use every morning for life affirming cappuccinos, but sometimes you're just in the mood for a proper cup of filter coffee! I used to have a posher pump-driven machine, but I found the pump didn't work properly for steaming milk so I sold it. I have a friend with an outrageous Gaggia pump-driven machine that he swears by, but when I upgrade I want one where you pour water into the centre and screw the top on.

UK coffee is still lacking certain things, like flavoured coffee that isn't already ground. Or half and half. I like cream in my coffee! When I'm back home, I always bring back bags of flavoured coffee beans from Second Cup or a big ass one from Costco.

muji should get to the US. i guess it is a little like ikea but much more minimalist. at least in japan. i got some cool folding cardboard box computer speakers there a while back. just a novelty relly but they do look pretty cool.

andy

Using one of those Brita* water filters helps improve the taste of tea & coffee. I say this despite the woman in the adverts annoying me for some unknown reason (I think it may be because she seems to have lost her neck)

(* other brands are available)

Oh yeah, drinking vessels! Someone say that tea can only be appreciated when drunk from a china cup!

1) I am not pissed &

2) I must dash off to post a parcel

But yeah instant is pretty dud. I seldom make coffee, though I do like it, I only really have some after dinner if my parents are making some in the cafetiere or after a meal out.

1. WATER: Use purified water whether coffee or tea or else you're adding impurities that will affect taste and consistency.

2. HEAT: the hotter the better, allegedly. The degree of heat in the water you use affects the "brewing" of the beans or leaves.

3. BEANS/LEAVES: The official position of Dunkin' Donuts (and others I would imagine) is that keeping beans or grounds frozen is actually bad, and it makes sense. When you slow freeze something organic like coffee, it measureably changes the composition of the beans or grounds. A better solution is to avoid stark changes in temperature and instead keep your grounds and leaves in an airtight container. That will keep them fresh more effectively than putting them in the freezer or the fridge.

Don: I have always understood that when brewing coffee the water should be a few seconds off the boil, otherwise taste is adversely affected. And whilst I agree with you about freezing coffee, I think that preservation of flavour can be extended by keeping coffee in the fridge.

Dunkin' Donuts offical position doesn't carry much wieght in the land of Tim's. Per captia consumption of donuts in Canada was reported in the NY Times as being 7 times that of America.
Though if your going through coffee as fast as a coffee place I suppose it would be easy to leave them out. I usually store about a pound in the fridge in an airtight container and any extra in the airtight packets in the freezer. If you have a nice cool place like a basement pantry that would be ideal. But Im a lazy sod in a 1 bedroom apartment and do not have room for such luxuries.

You mean you use milk in tea?

I knew I was missing something...

And coffee hot enough to melt the cup.

And it has to be a cup. Don't mug yourself.

Mr. Noodles: I regret that I have not had the pleasure of Tim's donuts. But Dunkin Donuts has a well deserved, excellent reputation for good coffee.

mark, I didn't know you worked at my office!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmbacon..........if it were socially acceptable we'd eat it at every meal.

Good coffee - different beastie drunk when you need to taste coffee and drink something relaxed.

no, i know quite a few people like that.

This is completely untrue. Instant coffee DOES taste like coffee, it just tastes like shite coffee (with the exception of Dowe Egberts, which is grebt).

I'd have thought the resident smutmeisters would have picked up on this one, but I suppose I'll have to draw your attention to it instead.

In a half gallon glass/silver/crockery pitcher place
--6 Lipton tea bags
--A lemon, quartered (and squeezed into said pitcher)
--4/5 springs of mint (spearmint, not peppermint)

Pour in 1/4 pitcher boiling water over the above
Allow to steep 15 minutes
Fish out the detritus, and throw it away (or put it in your pocket for good luck, but DON'T tell anyone)
Fill up the pitcher with cold water

Serving iced tea:
Fill a large glass with ice. Full of ice, not just a little bit. Coarsely crushed ice is even better. Pour in the tea. Add sugar if you like.

Very refreshing.
Leave out the mint/lemon if you want to, but why would you want to?

Coffee this morning, I put the granules in first and it seemed to make a huge difference.

Thanks everyone.

Different teas taste good in different waters, its just a matter of trying. With sheffield (very soft, slightly peaty, slightly overly chlorinated, but that goes on boiling) I like to use clipper (not the organic the normal). Trial and error in a big tea drinking house settled on this brand as the best tasting everyday tea for sheffield.

Londonwise I'm still undecided, London water is not terribly conducive to good tea making. I'd plump for Sainsbury's own brand Assam if pushed.

i just love to explore flavor and I want the best for myself that doesn't have to be expensive it just takes time effort and striving for perfection. (I perfected my croque monsieur technique the other week, yay)

details please!

make a thick basic white sauce (sifted plain flour and a little milk, creamed together to make a roue the diluted with more milk, heated gently until thick), add a healthy amount of finely grated gruyere (emmanthal will do aswell) cheese. Stir in till the cheese dissolves in the sauce.

Cut two slices of bread, about 1cm thick, melt some butter in a frying pan. Put the slices of bread in the pan, coat each with a thick layer of the sauce and on one them put a slice of ham. When the outsides are golden brown make into a sandwich. coat the top with a layer of sauce and then the saue with a large amount of grated cheese. Then put the croque under a hot grill until the cheese goes golden on top.

You offering cause Im buying.

Is that a round loaf you're using later in the recipe, Ed?

Isn't it roux, anyway?

roux is the chef, roue is the paste

Here they are, master.

Roue = wheel, roux = flour & fat paste, I can't remember the origin of the term, possibly from the colour but since you can have blond or brun roux I guess not.

Mooro, I stand corrected.

[Ed-Lynch-Bells-Computer:~] dali% dict roue
2 definitions found

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

Rou'e \Rou`['e]"\, n. [F., properly p. p. of rouer to break upon
the wheel, fr. roue a wheel, L. rota. See {Rotate},
{Rotary}.]
One devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; a debauchee; a
rake.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 [wn]:

roue
n : a dissolute man in fashionable society [syn: {rake}, {profligate},
{rip}, {blood}]
[Ed-Lynch-Bells-Computer:~] dali% dict roux
2 definitions found

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

Roux \Roux\, n. [F. beurre roux brown butter.] (Cookery)
A thickening, made of flour, for soups and gravies.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 [wn]:

roux
n : a mixture of fat and flour heated and used as a basis for
sauces

Also (didn't see this mentioned but perhaps it was) - always use freshly boiled water. Meaning empty the kettle first rather than reboiling water that has been boiled once already. I can't remember why this makes a difference but I read the scientific explanation once. And make sure your kettle isn't all furred up with limescale.

also, i like coffee-mate in mine...milk is not thick enough

1. Avoid getting large quantities of dirt in the tea leaves.
2. Don't drink bleach before or after tea. Each ruins the flavor of the other
3. Avoid setting the tea leaves on fire before you have had a chance to pour in the water. Wait until afterwards.
4. If you're running low on tea, substitute bits of string and twigs (lint or fiberglass work nicely as well)
5. Avoid bringing the water to a temperature higher than the melting point of lead if you're using a pewter teapot (and I assume you are).

n. otm abt boiling fresh water.

I think I need to develop a 40 cups a day habit, like doctor death.

So, I have a giant bag of Masala tea (sort of synonymous with Chai tea) that I bought in Coonoor, India, a few weeks back. It's really fine, almost powdery. I don't have empty tea bags, so last night I just boiled some water and poured it into a teacup, put a little less than a small spoon of Masala tea in there, then added a little bit of milk and sugar.

It turned out fine, but not tasting very much like the sample cup I was given in India, which was tasty as hell. My girlfriend tells me I should have added way more milk (about 1/2 milk, 1/2 water), and that I should boil the milk.

Or something. Someone help me out? I tried googling preparation techniques, but all I come up with is instructions for lots and lots of ingredients

(like: • 1 Cup milk
• 2 Cups water
• 4 tsp Tea leaves
• 1 Piece cinnamon
• 1 Chunk dried ginger
• 3 Cardamoms, crushed
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Black peppers
• Sugar to taste)

That's way too many ingredients. What's the best way to make some chai tea using really fine powdering Masala, water, milk and sugar?

If anyone's ever going to help me out on this, do it now, because I really want some tea in the short term.

Best instant:

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