# British tea making skills! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2005, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093 "2005-11-15T01:36:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/61 "2005-11-16T02:35:44Z")
> [@Sal Ammoniac](#): > > But if you leave the tea in the pot, then the tea keeps getting stronger and stronger – particularly after you’ve poured out the first cup of water. Also you get flecks of leaf in your cup. The diffuser is conceptually the same as a tea bag, but the difference is you are getting better-quality, and usually fresher, loose tea. _Chacun à son goût_, though. Like you, I drink a certain amount of cheap tea in bags. I use a french-press for my tea. It works out wonderfully. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/62 "2005-11-16T03:41:23Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > I’d go with that. For me, as well as Brits _et al_. Hey Johnny, have you been up to the [Murchie’s Tea](http://www.murchies.com/frhomeDec27.html) in White Rock? Loose teas… next to a pie shop… ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/63 "2005-11-16T04:03:33Z")
Is decent coffee really hard to find in Britain? By decent I mean, non-instant and preferably a step above the big can of Folgers or whatever other cheap brand? If so, I may find my previously-strong desire to spend this coming summer there rapidly declining. Also, tea with milk and sugar is kind of gross, IMO. Every time I’ve tried it, it ends up tasting like…hot, sweet milk, and I’m a bit past the breast-feeding stage, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/64 "2005-11-16T04:10:34Z")
> [@Fromage A Trois](#): > > And **Mangetout** ’s quite right when he mentions the coffee over here. I put the granules in the cup and add hot water (and milk). Is that not sufficient? 😉 Are you trying to make my head explode?!? Such deviant behavior would get you kicked out of Greater Seattle. ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/65 "2005-11-16T04:10:44Z")
> [@Alpine](#): > > Slight tangent - has anyone had any luck finding good decaf tea? I love English Breakfast, but I can’t tolerate caffeine. I’ve used as many as 5 bags of the decaf Twinings, and it still tastes insipid. I’d love to know about a source for ordering loose leaf decaf… Try [www.teasource.com](http://www.teasource.com) for loose leaf English Breakfast decaf. I haven’t tried it, but other tea I’ve had from them has been very tasty. Adagio teas rock, but they don’t have a English Breakfast decaf. However, if you’d like to check them out, go to [www.adagio.com](http://www.adagio.com). ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/66 "2005-11-16T04:49:59Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Is decent coffee really hard to find in Britain? By decent I mean, non-instant and preferably a step above the big can of Folgers or whatever other cheap brand? > > If so, I may find my previously-strong desire to spend this coming summer there rapidly declining. [Maybe something like this,](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002KZULW/104-4366636-2912756?v=glance&n=284507&n=289744&s=kitchen&v=glance) if you don’t mind taking your own. I’ve seen a variant at Starbucks. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/67 "2005-11-16T05:46:11Z")
> [@Annie](#): > > Hey Johnny, have you been up to the [Murchie’s Tea](http://www.murchies.com/frhomeDec27.html) in White Rock? Loose teas… next to a pie shop… No, I haven’t. A friend of mine told me there’s a good fish’n’chips shop in White Rock that’s run by a German woman. I don’t remember the name though. I’ve never found fish’n’chips as good as the ones at Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica. But I’ve been meaning to head up to White Rock sometime to try the German woman’s. I’ll check out Murchie’s when I do. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/68 "2005-11-16T13:06:03Z")
> [@Tabby\_Cat](#): > > What I do to prevent excessive steeping with loose leaf tea is to use a french press. Yes, I know, not traditional etc, but with a french press I can pour just the right amount of hot water in for one cup, and re-fill as needed. I also use a French Press for tea. I have a regular tea pot, but the FP is easier to use. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/69 "2005-11-16T13:50:13Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Is decent coffee really hard to find in Britain? By decent I mean, non-instant and preferably a step above the big can of Folgers or whatever other cheap brand? If you mean is hard to find good ground coffee to make yourself, then no – any decent supermarket will provide a good selection, and it’s not hard to find speciality shops selling a wide variety of beans, either, in most large towns. It’s when you’re relying on someone else making it that things become more hit-and-miss. The good news is that smart coffee shops have mushroomed all over in the last 10 years, and even the standard of coffee served in quite ordinary pubs etc has improved markedly. In someone’s home though, things can be another story. I’ve come to the conclusion that many people in the UK (perhaps even the majority) who drink “coffee” every day don’t actually like real coffee at all. I can’t see any other way they could possibly put up with the tasteless (if you’re lucky) instant crap they drink, otherwise. > [@](#): > > Also, tea with milk and sugar is kind of gross, IMO. Every time I’ve tried it, it ends up tasting like…hot, sweet milk, and I’m a bit past the breast-feeding stage, thanks. You need a stronger tea. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/70 "2005-11-16T14:05:49Z")
I always felt people who put milk in tea were heathens; the same sort who put ketchup or A-1 on fine steaks. Just enjoy the flavor of the tea. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/71 "2005-11-16T14:37:35Z")
> [@NinjaChick](#): > > Is decent coffee really hard to find in Britain? By decent I mean, non-instant and preferably a step above the big can of Folgers or whatever other cheap brand? In a restaurant or bar? no, you will certainly be able to find decent filter coffee in the majority of cases. In a private dwelling? Yes, you’re most likely to be served instant coffee; that’s what most people drink when they make coffee at home. It isn’t a bad product really; not the same as filter coffee, obviously, but that’s not necessarily a reason to despise it and anyway, we don’t really care, because most people drink tea. ---
**Author:** ![seosamh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@seosamh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seosamh)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/72 "2005-11-16T14:38:04Z")
Funnily enough, in India (well, in Bombay/Mumbai, at least) they drink their tea in an exaggeratedly English way: with lots of milk and sugar. A hangover from the Raj, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/73 "2005-11-16T22:33:34Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Just enjoy the flavor of the tea. Some people like the flavor of tea with milk. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/74 "2005-11-16T23:04:17Z")
I thought that Twinings was out of favor with People Who Know. I mean, their English breakfast is my hands-down favorite, but I’ve heard it poo-pooed by so many Brits… And here in Nowhere, USA you have always been able to buy Twinings in bags, and just recently you can buy looseleaf Twinings, and PG Tips in bags. Guess we’re still waiting for looseleaf PG Tips. We do have HobNobs now, too… ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/75 "2005-11-17T00:31:34Z")
> [@Orual](#): > > Some people like the flavor of tea with milk. And some people (two, anyway: me, and my late father) find that tea on an empty stomach can cause queasiness. Adding milk prevents this. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/76 "2005-11-17T00:50:41Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I thought that Twinings was out of favor with People Who Know. I mean, their English breakfast is my hands-down favorite, but I’ve heard it poo-pooed by so many Brits… Twinings is for: -Hotels -Motorway service stations -Tourists -Export ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/77 "2005-11-17T00:57:13Z")
**Johnny** , You can find Murchie’s in downtown Vancouver, on Robson. You may also want to check out ‘T’ on Broadway at Granville. And there’s another good teashop near Canada Place. In New York, my wife is very happy that Alice’s Tea Cup just opened a second location near Bloomingdale’s. As for the whole tea debate, it’s real simple: you gotta use near boiling water. In the U.S., in a restaurant, you often get this stupid little metal teapot containing tepid water brought to your table, with a Lipton’s teabag in a paper wrapper beside it. Phooey on that. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/78 "2005-11-17T01:17:20Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > **Johnny** , You can find Murchie’s in downtown Vancouver, on Robson. You may also want to check out ‘T’ on Broadway at Granville. And there’s another good teashop near Canada Place. According to MapQuest, the shop in White Rock is only 10.5 miles away. Less than half the distance to Bellingham! Vancouver is like three times farther than White Rock. I wish I had known this the other day when it was sunny. My bike keeps saying, ‘Ride me!’ ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/79 "2005-11-17T03:58:17Z")
I’d like to thank Mangetout for a long and slowly growing history of being the person most likely to respond to my questions. I suppose most of my questions are about Britain and food, that’s why. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093/80 "2005-11-17T13:45:09Z")
Just to emphasize to the OP on the importance of _boiling_ water. You can choose whether or not to be a tea connoiseur or muck about with loose tea or tea infusers or whatnot. You can choose whether or not to follow any of the detailed instructions here. But, to repeat, the thing that makes tea absolutely undrinkable in most American restaurants is the hot/boiling water problem. If you ignore any of the other advice given in this thread, do not ignore the point about the water. _The water must be **boiling** _ when it hits the leaves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-tea-making-skills/331093.md?page=5)