# A good cuppa (tea), possible in the states? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 31, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893 "2011-05-31T20:49:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/41 "2011-06-03T00:14:23Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > And I think that might be it. Default British teas are black teas. In the US, there’s really no standard type of tea. If I go into a supermarket around here, I’m going to find: > > 1. The cheap stuff (Lipton, Tetley, store brands) > 2. Upmarket American teas (Celestial Seasonings, Bigelow) > 3. Asian-style green teas - promoted for their antioxidant qualities > 4. “Yoga mom” herbal teas with flavors like “Relax”, “Invigorate” and “Zen” (Tazo, Stash, Yogi, etc.) > 5. Common British brands (Twinings, PG Tips, Typhoo) > 6. Chai, mate, etc. These are all present in British supermarkets, too, of course. But most of them have nothing to do with the “cuppa”. They’re all fine drinks in their own right. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/42 "2011-06-03T00:39:54Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. “Yoga mom” herbal teas with flavors like “Relax”, “Invigorate” and “Zen” (Tazo, Stash, Yogi, etc.) While I’m a bit frustrated with Tazo’s lack of a just plain black tea, Stash does have an English Breakfast tea. ---
**Author:** ![LH75](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lh75/32/4438_2.png) [@LH75](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LH75)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/43 "2011-06-03T01:08:57Z")
> [@](#): > > I was talking about a “cuppa” which is a particular way of drinking tea, and is the staple drink of 60-million Britons. It has nothing to to with green tea, iced tea, rare eastern teas, or anything else. It simply refers to the simple “cuppa”, which I adore and which I find hard to come by in the US. I drink a dozen cups of it a day, and to me, personally, it is the perfect drink. So, how would one go about producing a “cuppa?” What kind of tea should be used? What is the technique? ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/44 "2011-06-03T01:26:57Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > So, how would one go about producing a “cuppa?” > > What kind of tea should be used? > What is the technique? Man, I’ve not the time or desire to type out instructions! It’s not \*my \*thread! 😃 Teabag, mug, milk, boiling water, brew, remove bag, add sugar if desired. Use teapot for superior taste, but probably not worth the time if alone. It’s a very simple thing, has no claim to being superior/rare/expensive/exotic - it’s just a very simple, quick, cheap staple drink. And it’s lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/45 "2011-06-03T01:28:17Z")
> [@LH75](#): > > So, how would one go about producing a “cuppa?” > > What kind of tea should be used? > What is the technique? Place a teabag such as Tetley’s, Typhoo, or similar into a mug. Pour boiling water into the mug - the boiling part is essential. Wait 3-5 minutes. Remove the teabag, squeezing if you like. Add a fair bit of milk, 1/8 to 1/4 of the mug would be about normal. Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir. Drink. ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/46 "2011-06-03T03:27:16Z")
> [@Steophan](#): > > Place a teabag such as Tetley’s, Typhoo, or similar into a mug. Pour boiling water into the mug - the boiling part is essential. Wait 3-5 minutes. Remove the teabag, squeezing if you like. Add a fair bit of milk, 1/8 to 1/4 of the mug would be about normal. Add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar. Stir. Drink. What would be wrong about leaving the teabag in the mug whilst drinking it? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/47 "2011-06-03T03:33:40Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Teabag, mug, milk, boiling water, brew, remove bag, add sugar if desired. Use teapot for superior taste, but probably not worth the time if alone. It’s a very simple thing, has no claim to being superior/rare/expensive/exotic - it’s just a very simple, quick, cheap staple drink. And it’s lovely. So what part of this do you actually have trouble finding in America? You started out complaining about cheap tea bags and milk, now you say people offering tips are ingredient snobs? ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/48 "2011-06-03T04:18:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > While I’m a bit frustrated with Tazo’s lack of a just plain black tea, Stash does have an English Breakfast tea. Tazo’s English Breakfast tea is called “Awake.” \*\*@British visitors: \*\* Have you tried ordering an “Awake” tea at Starbucks? If you pour in a spot of milk, it’s really not far from a “cuppa,” and, of course, Starbucks are everywhere in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/49 "2011-06-03T05:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > What would be wrong about leaving the teabag in the mug whilst drinking it? It’ll either be underbrewed when you start drinking it, or overbrewed by the time you finish. And I think the point of the cuppa is that you don’t have to go to any fancy effort to get a decent tea in the Isles. You go to any greasy-spoon diner and order a cuppa, it’s going to be good. If the only places you can get good tea are in fancy frou-frou shops, it defeats the point. ---
**Author:** ![BDoors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BDoors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BDoors)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/50 "2011-06-03T10:50:29Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > So what part of this do you actually have trouble finding in America? You started out complaining about cheap tea bags and milk, now you say people offering tips are ingredient snobs? I think the main thing is the (near) boiling water. Now obviously, America has the technology to make boiling water, having put a man on the moon and all that. Just like Europeans do actually know how to make ice-cubes ;). It’s more of a cultural thing. America is not fully geared-up for tea-making. In other similar discussions, I have seen it said, and correct me if I’m wrong, that many American households do not possess an electric kettle. In those households, water is boiled on the stove or in the microwave. In UK and Ireland, an electric kettle is an absolutely essential kitchen item (and in most hotel rooms too). Even if you don’t drink much tea yourself, like me, you need to be able to make it for visitors. Same with tea in American cafes and so forth. As others have observed, in may not occur to the proprietors that the water needs to be boiling, or close to it, because Americans are not tea drinkers to the extent that we are. ---
**Author:** ![StrangeBird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e480ec/32.png) [@StrangeBird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrangeBird)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/51 "2011-06-03T11:18:18Z")
Reading this thread induced a strong craving for tea - I had to go make a cuppa, even though I don’t normally drink tea at night ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/52 "2011-06-03T11:36:11Z")
> [@spark240](#): > > So what part of this do you actually have trouble finding in America? You started out complaining about cheap tea bags and milk, now you say people offering tips are ingredient snobs? ?!?!?! The low-level hostility in that comment is leaking through. I don’t like Liptons. Sorry if that bothers you. I’ll berate my tastebuds accordingly. I’ve no idea where the “snob” comment comes from. Presumbly rooted in some way in my mention that a cuppa is not expensive? Sorry, but a cuppa is _not_ an expensive drink. It’s a cheap, easy drink. As for the part I can’t find: the kettle, mainly. I’m sure that were I in a hotel room with a kettle, I’d go out of my way to find the tea bags. Additionally, I’ve found it impossible to grab a cuppa while out and about; your cafes and restaurants don’t seem to sell it. If I lived in America and had a house there, I’m sure I would buy myself a kettle and locate a nearby shop which sold teabags and be aware of a nearby eating establishment which made a nice cuppa. As a tourist, it’s not that easy. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/53 "2011-06-03T11:58:23Z")
Someone mentioned Barry’s tea. It’s not a British brand but an Irish one. One of the top-selling brands in Ireland. As I said on the other linked thread, the Irish are one of the highest users of tea in the world, and they demand high standards. Although British tea supplies are better than in the USA, they are deemed to be low standard by Irish people. As a result, none of the British brands has managed to break the Irish market with the normal British tea blends. Irish people living in Britain will actually buy tea in Ireland and bring it with them, and Barry’s would be a popular choice. So, if it’s available in your local store, try it. ---
**Author:** ![Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dbc845/32.png) [@Michael\_of\_Lucan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_of_Lucan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/54 "2011-06-03T12:05:48Z")
And yes, the water must be boiling, not warm. That’s why we use kettles, and pour directly on the tea when boiled. You should remove the tea from the cup (tea bag), or use a teapot (loose tea), so that the tea in your cup is not over-brewed. How long you leave it in the brew is a matter of taste. In Ireland, we allow for a range of tastes, with humorous names like - - shamrock tea - so weak it only has three leaves in it - mouse trotting tea - strong enough to trot a mouse across it ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/55 "2011-06-03T14:29:00Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > As for the part I can’t find: the kettle, mainly. I’m sure that were I in a hotel room with a kettle, I’d go out of my way to find the tea bags. Additionally, I’ve found it impossible to grab a cuppa while out and about; your cafes and restaurants don’t seem to sell it. Kinda like how you can’t get a decent, ordinary, non-espresso cup of coffee in England. People will try to tell you instant is fine! (barf). And I learned on the Dope that a drip coffee maker is a fairly rare/expensive item in Australia that few houses have, not the $10 ubiquitous appliance it is in the US. Foreign country and all that. We don’t have kettles, because Americans drink coffee (80%). That’s why there’s a coffee maker in the hotel room. When I’m in England, I drink tea. I miss proper coffee but tea’s good too. perhaps you can take up coffee drinking while you’re in the US. My Irish friends became quite enchanted with iced coffee in the summer, made “sweet and light” (NYC slang for lots of milk and sugar). ---
**Author:** ![markdash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@markdash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdash)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/56 "2011-06-03T14:33:52Z")
Inspired by this thread, I am enjoying a cup this morning–PG Tips, brewed for 3 minutes, then removed, added a full teaspoon of sugar and about 1/4 milk. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/57 "2011-06-03T14:37:14Z")
I am heading to the store to buy some tea later today. I have an electric kettle (good for so much more than just tea, I don’t know why everyone doesn’t have one), and plan on having a good strong cup after lunch instead of my usual mid day coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/58 "2011-06-03T14:51:39Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > When I’m in England, I drink tea. I miss proper coffee but tea’s good too. perhaps you can take up coffee drinking while you’re in the US. My Irish friends became quite enchanted with iced coffee in the summer, made “sweet and light” (NYC slang for lots of milk and sugar). Unfortunately, I simply can’t abide coffee of any stripe. Otherwise that would be an ideal solution! ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/59 "2011-06-03T14:55:09Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Unfortunately, I simply can’t abide coffee of any stripe. Otherwise that would be an ideal solution! Just talk your host or hostess into buying an electric kettle! That’s what my friend did. 😉 (And then of course complained good-naturedly about the difference in voltage between the US and UK electrical grids, thus meaning that my kettle takes like a _full minute longer_ to come to a boil than his kettle at home does.) ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893/60 "2011-06-03T15:06:21Z")
> [@Candyman74](#): > > Unfortunately, I simply can’t abide coffee of any stripe. Otherwise that would be an ideal solution! Aha. [This](http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-RPBH-012-12V-Beverage-Heater/dp/B001AQZI64/ref=pd_sim_k_2) is what you need my friend. A travel-sized immersion heater suitable for one mug at a time. Pack a mug and tea bags and you’re golden. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-good-cuppa-tea-possible-in-the-states/583893.md?page=4)