Reddit mentions: The best green tea

I wouldn't recommend this one. I have it and the main problem with it is that it's extremely weak and barely has flavor. The only way for it to have flavor is if it's steeped for a long time, but the only flavor that you will get is just bitterness with absolutely nothing else. The water will be an attractive clear light green, but that's it. Essentially you will get warm water that smells somewhat like sencha and is slightly thicker than water but really has no flavor. Overall that seems to be a huge problem with teabag sencha. So far, I've tried Den's sencha teabag, Sugimoto America's teabag sencha, and this Kirkland (actually Ito-en) teabag. The Kirkland/Ito-en teabag is also kinda messy since the matcha can get all over the place when you open the packet.

First thing: I suggest getting this $3 sampler. It comes with 4 loose leaf samples (hojicha, genmaicha with matcha dusting, one of their sencha, and random sample), 1 teabag sencha, 1 genmaicha with matcha teabag, a $3 coupon, and one of their flavored green teabags (mango sencha). This is a good look into several types of green tea. Personally, I wouldn't say these samples were the best samples out there, but they were decent. My favorite of them was the gyokuro kukicha that came as apparently one of my samples. According to their website, your sample will probably be their organic sencha if you order this month. In case your interested, I can post my impressions of their tea (across the board 7.5/10 to 8.5/10, but I rate harshly).

If you're interested in making any sort of green tea, I suggest a Japanese teapot of some sort and a variable temperature kettle. There are several types of Japanese teapots, but I suggest trying a kyusu or hohin. A kyusu usually has an in-built strainer/infuser at the spout itself which leaves room for the tea leaves to expand. This can be a ceramic mesh (varying levels of fine filtration) and a stainless steel mesh strainer. A kyusu has a handle and is often medium in size and often holds at least 6 ounces, but overall it seems that kyusu can hold 8 ounces of water. Hohins have no handles are usually smaller and can safely infuse 120 mL - 150 mL, and it seems that 150 mL is the most common number. Some others go at about 200 mL, but it's about 10% of hohins.

Additionally, kyusu and hohins are fairly versatile since you don't need to completely fill them in order to infuse the leaves. In most teapots with a basket strainer/infuser, the very bottom of the strainer usually sits at 8 oz which means you will need to fill the pot with 8 or more ounces of water to brew tea.

There are other similar devices that can accomplish the same thing as a kyusu or hohins, but I don't know what they're called. Basically any teapot or similar device that has small holes built into the teapot for filtration. They can be in the form of a 120 mL teapot with small ceramic holes or some other device. Personally I use a "spouted gaiwan" of some sort to function as a faux hohin and there are several that can be found on google that function just like mine.

Anyway, the way to use these devices is to put the leaves into the device, pour water into the device at an appropriate temperature for a desired amount of time, and pour all of the water out of the device into a cup or multiple cups. By doing this, the leaves won't oversteep and you get a nice cup of tea. To get more tea, simply pour more tea into the teapot.

If you're planning on getting a one-does-it-all device that can function perfectly work with non-Japanese green teas as well for loose leaf and bagged tea, look for a kyusu or hohin. Kyusu, hohins, spouted gaiwans, and all similar devices are all extremely versatile teapots since filtration all happens at the spout. I have no real personal experience with a kyusu, but overall a hohin, normal gaiwan, and spouted gaiwan (that uses a ceramic filter) are much easier to clean than a Western teapot, a tea ball, and teapots with a sit-in strainer/infuser basket since you don't have to deal with tea leaves getting stuck in the mesh. I don't know how it works for mesh strainers at the spout though, but from experience cleaning your teaware will be one of the unexpected chores you'll have to do when you brew tea.

For actual tea leaves, one of the ones I was extremely interested was this. I own this, but I bought it with several of their other teas on a huge sale so I decided to buy this with my shipment as well. Unfortunately, I can't comment on this tea anytime soon since I'm saving it for later on since I have other teas on the way I'm more interested in trying, but all I can say is that I heard plenty of great things about this tea. Regardless, this specific product appears to be the cheapest and highest quality one I can find that's at that price range on Amazon that qualifies for free shipping. There's also this which allegedly sometimes gets sold in Asian grocery stores, but I personally don't know how commonly sold it is and how it tastes. All I can say is that I've seen many of this brand's products lining the walls in Asian grocery stores, but I don't recall if this one was among them. Zencha does "free shipping" (price is included in the product price) and while I've heard a lot of nice things about them, I haven't had any of their tea.

I have this tea coming in tomorrow according to the estimated time of delivery and my calculations and since I will definitely try it tomorrow, I can tell you how it tastes if you're interested in this one. This company sells on another website, but I bought this for sale and since it shipped from Japan, if it really comes tomorrow it will be a 16 day total shipping time.

If you live in California or Hawaii, Lupicia has retail stores located in these locations. I don't know where else somewhat well-known tea companies sell without a shipping fee, but Lupicia for now is the only one I'm aware of.

Pretty much my main recommendation is avoid the Kirkland/Ito-en teabag and try some other green tea. There are options, but that's part of the tea journey I suppose. Please avoid the Kirkland/Ito-en teabag though even if its price-per-weight ratio is pretty high. I really don't think it's worth it because it hardly has flavor at all despite what the reviewers say. Japanese teapots and similar devices are nice, but look at your options. I can tell you a lot about cost efficient teapots and nice looking ceramic filtered non-kyusu (120 - 150 mL) teapots if you want to know more. Overall, the 120 - 150 mL class teapots/similar devices were about $12-$17, and I randomly encountered one in a Korean supermarket for $15. I didn't buy it, but it was amazing for $15 purely by aesthetics, the material, the fine filter, and the cups and bowl it came with.

Loose leaf tea is great! It's so much better. Bigger leaves and less fine particles (fannings) mean it will be less bitter. Those little pieces steep really quickly, and make it bitter and almost metallic.

There's also temperature and steep time that you have to look out for, and adjust to your taste. Some greens only need 15 seconds of steeping in 160f water, while some blacks are best in 200f for 2-3 minutes.

I didn't know at first, but color varies a lot. A green can be ready when it's almost totally clear, or a dark green color, but most will be a yellow color (the result is often called the liquor or broth).

One of my favorites is an irish breakfast tea, with like a tablespoon full of leaves for a really strong but not at all bitter tea.

Sometimes people will intentionally steep tea for a long time, then add warm water to dilute it.

Check out r/tea, it's the coolest and most relaxed sub ever. "Oh, you like cheap lipton tea bags? That's cool, whatever you like!".

Tea balls suck, by the way. They don't let the leaves expand and mix evenly.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ABVM226/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1 This is what I use, and it's great.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/ya/ref=oh_aui_i_sh_post_o17?ie=UTF8&ac=od&ii=&ij=&noi=&of=&oi=&oid=105-5075213-2947460 This is my mug. The infuser came broken, but it's great watching the water mix and change color.

Edit:
These are some of my favorites that I've gotten off Amazon

This is some of the best Jasmine tea I've had, and it's super cheap. I got mine for $8.

This is some really good mint tea, good balance, really refreshing.

This is a good oolong, which is really good and way different from most other teas. It's roasted, which gives it a unique flavor. This is the black dragon (Oolong is actually Chinese for black dragon), which tastes more like a black, but they also have a green dragon oolong that is more green, if that's your preference.

That's just what I've gotten from Amazon, but the best stuff I've gotten is from The Devotea. They had a crazy 75% off sale so I just bought some of everything, and it was all consistently very good, very high quality.

This kettle has saved me a lot of trouble, it works really well once you figure it out, and you don't have to worry about boiling water and letting it sit for 3 minutes or something, you just push the button a couple times to choose the temperature.

Loose leaf enthusiast here. Teavanna definitely has high quality leaves but you should check your options before you commit. Also - Teavanna(at least the one at South Coast) tries to push the sweet/mixed stuff too much - it's like showing off a steak with A1 sauce instead of letting customers try the delicious steak itself.

I highly recommend just buying tea in bulk on Amazon. If you're looknig for green, these are good : Link $14 for a 16oz bag will last you a very long time. Davidson's Gunpowder is cheap but robust and still delicious for its price.

If you want something with a more distinct flavor then go with Genmaicha. It goes great with food and is great to share with people because of its unique attributes: Link

If you're really keen on going to a store, a lot of the 'alternative' markets have loose leaf. Whole Foods has a pretty good selectoin of loose leaf - keep an eye out for the Rishi brand(Link), quality stuff. Make sure they sell it in loose form and not in the bagged/satchel form.

You can also use Yelp to find a local coffee/tea shop that offers loose leaf tea - they sometimes sell the leaves by itself. Link

Some shops I've personally been to that offers loose leaf tea : Zinc Café, Milk + Honey, Sweet Elle Cafe, Gypsy Den, & Kean Coffee.

Edit - I also recommend using Adagio Tea to buy tea. Great reviews and selection of tea. I have not bought from Tea Trekker but I did buy a book from them - great knowledge and selection of traditional tea from all around the world.

What a fun contest!

1. What's a birthday without cards? Pretty ones even:) Added to my Cave of Wonders wishlist on July 10.
   
   
2. I've got nothin :/
   
   
3. Ooh... I've got probably close to 60 of those to choose from. How about [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/DramaContemporary-Hungary-Books-Eugene-Brogyanyi/dp/1555540546/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=IGO9DFBZKV5ZA) about Hungarian plays? It's on my Booked with bargains list because used copies start at a penny. It's also on my Geeking out list, added July 12.
   
   
4. H'mm, I have something that's so awesome [it doesn't need an eating utensil to use!] (http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IBCF1BBG8UQ5H) A blender that transforms into a travel mug is nothing short of magical. And this one was added to my geeking out list on July 12.
   
   
5. An animal that serves as a tea companion is the [best sort of animal] (http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Monkey-Infuser-Drip-Tray/dp/B005SQ4BJW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3UICS49GSTJLJ). This monkey tea infuser was added to my geeking out list on July 6.
   
   
   
6. SQUEE. Best color ever. Take [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-6100PL-Purple-Tea-Infuser/dp/B000G34EXA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3PE33RG7P10TP) (purple tea infuser June 3 cave of wonders) and [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Retractable-Ballpoint-35830/dp/B001B0DCSU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3AM1W644F6QCA) (purple ink pens Cave of Wonders July 10) and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Gemstone-Beads-Purple-Inches/dp/B002696YHG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I34UR3X5LMFOLE) (purple beads July 26 fun sized list) and [POW] (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Rollerball-Retractable-Purple-PIL26071/dp/B0013CKDVK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I15QGVSYNUVTKR) (another purple pen fun sized July 10) and [WOW] (http://www.amazon.com/TopCase-Metallic-PURPLE-Macbook-Unibody/dp/B0040BLOZU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3AAZB1THZQHKZ) (purple computer case geeking out added July 7).
   
   
   
7. A little game I like to call [sorting neat facts in a world that makes sense] (http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Posh-Logic-100-Puzzles/dp/0740778609/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=QIOVI9G7K472&coliid=I2IGINW5WZS3K1), otherwise known as logic puzzles! Added May 30 to Puzzled and Poetic
   
   
8. My guilty pleasure would be good deals on shoes. This isn't necessarily a good deal but [they're cute!] (http://www.amazon.com/Military-Combat-Fold-over-Multiple-natural/dp/B00BFMCN98/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=IBK6GKPEQ9ZHX&psc=1)
   
   
9. This would be a [tool for learning] (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Basic-Skills-Board/dp/B000NVBE10/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2SXK6EXO51EGC&coliid=I1JUL7SJ6EWSH1) added June 26 to Student Resources.
   
   
10. I don't know about you, but my childhood coincided with the BOOM in gel pens [similar to these] (http://www.amazon.com/Sakura-58350-10-Piece-Assorted-3-Dimensional/dp/B000LR4ZDA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I2DY1WDG2BV378) added to my geeking out list July 12.
    
    
11. These [handy cards] (http://www.amazon.com/Fancy-Pants-Designs-Collection-Journaling/dp/B009EEF36O/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I164DKZ2CB4CV3) are to help organize my journal entries- added to geeking out on July 12.
    
    
12. One of my hobbies is jewelry making, and [this is a chain] (http://www.amazon.com/shipping-16-Vintage-Antique-Twisted-Chains-Jewelry/dp/B00AIKTSX2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I172SEPLDWH9I5) to incorporate in said hobby- added to geeking out July 13
    
    
13. All right, how's research on [another country's textbooks] (http://www.amazon.com/Textbook-Reds-Schoolbooks-Ideology-Post-Communist/dp/0271058560/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=I2M3GLH2G3KYAA) for nerdy? Added to Booked with bucks on July 9.
    
    
14. Ain't nothing more natural than me and [my tea] (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Decaf-Spiced-Peach-Tea/dp/B00081H3BA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IDESGPH15UE82) (ignoring the fact that I don't actually own this kind of tea) added to Geeking out July 12
    
    
15. Speaking of [tea and green] (http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Coconut-Vanilla-Sachets/dp/B00796KNHS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I2UWULYHAV7V4Y) here's something added to cave of wonders just yesterday
    
    
16. If [this hat] (http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Cloche-Bucket-128SH-Brown/dp/B00AAVT7XA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I5GBSKLYUIN0H&psc=1) were mine, it would indeed be worn! Added to geeking out July 12.
    
    
17. Funny? (stares blankly and humorlessly) Oh wait! [There's this] (http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0393030768/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=I2BSGBOA78R0S0) Added July 26 to booked with bargains
    
    
18. [More purple beads!] (http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Pearls-Czech-Round-Purples/dp/B00B5DBYCE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I3122TPXZTZMMI) added to fun sized list back in March.
    
    
19. Gardening? [My flowers] (http://www.amazon.com/Lucite-Cabochons-Ivory-Yellow-Flower/dp/B002UGWX5C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I13QBBKH7U4RRU) happen to be more of the glue on variety ;) Added in March to fun sized list.
    
    
20. SIGH. I'm terrible with "favorites" questions. This one no this one no this one should be my motto. Or that one or that one or that one. Can't decide.
    
    Edit: after almost an hour of hunting down this list, I forgot to include the raffle phrase! Happy happy cake day! :) Hope it was a good one!

I've been drinking a lot of green tea every day for a couple weeks now and I think it's really been helping with the appetite. Matcha tea is a regular green tea, but it's prepared differently. They remove all the stems from the tea leaves, and grind them into a very fine powder. You can just mix this into hot water and drink it. Pretty good in a vanilla protein shake too, if you like the flavor of green tea. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but I really like it now.

I've been taking a teaspoon of this in the morning, and one in the afternoon:
http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Powder-3-5oz-Antioxidants/dp/B010QN2ASA

This stuff is a little more bitter than ceremonial grade Matcha tea, but it's less than half the price. I got used to the taste pretty quick. I feel great after drinking it too, it's like a clean no-jitter caffeine buzz.

Harney and Sons is my all-time favorite. SO good, not bitter unless you let it steep too long. And it is strong.

Vanilla Almond from Republic of Tea is delicious too, and easy to find in grocery stores (I'm 99% sure whole foods carries it). Also strong with a nice flavor.

If you get loose leaf tea, I highly highly recommend getting a tea steeper. We have this one, it's easy to clean and keeps your tea free of leaves.

Here is what I use, and I love it. This strainer actually lets the loose leaf tea expand, unlike little tea balls. It's also easy to clean. I get a pot because I like to brew 2-3 cups at once. I pour one in an insulated mug so it's drinkable by the time I finish the first. This set also comes as a brew-in-cup system for singles.

Infusing
1:Water temp. Either get an electric kettle like this that you can set to heat to a certain temperature, or bring to a boil and let cool to the right temperature. For greens that is always BELOW boiling. 170-190 degrees F, and it can vary by the type of tea.
2: Preheat your brewing vessel, be it cup or pot, by swirling some of the water inside and dumping that out. Starting with a preheated pot keeps the water temp. stable during brewing. You want a lid for the same reason.
3: Add loose tea leaves to the infuser.
4: Pour in your water.
5: Let steep. For green tea that is going to usually be 2-3 minutes, but it can vary by strain. Overbrewing green tea makes it bitter.
6: Remove the infuser. A good quality loose leaf tea can be brewed 2, and sometimes three, times! Let it cool between brewings, and you want to use it the same day.

7: Pour and enjoy! I like to brew in one cup/pot and drink from another. Pouring into a cold cup drops the temp of a green tea to almost drinkable right away.

Brands
I tend to order online and in bulk. I like to buy 8-16 oz of loose leaf at a time. I've enjoyed Republic of Tea, though they can be expensive and some of the flavors are a big miss. Their Vanilla Almond is to DIE for! Right now Rishi Tea is my favorite. They do greens very, very well. I recommend the Green Flight sampler pack to get started. The name is a play on taking a vacation across regions of the world by sampling greens from each.

I just ordered some Numi jasmine green tea, but I haven't gotten it yet. I'll update you when I do.

First and foremost, thank you for the contest. It was fun!

• For the old post Englishman in me I present you tea
  
  
• Though this will be with me almost always, I don't plan on keeping it very public hopefully for obvious reasons
  
  
• As for phallic, I have an entire NSFW WL for that, which I'm a little embarrassed about now ;)
  
  
• I'm not really a gamer but I do love this game, we played at my old job. Love it.
  
  
• These would help me start running again and get back into shape. Something I've been longing for but I'm really scared to do because of the health issues with my legs.
  
  
• A repeat but super helpful if I'm on a deserted island
  
  *edit: my format was weird so I fixed it.

Do you like Jasmine green tea? It is my favorite. You can try this.

It is a bit pricey but I think it is worth it. You can steep the leaves twice.
This one is pretty good too, better value. link

It's so smooth and nice tasting I think people also call it popcorn tea because sometimes the rice pops. Honestly I'm in love with it xD
this is is the box i have at home and this loose is good also

Hah, you helped me make up my mind; I'm probably going to see if I can find a big container of powdered green tea.

I was looking around on Amazon last night and found this -

http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/

10oz for $20, a great deal over $10 for 1.5oz, right? It is actually a different product, but if I am to use it in cooking, it will taste functionally the same, but a tiny bit more bitter. The grade of green tea that I would feel comfortable measuring 2 heaping tbsp of would be this not ceremonial-grade maccha but "Hunmatsu-RyokuCha" powder.

I want to use a lot more, because I LOVE the flavor of green tea. I am also an old Starbucks green tea frappuccino junkie. :)

For all you people wondering which green tea to drink, let me introduce you to

This motherfucker right here.

Matcha is not only the best possible green tea you can have, but it's also delicious. I reuse the bag about 3 times before it starts tasting watered down, but it hardly ever gets that over-used teabag taste. And don't let the Kirkland Signature turn you off, it's still genuine matcha.

Also, you'll only like it if you like green tea in general. I've had a coworker who hates the stuff, but loves things like peppermint and sugar in her green tea (???)

Edit: I also recommend black tea. If you've tried milk tea, you've basically had black tea, except without sugar and milk. Green tea has more antioxidants than black tea, but in my opinion, black tea tastes better than green.

I've had matcha before, the good stuff is well expensive (fine powder, not tea bags) and tastes like fresly cut grass but keeps you awake and alert for hours.

When you say 'make it at home', do you just mean put a green tea bag in hot water?

Anyway, you have two options, either green tea bags or tea leaves. Tea leaves are a bit of a faf as you need tea strainers which can be cumbersome to clean. Here's a viking boat tea strainer. 200g will probably last a long time though.

Hope that helps

I actually started blending a Hibiscus Honey Lemon Tea and a green matcha tea together in my large liter water bottle, and it's amazing!

I also enjoy a classic Earl Grey with a bit of milk and sugar.

One of my faves is a Jujube/goji/longan berry blend. It's super common here in China, and sometimes hawthorn is included in it, too. It's naturally sweet, but adding a bit of rock sugar can be nice at times.

As for Chai, my favorite blend is Good Earth, but that was an older blend and I'm having trouble finding it online...

I would love to hear the answer to this. I've been getting mine at Wegmans because they're relatively cheap and they sell it in bulk, but I do like like Teavana's too. I wouldn't mind splurging a bit on some quality jasmine pearls though ;)

I haven't tried them myself, but Tao of Tea has jasmine pearls, and they generally have pretty high quality teas.

Can do!

First, for comparison let's look at a common and cheap breakfast tea like Twinings English Breakfast Tea which sells for $10.15 for 100 bags on Amazon. That comes to $1.44 an ounce for a tea bag that you can really only use for one cup of tea (or stretch it to a second, less satisfactory cup).

Compare it to a loose-leaf Organic English Breakfast Tea at which sells for $2.49 per ounce when purchased at 4oz sizes at TeaSource. It is more expensive per ounce, but I'll bet you find the taste better since it is not made of leaf fannings. Better yet, you can get multiple steepings from the tea, so the effective, infused tea cost is the equivalent of $1.25 per ounce or less when compared to the Twinings tea bags.

But there are many more blacks out there that are even less expensive but give a good black breakfast tea. For instance, TeaSource also carries a Ceylon Battawatta Estate pekoe black tea for $1.46 per oz when purchased in 4 oz size, which again can have multiple infusions.

I hate bags, but one of the better bagged greens from a grocery store I've had is Costco's Kirkland Green tea with sencha and matcha. It is by Ito En, which is a good tea seller that does matcha/greens pretty good. FYI, this has matcha so the caffeine will be high.

If you don't have a costco, you can buy online. https://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Matcha-Blend-Japanese-Tea-100/dp/B000WB1YSE

If you can find Harney & Sons in store, they have good teas too and come in bagged form.

edit: since you are new. Refer to the side bar for temperatures. Green tea needs to be done at a lower temperature or it'll be a bitter mess.

The FDA (if you're in the US) has approved all four commonly used methods of decaffeination, including using methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. Trace amounts, that is to say little to none, of these compounds are left after the decaffeination process and there are not any studies that show any increased risk of adverse health outcomes from ingesting tea decaffeinated by these processes. So I wouldn't worry about "safety", considering all of the methods approved for use are safe :)

Personally, I love YamamotoYama's sushi bar style green tea. It has a very clean matcha-like taste, and it's one of the brands with a low caffeine content (~11 mg per 8 oz of tea brewed for 3 minutes, but you'll get less caffeine if you treat it right and just pour over hot water and don't let it steep, much sweeter flavor with less steeping). You can find it on Amazon here.

Tea:

• Flower Tea: amazon We got something like this for my MIL along with a glass teapot. It was a cool thing to try out, although I don't think the tea itself was that amazing.
  
  
• Nice tea thermos: amazon
  
  
• Custom tea mug with pictures of the family. I personally love stuff like this, especially if it has my dog on it. :)
  
  
• Funny tea infuser: amazon
  
  Plants:
  
  
• Heritage quality tools that are New Zealand made. (Probably more than $20, but maybe something small?)
  
  
• Funky seeds amazon

I've been drinking this jasmine tea with about a teaspoon of honey recently. I've found it's usually better on the second or third brew.

Could anyone recommend some others i might like? That, harvey and son's winter white earl grey, and art of tea's green pomegranate are the ones i like most.

Here are some links for the product in the above comment for different countries:

Amazon Smile Link: apple and fig sencha


|Country|Link|
|:-----------|:------------|
|UK|amazon.co.uk|
|Canada|amazon.ca|




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I'm debating whether I want to make a pot now... but I'm off work in about an hour. The dilemma ):

The tea with rice is called Genmaicha. I haven't been able to find my favorite one on Amazon, but this is pretty good.

If I could find this shit, cheaply, I would be drinking it all day. I've experimented with making my own cold teas, and things turn out WONDERFULLY, until I can't get the instant gratification and have to wait 24 hours for a new kettle of deliciousness to cool down enough.

I'm accustomed to savory drinks though; Coke Zero is starting to get too sweet for me and the salt gives me headaches. I can do straight coconut water, and STRONG green tea tastes delicious to me, but too bitter to other people. (More for me, haha!)

why drink tea if you can't stand it? i like coffee a lot, i just prefer ice cold tea.

while others may post exotic tea ideas, i'll stick with the tried and true just to get you started;

black;

http://www.amazon.com/Yorkshire-Gold-tea-bags-box-bags/dp/B0001LQZOI

green;

http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Matcha-Japanese-Leaves/dp/B000WB1YSE

it's ok to garnish your tea with citrus juice or milk, sweeten with sugars or honey.

variety packs are fun to sample, just keep in mind they may not be different teas,

just various fruits|spices used to flavor them, kinda like flavored coffee creamers.

Go to your nearest Asian market and get you some Ito En Green Tea. It's completely unsweetened so it takes some time to get used to the earthy flavor, but it is real green tea from Japan. I have it in my house pretty regularly and have come to really like it.

I've had this before:
http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-Matcha-Green-Powder-Antioxidants/dp/B010QN2ASA/ref=sr_1_1?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1452108398&sr=1-1&keywords=eco+matcha
It was pretty good and it's also well reviewed on Amazon.

Genmaicha is the roasted rice green tea you often see in Japanese restaurants. It has a nice mellow flavour. The rice grains are roasted until dry, so I don't know how one would do that at home without burning them.

It is quite easy and cheap to buy retail, if you know what you're asking for. My local corner store sells this brand (I'm in Vancouver BC, where it's absurdly easy to find a wide variety of asian foods).

I love it! I didn't know Costco sold it and I usually buy it at Mitsuwa Marketplace. You can get it on Amazon, too. =D

Hmm, I guess I need to give it a try. Any specific brand you'd recommend? I noticed this was the best reviewed brand on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Matcha-Japanese-Leaves/dp/B000WB1YSE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346360553&sr=8-1&keywords=green+tea

I'm adding "LOVES PINEAPPLE" to your tag. And I just bought a new tea blend (see here) last week, so I'll have to hold off on splurging on your suggestion for now :)

If you like Japanese Green Tea is a good, inexpensive everyday tea. The taste is vegetal and sweet.

I'm going to guess this would make me pretty posh (wishywishy)

Never seen in public with this because... trying to be an upstanding non-cussing citizen in public. (coffee cups)

This kind of looks like a ball? That's phallic right...?(add ons)

Most geeky. Game of Thrones is geeky? Hmm (wishywishy)

For my goal of drinking all the coffee (coffeecups)

Best item to bring to deserted island- keep hair out of the way(wishywishy)

Yall are awesome <3

My daily Earl Grey is loose Numi Organic, has been for years.
Also really liking a few varieties from Positively Tea Organic,
both off Amazon.

Numi Organic Tea Gunpowder Green, 16 Ounce Pouch of Bulk Premium Loose Leaf Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVK0AI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xjITCbZGPWVJY.
Positively Tea Company, Organic Pinhead Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SRTD2SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5lITCb85T0A0A

I second this comment. I am pretty sure they use this one. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NIHZMU/ref=redir_mdp_mobile?pc_redir=T1. It's like 5$ in chinese grocery stores.

Jasmine Green Tea is my favorite tea, it is the only tea I can drink plain and still find very enjoyable. Something about the aroma, reminds me of my traveling days :)

I absolutely must have it, jasmine green tea because I have to stop drinking diet pop and sugary/milky coffee because I just went to the dentist and now I have to go to many more appointments because I need fillings :( I only ever had six cavities in my life until now and I have X number (that I'm too ashamed to admit) because, among other things I stopped being as good about for myself, my wonderful dental hygiene and in control caffeine habit took a nose dive after my baby, now toddler ( /r/VelcroBabies ) was born in June 2012.

Try English Breakfast or Assam if you can get them where you are.

Some people have Earl Grey with a dash of milk too, which has a nice citrusy taste.
We drink plenty of tea without milk too, if you like peated whisky or smoked foods then maybe try Lapsang Souchong?

I'm sure the folks over at r/tea have plenty of recommendations too!
You can always buy a sampler box to start and try them all out.

Probably depends on the person, but I've always found green tea calms me but does not make me sleepy. I've never gotten the same calming effect with white, oolong, or black teas. Of course none of those teas should make you sleepy either because they have caffeine. I'll drink this gunpowder green tea for that reason.

I recently found this tea and think of Dune every time I have a cup. It's really amazing stuff if you like cinnamon.

​

https://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Cinnamon-Spice-Bags/dp/B000PGQQFC/

I have also found Numi, Positively Tea, and (higher end) Tealyra. Any of those seem like good options?

Morthy's

Old Englishman-ish: Tea?

Most Phallic: Lucid Dreams Scent Inhaler


Akeleie's

Goal: This would help me achieve my goal. But is freaking ridiculously expensive.


Deserted Island: This scarf 'cause I could wrap my head and protect it from the sun, and if I get too hot I can pee in it and use the evaporation to cool my head.
I may have watched a few too many survival shows

I'm probably not as much of a tea expert as the rest of the guys and gals here but I have this green matcha tea I bought from costco and it tastes good enough to me.

Comes in a huge package of 100 and isn't too expensive at about ~$0.20/bag.


This is tea with matcha however. I'm not sure if that is the same as just matcha.

For everyday, convenient "I-need-some-tea-in-me-stat" drinking I quite enjoy Costco's house brand green tea bags. It's actually Ito En tea, sold under the Kirkland name. 100 bags to a box, and if I recall it's about $15. Looks like this (Amazon link; though Costco is cheaper).

Try this.

This tea is delicious. It's mild and doesn't have a sharp, bitter taste common in most teas from teabags. You don't even need sugar. I can't stand bottled green tea because it's so sweet. All I can taste is the sugar in it.

Check out your local asian grocer for good loose teas. My two favorites for iced tea are these

[Lychee Black Tea] (http://www.amazon.com/Golden-Sail-Brand-China-Lichee/dp/B003L8LX7M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397482433&sr=8-1&keywords=lychee+black+tea)

[Jasmine Green Tea] (http://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Jasmine-Tea-LB-454/dp/B000NIHZMU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1397482451&sr=8-6&keywords=jasmine+green+tea)

You can generally find them in stores for half of what they charge on Amazon.

If you mean this then yeah, it's a good solid starter tea, and most asian markets carry it. I still have a tin of it on my tea shelf.

I am pretty sure these are the green ones on the table

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Twinings Jasmine Green tea yet. It's definitely one of my favorites!
Link

The best way to consume theanine is drinking green tea, as theanine is found most abundantly in the tea plant. The strongest green tea is matcha. Matcha is a finely powdered form of green tea. The powder is mixed into hot water and in this way the tea leaf itself is consumed. Matcha has many health benefits, of which theanine is merely one. Theanine is valuable to us because it binds with caffeine, and while our brains have many receptors of caffeine, which allow us to experience a caffeine rush (and subsequent crash), the brain has relatively few receptors for theanine. As a result, the theanine-caffeine bond can only be broken as quickly as the theanine can be processed, which results in much of the caffeine of the tea being sequestered by the theanine until it can be processed. Humans feel this as an 4 hour elevation of mood and concentration, with no crash following this period. More matcha, longer period of alertness.

In addition to being a theanine and caffeine powerhouse, one cup of matcha can have as much antioxidant EGCG as over 130 cups of traditionally steeped green tea.

I drink matcha regularly and enjoy it mixed with hot water and a splash of milk/honey, or mixed without water into hot milk and honey. Health information can be found here. High-quality matcha is extremely expensive, but I purchase low-quality in buk from amazon.

I take Optimum Nutrition creatine mono and whey, Nature Made fish oil, and NOW Vitamin D-3. They all seem to work for me (but I've never felt any difference with fish oil). This stuff is a relatively good green tea for cheap.

There's the Kirkland matcha green tea blend that's pretty okay.

http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/

I got this one and it is great for making lattes.

Matcha is tea powder basically - they powder the leaf so you're drinking the leaf in the tea. It's prepared in one of two ways generally: Usucha, where you get a thinner liquid by putting in fewer scoops, or Koicha, where you put enough powder in to make a thick drink. Both are more bitter than you'd probably be accustomed to. They're good in their own ways, but you'll want to read up on and possibly try a smaller amount of matcha before committing to a lot of it.

Here's a mediocre-quality sounding sencha for <$20 for a pound:
http://www.amazon.com/Davidsons-Tea-Bulk-Sencha-16-Ounce/dp/B000SAPX8G/

Or Stash for just under $20 for a pound: http://www.amazon.com/Stash-Tea-Premium-Green-Loose/dp/B006LXKK46/

This one is a bit cheaper per oz but you'll have to commit to 4.4lbs of it in one go: http://www.amazon.com/Shirakiku-Green-Sencha-2-2-Pound-Packages/dp/B001AYDFJ8/

Wet Brush- $9.00

Tea- $8.20

Washi tape - $6.00

More tea - $3.49

Total= $26.69

Thank you so, so much for this contest! =D <3 Those Himalaya's of the mind!

A few notes:

• Amazon sells high volumes for pretty cheap, but this is not Matcha. It is still powdered green tea, but it is a chinese blend. Matcha is Japanese in the same way that Champagne comes from Italy France (fuck).
  
• Matcha lasts a long time. Don't be followed by the 1-2oz tins. You use a dinky spoonful per cup.
  
• Mix it with a whisk. Add a little water at first, whisk until lumps are gone, then add more water as you prefer

I'm obsessed with tea! At least I think I am. I spend way too much time looking at tea online that I can't afford! :D

I've always wanted to try Jasmine Pearls. Jasmine Pearls are green tea leaves rolled up in a little balls with jasmine flowers. It looks really good.

Do you like tea? I'll send you a sample of all my teas! I recently ran out, but I have an order of two Oolongs and a Scottish Breakfast on its way. It should be here soon.

Harney & Son's Paris tea is amazing:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harney-Sons-Paris-Tea-Sachets/dp/B000OQWAS0

I wonder if you would enjoy this apple and fig sencha. It seems to come loose and bagged. I tried the loose last winter and I loved it!

Hello again! Got your PM. Would you like to try any or all of these teas? I can pack small quantities (such as 10-15g samples) or larger amounts, whatever is your preference.

• Davidson's Organics Earl Grey with Lavender
  
• Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme
  
• Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice
  
• Ito En Sencha + Matcha individually sealed teabags
  
• Teavana Cha Yen Thai
  
• What-Cha Vietnam Pomelo Flower Green Tea
  
• Yunomi Factory Direct Organic Sencha #20

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J82AHQW/

I just ordered this, because it looked good....so maybe you should try!
Otherwise, if you like fruity green teas, Twinnings has a strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate one that is ah-mazing!

This one seems safe, I think?
http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342760466&sr=8-1&keywords=matcha

> Konacha

Oh I see. Like this?

It seems so much easier to make compared to matcha, is the price difference just for the taste/quality?

I had green tea before this coffee. I don't think it was anything special. It was this: http://www.amazon.com/Yamamotoyama-Green-Sushi-Style-Value/dp/B0009K77OI

ok, I'll look into that one. I was also looking at this one -http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Matcha-Blend-Japanese/dp/B000WB1YSE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417670024&sr=8-2&keywords=green+tea - what do you think?

If you like (completely unsweetened) iced green tea, try Ito En.

the costco ito-en bagged sencha + matcha. it's like 100 bags for 10-15 bucks in a costco and on amazon it is almost 20.

Not that I recall. You dont need much.

By my math (see below), Ito En's Oi Ocha bottled green tea uses abt 1/2 teaspoon pure ascorbic acid per gallon.

You can get pure ascorbic acid crystals/powder at natural food stores, or: 1lb https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0013OUMVO/

8oz https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00028LX1U/

Ito En's Oi Ocha (ingredients: water, tea, ascorbic acid (vitamin c)) has 220% rda vit C per 8 oz, rda is 60mg, so 132 mg per 8oz, or about 1g per half gallon, which comes to about 1/2 teaspoon (which is 2.25g according to Now ascorbic acid label) of pure ascorbic acid per gallon (whew.)
https://www.amazon.com/Ito-En-unsweetened-Green-Ounce/dp/B0017T2MWW


From Serious Eats: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/05/best-bottled-iced-tea.html
"Bottled iced tea needs some kind of acidic preservative, but it turns out different brands used different kinds. The Japanese teas all use ascorbic acid (vitamin C), while the Western ones opt for citric acid."

I see! Well, in that case, try out Gunpowder green tea. It's really inexpensive and if you can find an international or asian grocery store near you, you can get a box for a couple of bucks! Just make sure your steeping temperature is right. Usually 175-180 or you will get a bitter brew.
This brand Is usually the one I see in stores. That's a half-pound, but they come smaller than that. You can also find some Jasmine greens there too. Such as this one. Again, they come in smaller tins than that.

I like my lamb to be grilled or blackened and served on pita. I'm sure /u/MorpheusGoneWild, would agree.

Link

No soup for you!

[The type of tea often served in a Chinese restaurant is similar to the kind served in a Sushi restaurant, good for the place, but you can find better.] (http://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Jasmine-Tea-LB-454/dp/B000NIHZMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421519792&sr=8-1&keywords=jasmine+green+sunflower)

Amazon has some alright loose leaf tea for cheap.

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000NIHZMU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

Interesting theory, but I've never heard of brewing tea that way. I found the brand I drink on amazon. 100% Japanese tea and it doesn't recommend throwing away the first brew.

Here is the mobile version of your link

Let me introduce you to Kirkland's Green Tea.. You can find it at Costco. Check the reviews!

http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Signature-Matcha-Japanese-Leaves/dp/B000WB1YSE

> Costco green tea

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B000WB1YSE

http://www.amazon.com/Sunflower-Jasmine-Tea-LB-454/dp/B000NIHZMU

the orange tea tin that most (cheaper) chinese and vietnamese restaurants serve. check asian markets to see if the price is cheaper.

i cold steep it

storebought, no fucking way, i don't drink that sugary shit

http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Matcha-Blend-Japanese-Tea-100/dp/B000WB1YSE