Glass Tea brewer?

So, Derek...remember our discussion about traveling? What about getting an IngenuiTea like you were thinking or that travel set I found or something and sticking this thermometer into the water at those motels that have a microwave available to the guests?

Would still need a heating coil for those places that don't have a microwave, though.

Well, what do you know. I found the line that another guy uses in his sig about never underestimating the power of stupid people in large groups. I always wondered about that. His sig doesn't change, however, and yours does.

That's teamwork, eh?

Unless, you want to cash in for their offer on the IngenuiTea. It seemed like a good idea to me. Basically, I bought the IngenuiTea and got the samplers for free. But, I understand that buying sample sets is not generally a good idea.

Thanks. I'll have to think about it since I'm looking to buy the 32 oz to make cold tea this summer. I want the sample-sized tins for my travel kit.

Again, thanks for the advice.

I have noticed that with my cheap tea bags that over steeping didn't matter too much to me. Sure, I could tell when it was over steeped and bitter, but it didn't bother me too much. I notice however that with these loose leaf teas, the steeping time is much more critical.

I've also been experimenting with the do-it-yourself decaf method. First infusion 20 - 45 seconds, and throw it away (I'm sticking with 30 seconds for these teas). Second infusion normal steep time (for my green tea 3 minutes) and drink. I've found a third infusion still produces good tea. I've found that a fourth infusion is drinkable, but noticeably weakened.

I've found differing opinions "googling" on multiple infusions. YMMV ;-)

You're very welcome :).

It seems to me that the fresher the tea, the more noticeable the differences. It's kinda like the oomph has gone out of teabags because they're handled more and don't get to the consumer as quickly as loose teas and we're left with basic flavor and no subtleties.

You might try increasing the time. I generally get at least 4 infusions from my white teas but don't have the patience to try to steep longer to get more than 3 infusions from my green teas. I know, it's a personal problem ;).

I wasn't aware that one could get more than one infusion from some black teas like Assam until I joined this group, but I've yet to try it myself.

Have a good one!

Ever get into trouble traveling with tea? I used to have problems carrying coffee. The dogs are trained to respond to coffee because smugglers hid drugs inside the coffee in an attempt to fool the dogs.

I hear tell my supervisor once got hassled at the airport with a ziplock baggie full of yerba mate.

There's a noted case of a tourist being asked to transfer his "Gunpowder Tea" out of it's labeled packaging for fear it might unsettle other passengers.

I have yet to travel by air w/ tea. My last long trip, I bought a couple of boxes of teabags at my destination and left them in the hotel room when I left because I knew that I wasn't going to want them when I got home. That's why I'm slowly making up a travel kit so that I may enjoy my loose teas away from home.

I've never seen yerba mate. Does it look very much like oregano? ;)

Oh, good grief. I comprehend the logic, but some people (other passengers) really need to find something better to do with their nosiness. I mean, it wasn't as though "GUNPOWDER" was in large letters, was it?

Well, I'm a local boy who buys from one local shop. So my experience is limited. ;)

Personally, if they won't let me sniff the tea, I'm not interested. My nose can tell the difference between a stale tea and a fresh one of the same time - the latter just smells better.

I'm just talking about a whiff of the aroma from the tin. But then, my shop sells all stuff loose and bags it when you buy it.

I think that'd work.

Which would be 100% of the hotels I've been in over the last 5 years. The last hotel I was in that had a microwave available to the guests was a SleepInn in Beckley, WV - there was one in the lobby/snack area.

All the rest have been those towering, downtown monstrosities that are so often frequented by professional conferences. Coffee pots in the rooms, but no microwaves. Of course, if I wanted to pay more for the room....

Wouldn't it be better if it was in large letters? I mean, what kind of idiot terrorist would try to board a plane with a can boldly labeled "Gunpowder" or a box labeled "Dynamite"???

Yes. That's a service I provide to the other participants in the newsgroups in which I post.

I figure, it's almost always the same people and very few new people join these days. So why make everyone read the same .sig until it gets repetitive?

Yeah. It's dangerous stuff in the wrong hands. ;)

Yeah. And, just think what the other passengers might do if the tea was sprinkled in a line down the aisle like from the johns and the guy lit the end of it.

LOL. Thank you. I appreciate it :).

Um...I dunno. Although, in self-defense, it took the members of one group a year and a half before someone asked what's musubi and in another group in which I participated since '01, it was only late last year that someone said anything.

(In case anybody's reading this who doesn't know about spam musubi:

LOL!

Whoa. How would he know? Didn't he get married, again, not all that long ago?

I also like quotes with hidden irony. ;)

Try ethnic stores Arabic,Indian,Asian etc. You'll find plenty of commericial teas at penny/gram. The expensive ones are maybe twice that. There is a better chance of finding teas in tins. If you have access to a Chinatown knock yourself out. Psst the best Ceylon teas are in Arabic stores. If nothing else you'll get to discover the tea the rest of the world drinks. Try the discount chains such as TJMAX and CostPlus. If you live in a large metro area you should be able to find a tea shoppe. Most will have some sample packs to purchase so you can try first. If you're really lucky my local tea shoppe serves what it sells but since I can do better making a cup I always buy before I try and sometimes I'm even disappointed. He currently doesn't like some of his Indian teas and is going to replace them. I've been foraging at bricks and mortars for decades and you can always expect the unexpected.

Jim

elgoog wrote:

I've never had a problem with a commercial tea past expiry. The expiry dates on tea packaging essentially has no meaning if the packaging is still intact and shelved in modern store. Teas in tins and nitrogen vacuum pack are the best with foil a close second. Teas in paper cartons with just cellophane wrapping might be suspect regardless of expiry even though I've never had a problem perse. I buy tins this way expecting them to be less than retail in price. The problem with tea storage begins after the package is opened. There is no guarantee a three month old flush stored in a container and repeatedly exposed to the elements is any fresher than a commercial tea past expiry. I just bought a Japanese vacuum tin with a 99 date which means either packed for expired. The tea taste fine to me. Does it taste the same as the tea it was packed? Who knows. But it is easy to A/B other teas past expiry with their retail version and I've never seen a difference in taste.

Jim

Bluesea wrote: