Thanks for this chukhung. I’ve looked at both and see lots of potential for each site. Was especially looking for chai tea, which I have not been able to find here in the UK.
Thanks again! 
Alton Brown says you should let your tea steep loose. Of course, even tea loose in a basket would probably be better than bags.
Anyone else see the Good Eats episode on tea? I wanted to rush out and buy all sorts of tea paraphenalia after that. Alton recommended cast iron teapots, which I found, but they were sooooo expensive. Oh well.
Just to add to the tea snobbishness, I get mine from Adagio. Assam Harmony mmmmm…
I still prefer Twinnings.
I like Twinings too. I just finished a cup of Twinings Lady Grey. Yum.
But you guys have got me all crazy tea happy, and I just bought a new teapot, a tea sampler, and some puerh from Podkayne’s new favorite website. The only thing that I’m annoyed at is that they don’t have strainers that you can rest on the rim of the cup (since I decided to get a teapot without a strainer), so I’m going to have to actually go out and buy one in a store. Can you believe it?!
I’m really interested in the puerh. I’ve never heard of it, but according to the website, it was illegal to import into the US until 1995, and it’s aged for 2-4 years.
In order for the leaves to release their flavor, they have to be able to unfurl fully. As long as your basket is big enough not to cramp your leaves’ style, you’re okay.
Just don’t cram them into a bag or shudder a ball (a vile invention–hard to use, ]and bad for your tea.)
I have wanted a cast iron teapot for some time now, but I’m afraid to get one. Living where I do, I am afraid I will end up with a rust-encrusted pot that adds nothing positive to my overall tea experience. It is so humid here. Hawaii is the place where metal comes to die. Anybody know if the pots are treated in any way so that they are resistant to rust?
Unless you like those ultra-bold leaf green teas, I doubt if you’ll notice any problems using the infuser basket on a Chatsford pot. There’s plenty of room in there to let almost any tea “stretch its legs”.
Oh, yes.
Keep in mind that the tea they use for teabags is what’s known as “tea dust”. It’s generally CTC (crush-tear-curl) method tea to begin with. And it’s what shakes out of the bins and gets swept up off the floor that ends up in the teabags. (I’m exaggerating, but not by much, I bet).
If you like black teas, try an orthodox-method BOP (broken orange pekoe) to start. Orthodox BOP teas are a lot cheaper than full-leaf teas, they taste almost as good, and they don’t brew that much slower than CTC teas. You’ll notice a whole range of flavors that you miss with teabags.