Reddit mentions: The best serverware

Sorry, generic tea copypasta coming though here.

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New to Tea? New to loose leaf? Let me help.

Hello, new friend. So you've stumbled your way into /r/tea, you probably though this was a subreddit for the Mr. T, but no worries you're here and you're in good hands. We're all tea fiends and we're all eager to share our fifteen minutes of meditation, our hobby and our little slice of heaven. So why should you consider switching from Lipton to something crazy like leaves some Chinese person picked off a tea bush?

• Loose Leaf tea is often higher quality than your traditional tea bags.
  
  
• Less preservatives or additives.
  
  
• A greater variety of teas that are too delicate for tea bags or can't be effectively brewed that way.
  
  
• Greater access to fine teas, you can't find good premium teas in tea bags.
  
  
• It's more cost effective. You can pick up Twinning's Irish Breakfast tea (20 tea bags) for $2.99 at your local supermarket and that'll make you 20 cups of tea. With loose leaf tea you can buy 125 grams of Irish Breakfast from Upton Tea for $5.60, which will make you 100-150 cups of tea. You can re-brew the same tea leaves two or three times when it comes to loose leaf, but with a tea bag all the water penetrates the "tea dust" the first go.
  
  
• It tastes better. That's 100-150 cups of far better tea than Twinnings. Not to say you can't get good tea out of a tea bag, but you'll get better tea with more control/flexibility when it come to loose leaf.
  
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  So, Where To Start??
  
  ^^buy ^^theses ^^teas ^^first!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  Where | Why?
  ---|---
  GoodLife Tea's $7 for 7 Sampler | Free Shipping! Robb has a fantastic variety of tasty high quality tea important for building up your tea pallet.
  Verdant's Five Teas for $5 | Free Shipping! Again, Verdant sells some premium quality tea. Think of their sampler as a crash course into the rich people's side of tea. But the catch with tea is that it's a lot more affordable than wine could ever hope to be. The sampler is great for building up your tea preferences and giving you a kickstart in the right direction.
  Upton Tea | My personal favorite store, they send a nice little paperback catalog every quater. They sell a huge variety of teas, from traditional English Breakfast to Tie-Guan-Yin. Not only that but they sell their teas in different grades meaning you can dabble in what is traditionally an expensive tea by trying a lower quality (but still delicious and tasty) grade of tea. You can find the grade and variety of tea that matches your wallet and taste. They also sell cheap samplers, if you wish you can take $20 and order around 15 samples and see where your cuppa takes you.
  Adagio | A personal favorite of /r/tea if you can find a store nearby! But don't fret, most of us buy our tea online so no worries if you're in Kodiak, Alaska and can't get down to an Adagio. They sell nice quality tea, their stores people are incredibly informed and helpful (unlike a certain Starbucks owned tea store). They also have Adagio XL which sells tea in bulk.
  Harney & Sons | Amazon Prime Shipping. I love my Amazon account, that's usually by go to place online shopping and being able to two-day ship a simple tin of Harney & Sons tea without the shipping cost is fantastic. They sell lots of teas and they're all very good. Maybe not the premium tea you'll see Chinese diplomats drinking but they in my opinion sell tea that all tastes great.
  Coffee Bean Direct | Who knew a place called Coffee Bean Direct* sold tea too? Again, with Amazon Prime Shipping this seems to be the place to buy tea in bulk. They're well reviewed and their tea seems to be good. If you're like me and cold brew ice tea frequently then this might be the best place to pick up some bulkier tea to last you the season.
  Crimson Lotus | Owned by a frequenter of /r/tea, Puerh_Lover stocks a great store with lots of neat little stuff. Be warned, he caters to pu'er which is a type of fermented tea pressed into bricks or pellets. In other words this is a special variety of tea that needs special equipment and special knowledge to brew. Don't fret if you're not walking out of /r/tea after a day brewing in a gaiwan.
  White2Tea | More lovely pu'er.
  Yunnan Sourcing | Again, more pu'er, but also lots of green and white teas too. They sell teaware for good prices too so if you're looking to pick up a traditional china teacup or gaiwan this is a good place to get that.
  What-Cha | Another beloved store on /r/tea, but they're pretty pricey at times. But you can always expect good quality tea and a looser wallet from here.
  
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  Just How Do You Make Tea?
  
  Traditional Western | Gongfu | Cold Brew
  ---|---|----
  The way you're probably familiar with when it comes to brewing tea, all it requires is a teapot like this one (I highly recommend this teapot). Western or Traditional works well with every kind of tea. It's the universal method of making tea and the best place to start. | This kind of brewing is very specific as it only works with Chinese type teas like pu'er. This method of making tea is hands down the best way to make a Chinese styled tea and does wonders to enhance and bring out the best in the leaves. But this method wont work for a cuppa English Breakfast or Japanese Sencha. To brew Gongfu style you use a gaiwan which is fancy talk for a tiny cup with a lid. The idea behind Gongfu is more leaves, less water and time. You use micro-infusions instead of waiting minutes like Western or hours like Cold Brewing. | Cold Brewing is for those of us who just love iced tea. It's simple to cold brew, a vessel like this will brew a mean pitcher of ice tea. All you have to do is leave the leaves in the filter and wait 5-12 hours for the tea to brew, perfect for leaving overnight. Fair Warning: tea can go bad, the kind of stuff you'd buy at the store has a massive amount of preservatives in it. Keep your cold brewing tea out of the sunlight and don't let it sit for more than 48 hours.
  
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  On Kettles
  
  So you're going to need a way to keep your water hot. A stovetop kettle is probably the most accessible and the biggest no brainer out of everything here. A microwave heats water inconsistently, can leave an odd taste if your microwave isn't properly clean, and you really don't have a good way of knowing how hot the water is. Temperature is important. Brewing a cuppa green tea in boiling water will result in a pretty shitty cup of tea, and brewing some black tea in the water appropriate for green tea will result in a disappointing cuppa.
  
  You also have electric kettles like the Cuisinart CPK-17 which is going to cost as much as a decent coffee machine but if tea is your caffeine fix then it might be worth it. The Cuisinart is a variable temperature kettle meaning you just have to press a button and it makes the water the appropriate temperature for whatever kind of tea you're drinking.
  
  
  Tea | Temperature
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  Black | 212
  Green | 175
  White | 190
  Oolong | 185
  Pu'er | 212
  Herbal | 212
  
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  Where To Buy Tea Equipment? What Equipment Might You Want To Buy?
  
  Umi Tea Sets sells lots of cute tea sets. They also sell pretty much any kind of vessel you can brew tea in, from Yixing to Japanese tea sets.
  
  Mr. Coffee Tea Kettle A simple, $10 stovetop kettle to boil some water. It seems to have a little hole in it for a thermometer to go in if you need to measure your water temperature.
  
  Glass Whistling Kettle I have one of these, you can tell water temperature from the bubbles if you learn to read them well. It’s pretty handy but if I could I would exchange it for the Mr. Coffee.
  
  CPK-17 Electronic Kettle probably the device that makes most of /r/tea’s mouths water (that might just be the tea). This is pretty much the best electronic kettle you can buy, cheaper than a K-Cup Coffee machine. It has temperatures for making all kinds of tea labeled nicely. I have one and I love it.
  
  OTHER
  
  Want to find the right kind of tea for you? Here’s a tea discovery wheel! Try it out here.

The recipe per request,

I'll start with the hardware. I'm by no means an expert cake decorator, and beyond the class I took in HS years ago haven't decorated a cake before. Aside from the standard baking tools I consider the following essential:

 

• Cake tins - I used 8" rounds, make sure they have sides perpendicular to the bottom of the pan
  
• piping bags & tips - to make all the fancy stuff and to pipe icing for dams & around the cake
  
• old dish towel & clothes pins - wet them and wrap them around the tins while they bake, promotes level rising
  
• spackle or drywall knife or bench scrape - to get everything nice and smooth. Make sure the blade is longer than your cake is tall.
  
• Offset spatula - helps glob frosting on and smooth things around
  
• Cake rounds - round cardboard to set the cake on. 2" bigger than your cake pan worked for me.
  
• Decorating turntable - spin cake, goes roundy round
  
• Squirt bottle - these are pretty handy for everything from salad dressing to lemon juice. I picked up these puppies from amazon
  
• Stand Mixer - I guess a hand mixer would work too, but a KitchenAid is well worth the investment for this and so much more.
  
• Fondant Smoother - It's like a cement trowel for a cake.
  
• Viva Paper Towels - mechanic paper towels would work too, basically you need a paper towel without any texture, or maybe you want texture. It's your cake, texture it if you want!
  
• Treadmill - gotta work these cake calories off somehow!
  
   
  
  As for the software you will need,
  
   
  
  
• 2 boxes of your favorite cake mix - i'm sure you can make it from scratch, it might taste better but this is enough work as it is. Duncan Heinz is the bomb anyway. I used their angel food cake for this particular cake. Whatever ingredients the box o' cake calls for.
  
• 3 value size bags of confectioner's sugar - Walmart has a massive bag for about $1.
  
• Semi-sweet chocolate - ghiradelli chips or bar
  
• Whole milk - don't skimp here, fat is our friend. It's a cake, not a kale protein smoothie.
  
• Heavy Whipping cream - about a quart
  
• Unflavored gelatin
  
• Unsalted butter - I buy the value pack from costco, freeze it if you don't use it. At least 2 lbs standing by.
  
• Hi-Ratio Shortening - This is optional I think, more on this later.
  
• Vanilla - the real stuff, not the imitation. Don't worry about clear vanilla, my buttercream turned out plenty white with pure vanilla extract that was brown.
  
• AP Flour
  
• Regular Granulated Sugar
  
• Strawberry's - the big box, not the little box. What's it like 2lbs? I used about half inside the cake and another 1/4 on top.
  
   
  
  Alright, so the entire process took me two days. You could probably do it in a shorter period of time, but I was in no rush and this was my first cake attempt so I took my time. Here are roughly the steps I took,
  
  

1. Bake the cakes. Set your oven to whatever it needs to be set to and prep the cake tins. I rubbed butter all over the interior of the tins, then sifted some flour in the tin to give it a light coat getting rid of excess. This helps it rise evenly. Some people use non-sweetened cocoa powder for chocolate cakes, which I guess you could do but I covered mine in icing so who cares. You also want to wrap wet dishtowels around the circumferance of the pan to promote even baking. I used two full boxes for two cakes, with 4 cups of batter in each tin. I definitely could have gotten away with 3. With 4 the cake rose up over the edge of the 8" tin and I got some rounding on the edges. When a piece of wood (toothpick, skewer, chopstick) inserted into the center comes out clean, they are done. Took an extra 20 mins from the box directions for me. YMMV. After the cakes are done let them cool on a wire rack a bit. You can use a dish towel draped over the top of the cake to gently push it down to try and even it out if it's not level. Flip them out of the tins onto a wire rack and let them cool till you can wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate them. I chilled mine overnight, made decorating them much easier. The key is getting cakes (i think it's officially called torting) that are nice and even. You can cut them or use a cake leveler. They are pretty cheap on amazon. It's like a house, if the foundation is crooked the house is going to be too. Make sure you cake rounds are nice and even and level.
   
   
   
2. Prep the strawberries and the whipped cream filling. For the strawberries mine weren't super ripe, so I sliced them up, tossed them in sugar (2 T or so), put into a strainer that I set in a bowl, covered in plastic and refrigerated overnight. This helps the berries release some of the excess juices so when you put them on your pretty white buttercream it doesn't turn your cake into a murder scene from Dexter. Next comes the whipped cream. You have to make stabilized whipped cream or else the little bubbles of air you whip into the cream are going to collapse. Here's the tutorial I used. You'll need the cream, gelatin, some vanilla, and powdered sugar for the whipped cream.
   
   
3. Next you need to make some buttercream. I used a recipe from a tutorial here. This also covers how to damn, fill, crumbcoat, and outercoat the cake. You can watch the tutorial for the deets but here's my insight. Note that for my filling I did a layer of strawberry, whipped cream, then another layer of strawberry instead of buttercream to change it up. For the buttercream the shortening does give you some pretty stiff buttercream, but it also reminds me of the icing you'd find on an Entemann's cake. It wasn't terrible tasting per se, but it definitely wasn't buttery butter cream. I'll try this again without using the shortening, and I've seen other tutorials that just use butter and their cakes look just as smooth with straight, crisp edges. I did find it was easier to use a big piping tip to pipe the icing on for the crumb coat rather than just slather it on the sides. If you are set on trying the shortening make sure you get Hi Ratio Shortening, which is basically shortening that has transfat in it. Transfat is pretty terrible for you, so don't eat this cake like all the time. Walmart supposedly carries a variety, but I picked mine up from Amazon. Was like $18 for a 3lb tub. Totally not worth it if you can just use butter and achieve the same results.
   
   
   
4. Once you've got your cake all iced, chilled and ready you can add the exterior decorations. To get the drips on the side I followed this tutorial and just used semi-sweet instead of white chocolate. Make sure you test your ganache out of the squirt bottle to see how far it runs down a tupperware lid or something. Once you've got the desired consistency (usually related to the temperature of the ganache) you just spin the cake around while you squirt chocolate on the edge. Anywhere you want a bigger drip, put more ganache. Have fun with it. There are no mistakes, only happy accidents. For the base I just did a simple swirly with a star tip around the edge. There's a million icing tips and tutorials and guides on what they produce. Practice on some papertowel and have fun! I used whipped cream for my decorations since it's stiff enough to keep a shape and tastes WAY better then buttercream. Downside is you have to refrigerate the cake or else all that food born illness stuff. Use common sense. After the ganache sets, put the strawberries on the inside of the ganache (helps keep any excess juice from running down the cake) and add whatever other decorations you'd like.
   
    
   
   That's about the long of it, sorry for the stream of consciousness, typing this from memory, but hope this helps. Good luck - now hit the treadmill :)
   
   
   
   

DOPNYC's Guide to Proofing Containers

For The Beginner

As a beginning pizzamaker, being able to see the underside of the dough is invaluable.

https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=21449.msg216567#msg216567

Posting photos of the underside of the dough hasn't become much of a trend here on Reddit, but I'm hoping that it will become more common, because it's a great way for beginners to troubleshoot balling and proofing issues.

Before we jump into my recommendations, let me share some traits of a good proofing container

1. Wide- the wider the better, because the wider your container, the less contact the dough will have the sides, which will give you a prettier rim/less pitting. Those quart soup containers that you get from the restaurants? No.
   
2. Shallow-ish. As you get into pizza, you're going to want to entertain, that means multiple dough balls, and, if you're going to fit them in the fridge, you want to be able to stack them. 2.5 inches is typically tall enough, although if your container is especially wide, you might be able to go smaller than that.
   
3. Round. Square containers make square doughs, and, when you go and stretch them, they fight to form square pizzas. The only exception to this would be a square or rectangular container that's wide enough so that the dough never touches- it would have to be very wide, though.
   
4. Clear. Obviously.
   
5. Smooth- any kind of ridge on the bottom or the side of the container will have a tendency to grip the dough and make the container harder to wash. A little bump is not the end of the world.
   
6. Almost air tight. Dough releases a miniscule quantity of gas as it ferments. If your container is air tight, eventually the pressure will build, the lid will pop, and your dough will dry out. Dried out dough is very bad and will split when you go and stretch it.
   
7. Plastic. Plastic is a little better than glass, since, assuming it's lightweight, it will allow the dough to be more responsive to temperature changes- changes going into the fridge and coming out.
   With this in mind, here are some clear, and some clear-ish options.
   
   A wide glass bowl with plastic wrap
   
   As long as the bowl is clear, and has the right proportions, this may be the least expensive option of all, because you might already have a glass bowl lying around. The plastic wrap is not ideal, though, because, as I mentioned before, your container can't be airtight, so you don't want the wrap to pop from the pressure. The normal procedure for plastic containers is to take a pin and prick an extremely small hole in the top. This isn't as easy to do with plastic wrap, as the hole in the wrap tends to want to open further as the wrap is stretched.
   
   https://www.walmart.com/ip/Glad-Food-Storage-Containers-Big-Bowl-48-oz-2-ct/24689293
   
   The bottom on these is textured, but you should still be able to see what's going on with your dough. The big downside to these is the size. If you're making about a 12" pizza or less, great, if not, I'd go with something else.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Pyrex-6017397-Simply-Store-Storage/dp/B000LOWN3C
   
   Still a little small- maybe good for up to 15" pies, but no bigger. Glass is not ideal, but, if worse comes to worse, you can just leave your dough out longer to warm up.
   
   https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid-TakeAlongs-15-7-Cups-Serving-Bowls-2-count/17331745
   
   Way too tall, but readily available an not that expensive. The bottoms have a similar cloudiness to the Glad containers above. Not ideal, but should still allow you to see what's going on.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Plastic-Storage-Container-1777163/dp/B016QQ2JUK/
   
   Remember what I said about rectangular containers being okay as long as they are wide enough? These are 16.6 x 11.3 x 3.5 inches. 11.3 should be sufficient for up to about 15", but larger dough balls might start creeping up the sides.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Tupperware-Round-Cupcake-Keeper-12-Inch/dp/B00GS8AD0K/
   
   At a little less than 12" wide and 2.75" high, and a perfectly clear and almost perfectly smooth base, this could be, imo, the rolls royce of beginning proofing containers. But it's also a whopping 22 bucks. If you go this route, you might get only one, and then go cheaper with the other ones.
   
   Look Around for Something Else
   
   I've devoted maybe four hours, total, looking for proofing containers online and in stores. There's obviously more out there. I've given you the specs to look for. As you go into your supermarkets or dollar stores, take a look at their disposable plastic containers and see if anything fits the bill.
   
   For the Intermediate and Advanced Pizzamaker
   
   Okay, you've made enough pizza to no longer need to examine the bottom of your proofing/proofed dough and it's now time to take the training wheels off. Here are those options.
   
   https://www.bakedeco.com/a/plastic-dough-pan-s-12232.htm
   
   https://www.bakedeco.com/a/lid-for-plastic-pizz-23564.htm
   
   These are what I presently use. I was able to find them locally at a distributor. They work very well. If they could make a clear plastic version of these, and maybe make them 20% larger (17" doughs are a tight fit), then they'd be, imo, the perfect proofing pan for everyone- beginners to advanced.
   
   https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-18-x-26-x-3-dough-proofing-box/40714021.html
   
   These are the industry standard dough proofing box. When you get this large, there's are logistics you have to consider due to the size involved. You can't, say, take 8 boxes, stack them, and put them in the fridge, because they will insulate the other boxes and take a long time to chill. Pizzerias will fill these with dough balls, cross stack them so that the dough is exposed, and then place them in the walk in until they are chilled.
   
   These come in different gauges and can vary in quality from brand to brand. Check the reviews to make sure you're getting a quality box that will last you a long time. NEVER use a metal utensil for removing your dough, as the metal will scratch the plastic.
   
   I measured one brand of these in person, and it came to 27.5". My refrigerator opening is 27" wide. If you go this route, make sure you have a refrigerator that can accommodate them.
   
   Remember what I said about square proofing containers? Well, these are obviously very large, but you should be careful about having your dough balls touching, since encroaching balls will create a square edge. For Neapolitan, this is pretty common, but, for NY, you want to try and keep the dough ball round. This will limit the number of dough balls you can fit in these, but, you can still use these for NY.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/DoughMate-Artisan-Dough-Tray-Kit/dp/B00449IEM4
   
   These are the smaller version of the tray above. If you're doing Neapolitan, and are comfortable with square-ish pizza, then these might hold more than a couple dough balls, but, for NY, with that 11" width, I'd only use them for one ball. Considering the price, that, imo, rules them out.
   
   https://www.bakedeco.com/a/dough-retarding-proo-1491.htm
   
   In NY, these are pretty much standard. These will stack nicely with the plastic ones above, and they're a little bit deeper than the plastic ones, allowing for slightly bigger dough balls- such as 18" skins. I've not seen this tested, but longer fermentation generates acid in dough, which may react with the aluminum, so, for this reason, I tend to gravitate towards plastic. But this is probably a little overly paranoid, so if you feel comfortable using these for multi-day ferments, go for it.
   
   https://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=14506.msg320560#msg320560
   
   http://www.pmq.com/May-June-2004/Whats-With-the-WoodDough-Boxes/
   
   This is super advanced pizza making. Wood proofing boxes (or wood liners for plastic boxes). The wood will naturally draw moisture from the surface of the bottom of the dough giving you a crispier crust. If you're running a professional operation, expect the health inspector to have a fit. The two links that I've provided are both dated and may provide inaccurate info. If you go this route, do a LOT more homework- AND report back here! :D
   
   ...
   
   A final note... These containers are constantly changing. The disposable containers are always being redesigned- usually for the worse, and the companies offering these types of containers rise and fall. 15 years ago, the plastic dough proofing pans that I use didn't exist. Where I am getting at? This list is liable to change- and most likely sooner rather than later. If, on your travels, you come across a viable option, please, drop me a PM. Thanks.

No worries at all, I'm more than happy to help as much as I can. I'm super passionate about tea and love seeing new people want to try it out, especially gongfu!

Because you've expressed interest in having a full gongfu set up, below I'm going to give you a couple examples of starter-packs consisting of a tea table, gaiwan, pitcher, strainer, and tea cups (and a tea pet if you're really feeling like going all out).

Nearly everything I'm going to list below is from Yunnan Sourcing's US-based website, because that way you won't have to wait for China shipping. Although, don't get used to US shipping. The deeper you get into this hobby, the more you're going to be ordering from vendors who ship directly from China, which generally takes anywhere from 10-15 business days. It's best to accept that fact up front and just get used to it--honestly, now I don't even notice. It shows up when it shows up.

Okay, without further ado, here's the full gongfu package that I'd recommend for one person just getting into gongfu.

Tea Table: ~$45.00USD (US Shipping)
https://www.amazon.com/Tasteful-Bamboo-Gongfu-Table-Serving/dp/B00M3Y8LNY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503637708&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=gongfu+tea+tray&psc=1

Gaiwan + Teacup: $10.00USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=1074&controller=product

Cha Hai (Glass Pitcher): $6.50USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=86&controller=product

Strainer: $3.20USD (US Shipping)
http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_product=89&controller=product

^That will have all the brewing utensils that you'd need to get started with gongfu (though some would argue you don't need the tea table, just use a cloth or a dish or something, but since you seem interested in the full package, that's what I'd go with...that's actually the table I use now!)

Now...when it comes to tea...

I'd first highly recommend picking up a scale (this one from Amazon is only $9.00USD and works really well: https://www.amazon.com/American-Weigh-Scales-AWS-600-BLK-Nutrition/dp/B000O37TDO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1503639369&sr=8-1&keywords=American+weigh+scale

As for strong sweet flavor that doesn't need sugar, I'd recommend starting with oolongs, which are typically very smooth, sweet, floral, and somewhat creamy.

Here are a couple of my personal favorites that are extremely budget-friendly, ship super fast, and are all from Eco-Cha.

Four Seasons Spring Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/four-seasons-spring-oolong-tea-1

Dong Ding Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/dong-ding-oolong-tea

Alishan High Mountain Oolong: https://eco-cha.com/collections/all-tea/products/alishan-high-mountain-oolong-tea

If you're feeling adventurous, then I'd definitely pick up some puerh as well. The Basics Puer Tea Sample Set from White2Tea is
one of the best introductions you can ask for. It's $39.99USD for 400g of solid tea (4x100g cakes of Spring, Autumn, Huangpian [large leaf], and 10-year-old tea), and it always comes with a free puerh pick, and ships anywhere in the world for free, which is super nice.


If you purchase everything I listed, you'd spend ~$130.00USD, which would set you up with a tea-set you would grow into, and enough tea to last you roughly 2 months, and that's assuming you drink 10g of tea every day, which is highly unlikely.

If you're on a super tight budget, then I'd recommend ditching the tea table and just getting the gaiwan+teacup, the scale, and the teas. Everything else isn't nearly as important, though if you have the money, it's certainly nice to have the full setup.

So a quick review:

• The Force of Nature (FON) unit is surprisingly small
  
• No cap - just a pour spout
  
• Fill to the line with water, break & squeeze the capsule in, press the button, let sit for 10 minutes, done!
  
• Makes the water look fizzy while it's charging it (or whatever it's called)
  
• Pour spout makes filling the sprayer easy
  
• Turn the sprayer knob a little for mist, and more for a stream
  
  As far as the cleaner goes:
  
  
• Smells like a pool (chlorinated...like a well-maintained pool, not a horribly over-chlorinated pool
  
• Takes about 10 minutes after wiping dry for the smell to go away
  
• Does a good on multiple surfaces (including glass)
  
  As far as cleaning goes:
  
  
• To clean, spray & wipe
  
• To disinfect, you have to spray it, leave it for 10 minutes, THEN wipe it - think of it like toilet bowl cleaner, it's gotta sit for awhile
  
• There's no alcohol in the spray, so it takes forever to evaporate, so you have to wipe it dry
  
• They recommend scrubbing down gross surfaces with baking soda & water as needed (to clear the surface), THEN clean with the FON spray, then wipe dry
  
  Glass cleaning is pretty good, although you have to work a bit harder than my homemade glass cleaner...it does clean the glass & leave it streak-free, although at an angle I could see some "foggy" spots. This is the recipe for my homemade glass cleaner, which is wicked amazing:
  
  
• 1/4-cup Rubbing Alcohol
  
• 1/4-cup White Vinegar
  
• 2-teaspoons Cornstarch (this is what makes it streak-free)
  
• 2-cups Water
  
  Directions: (works great, WAY better than Windex!)
  
  

1. Combine using a blender (make sure to clean the blender out with soap or in the dishwasher after!)
   
2. Pour into a spray bottle (I get those blue glass misting bottles off Amazon)
   
3. I just use paper towels to wipe it off
   
   Anyway...I'm a bit sensitive to smells, and the FON spray definitely smelled like a pool to me. It's not a "nice, light, fresh, clean" scent like Febreze or something...it smells like a chlorinated pool. Not like a "whack you in the face" smell like Lysol with Bleach, but strong enough to be noticeable. The smell does dissipate pretty well after ten minutes or so, but if you're working extensively in a small, poorly-ventilated space like a half-bathroom, make sure to leave the door open!
   
   So far so good...it's cleaned everything I've thrown at it! One thing I was really happy with is my plastic squeeze bottles for cooking oil...I have various plastic squeeze bottles like this:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/Condiment-16-ounce-Dressing-Pinnacle-Mercantile/dp/B00OZOW6E0/
   
   I use them for various oils like olive oil, canola oil, etc. for easy squirting while cooking. The plastic tends to get VERY greasy from the oil & I've never quite been able to de-grease them, even with liquid dish soap or in the dishwasher. The FON spray did a GREAT job with them! Granted, they sucked up a little bit of the chlorine smell into the outside, but at least they're not all greasy when I touch them anymore!
   
   I have a large supply of capsules from the one-year starter kit, so I'll continue to use them & see how they fare. So far, it seems to be a pretty universal cleaner, and despite the chlorine scent (which isn't horrible, and also airs out after awhile, for the most part), isn't killing my nose, making me dizzy, or giving me headaches from the noxious smell like other cleaning chemicals do. I'll have to give it a try on carpet next, to see how it fares...

Id say get a sample of a couple of different teas to try out. There are many websites to buy teas from, brownestrabbit having listed some of them. There is also Teavana and Republic of Tea as well.

For equipment, I would get a simple teamaker such as this one from Adagio. Other places carry this style of teamaker, but I dont know their pricing. It is a simple cup with a filter at the bottom, and acts like a gravity press when you place it on top of any cup or mug. Theres a video review of it in the comments of that page.

After that, id say get a e-kettle. A cheap 20$ one from walmart or target will suffice. Nothing too fancy, just something to boil water very quickly.

Since you are just starting out, dont buy into all the clay/yixing/cast iron/bone china/etc teapots. You can think about those later in life. Your focus should be on the taste of tea, not on what it comes in.

There are a couple of different types of teas, and ill make a quick and dirty list for ya here. And always try and go whole leaf/loose leaf if you have the option.


Actual Tea

These contain the actual tea leaves, Camelia Sinesis and Camelia Assamica

• White Tea: The lightest of the 4. Also the least amount of caffeine. Will often be very light and gentle in flavor, so if you like very gentle teas, white teas are often the go to guy.
  
• Green Tea: The superman of teas. Green teas have many health properties which have been scientifically backed and peer reviewed. It is one of the few that actually has studies done on it. Has a bit more caffeine than white, anywhere from 10-15% the content of a similar cup of coffee. The flavor range is so vast that ill let you discover what you like. There are lots of different types of green teas, so go check em out.
  
• Oolong Tea: China's favourite. Oolong is a hybrid of sorts between a green and black tea. So therefore some oolong will be very green in presence, others will be very black. Oolong is the kind of tea youll like if you enjoy a more traditional "tea" taste, rather than the fruit/herbal blends you see at the supermarket. Goes great with food, and has a very mild taste.
  
• Black Tea: Europe's baby. Try a solid english breakfast from a good company, like Twinnings or PGtips. Then try an earl grey. Now expand from there. Dont add any sugar or milk to begin with, so you can fully experience the flavor without masking it with additives.
  
  Other Teas
  
  
• Rooibos Teas: Rooibos comes from a South African bush, so it will be very prickly in appearance when loose. Has ZERO caffeine, and contains alot of flavor so its popular to drink at night. You will find it mostly blended with other flavors, so find one you like and test it out.
  
  
• Yerba maté Teas: The Redbull of the tea world. Has a buttload of caffeine, and is very dark so its similar to black teas. Some energy drink companies have started to put this stuff in their energy drinks to add that extra jolt.
  
  
• Herbal Blends: These dont contain any actual tea leaves, and are often just various flora and dried fruits. They are good to mix into one of the base teas with to add a unique flavor.
  
  
  A couple of tips:
  
  
• Dont buy into all that health PR marketing spiel. Things like "super-fruit enriched, may help lose weight, etc etc" are lots of bullshit and hype topped on a very small grain of truth. Youre drinking tea for the flavor and any benefits are a nice bonus, not the other way around. If you want something to help with cancer, go get chemo. Ive seen too many people suckered into buying teas because they think it will "do something" for them, such as make them lose weight, cut fat, get significantly healthier, etc etc. Also, if you go to an actual store like Teavana, dont trust what the salespeople tell you, because they are sales people first, and tea assistants second.
  
  
• If you have the chance to go smell lots of different teas, do so. Trust your nose, it will know what you will like more than a salesperson will. A caveat to this is sweetness. The western diet has become so laden with sugar substitutes(lookin at you high fructose corn syrup ಠ_ಠ)
  that it often cannot appreciate something that doesnt come up and punch your tongue in the face. So if you smell a very sweet tea, try to stray away from it.
  
  
• I know its a lot of info, and it can be very easy to get sucked into a tea-elitist type of mentality, similar to wine. Ultimately, tea is about one thing, and that is the taste and your personal enjoyment of it. If you love your tea over steeped and burnt to a crisp, and you know that its not supposed to be that way, then fuck anyone who says youre doing it wrong. That is the catch though, you have to know the "correct" way before going off and doing your own thing, so that youre not missing out on anything.
  
  TL:DR- Get a cheap teamaker, get some loose leaf green tea, no sugar.
  
  PS: I like to call drinking earl grey while in my chair "pulling a Jean Luc", in reference to Capt. Picard from Star Trek.
  
  
  If you want to know more, feel free to shoot me a message, will be glad to help.
  

Oh man. Brace yourselves, I am a total Amazon junkie. (Note: These may not all be BIFL, but I'm responding to the OP in specific.)

• $9 butter keeper. (I bought a slightly different one that's no longer available, but it's the same basic design.) Keeping butter that isn't for cooking or baking in the fridge is for chumps. Mine is always perfectly spreadable room temperature while staying fresh for weeks... sometimes months.
  
  
• $9 TV antenna. I didn't own a TV until a few years ago, and it didn't have a built-in antenna. I don't watch much broadcast TV, so I grabbed the cheapest one I could find. Case in point for why digital is better than analog, this one picks up every digital channel perfectly.
  
  
• $13 shoe rack (now $18). Over the past year of living in this flat, I'd developed a bad tendency of kicking my shoes off at the bottom of the stairs just inside the front door. This looked like a cheap piece of shit, but I figured for the price I couldn't go wrong. Now almost every single pair of shoes I own is in one spot where it's easy to grab—and, more importantly, everything's out of the way of people coming in and out of the house.
  
  
• $14 jug of earplugs (50 pair). Essential for sleeping with the window open in loud neighborhoods, sharing rooms with snoring friends on a trip, or sharing beds with snoring dudes or gals you're sleeping with. These were also my go-to earplugs for shows until I got a pair that's better for listening to music.
  
  
• $22 electric kettle. The coffeemaker in our office puts out water that isn't nearly hot enough for a proper cuppa, and I got sick of microwaving it to boiling a mug's worth at a time. No bells and whistles, but it's performed perfectly since day one, with no breaking-in period like you get with kettles that have plastic parts in contact with the water.
  
  
• $32 32'/10m HDMI cable. Ran it between the computer in my bedroom and the TV in my living room, allowing me to watch all kinds of streaming TV and downloaded videos with friends in a spot more comfortable than standing in front of my desk.
  
  
• Slightly over the $50 limit, but $53 space heater. My best friend and roommate is one of those dudes who's built like a furnace, and our place uses radiators for heat. We had a few days of him sweating his ass off even with the thermostat set to 68, before I realized that we could just turn it way the hell down, and I could heat my own bedroom separately. This sucker dumps out a ton of heat, with a slew of features to sweeten the deal (my favorite being the remote control).
  
  
• Another that's slightly over, but $55 garment steamer. Collapses small enough to fit pretty much anywhere I've ever needed to store it, puts out steam within maybe 30 seconds of turning it on, and with a full tank has enough water to steam as many items as I've ever needed to do in a row. I haven't touched my iron once since I bought this thing, and my only regret is not buying one as soon as I started college over a decade ago.
  
  And, saving the best for last:
  
  
• $43 heated footrest. Hands-down, this is one of the best things I've ever bought in my life. I was looking for an unobtrusive, unobnoxious way to help myself stay warm in the office, which tends to be chillier than my taste year-round. When I opened it up, I was skeptical, since it looked like a cheap injection-molded piece of shit. Now, I'm pretty sure I'd rescue it from a fire before my mother. I don't want to imagine ever trying to get through another winter without it.
  
  ----------
  
  EDIT: As requested by /u/Mogrix, I posted List Part II: Electric Boogaloo, with more items from my Amazon history.

I have a few things that I actually need, but I can't link anything right now(I'll come edit with links when I get to a computer).

Not for me, but my bird would appreciate a couple new perches. Getting his nails trimmed is expensive and it's uncomfortable for him. I'd like to make it easier for him to trim them on his own so he doesn't have to go through the stress and pain of the vet visit.

I could really use a water filter. I don't like the taste of tap water, and bottled water is too expensive. I could filter the tap and try to be a little healthier and drink it instead of sweet tea or soda.

What would make my life slightly better would be maybe a vacuum cleaner. My mom gave me her old one when she moved away, but it doesn't really work. I've tried everything I could do to fix it, but no go. Since we have a lot of animals, vacuuming is a weekly if not more often, chore. A working vacuum would be awesome!

On the more expensive side, a mattress would definitely improve my quality of life. I've never had a new one, they've all been hand me downs or bought used. The one I have now could have been super nice, but the previous owners left dents where they slept in it. So there really isn't any support for my body. Having fibromyalgia makes me have a hard time sleeping, so it would be nice to enjoy the sleep I do get. It also makes me overheat really easy, so I often wake up in the middle if the night burning up even when it's 68 degrees.

Sorry for the wall! I just wanted to put the things I actually needed and give a variety :)

This is an awesome contest and I hope everyone's lives get a little better if they need it! <3

The IngenuiTEA is pretty great for a starter infuser. That's what I got when I first began exploring loose tea. Mine has mostly been replaced by actual teapots these days, but I do still use it on occasion to brew a cup to go. Tons of room for your tea to expand, the strainer is nice and fine so you don't get sediment, and it's easy to clean up. I got the 32oz. one because the price difference was negligible, but it depends on if you see yourself sharing with anyone or not. This Hario teapot is what replaced mine, and I absolutely love it, so there's another option for you to think about.

As for kettle, you may just wanna go with something cheap to start out and just use a kitchen thermometer to get it to the right temp (that's what I did for a long time). Temperature control is good, but that one isn't very big. If you decide to get some nice teapots down the road, you may end up having to replace it with something bigger anyway.

Not sure what to tell you about for a cup, it just depends on your needs... how long does it need to stay hot, does it have to completely seal, etc. The ones that come with infusers shouldn't necessarily be a deal breaker. Most infusers are removable and may come in handy some day. This one is on my wish list (I have a different one by the same company that is great but can't vouch for this actual one).

For tea, Adagio is a great place to start, that's what I did. They have lots of little 4-pack samplers that are awesome. Verdant still has their $5 for 5 samples deal which is pretty hard to beat, although some of their stuff may not necessarily be geared towards beginners.

1. An immersion blender is nice in that its detachable head is marginally easier to clean, but if your food processor is still oily, you could try using more soap when you clean it, or passing it through the dishwasher (minus the blade of course)
   
   
2. Squeeze Bottles! The nice things about the clear ones is that you can even mark out the volumes for dressings that you like to make most often. Easy to shake up, easy to dispense (and usually better control than a jar), and mostly pain-free to clean. May want to invest in a funnel to help fill it up.
   
   
3. Most homemade dressings should last up to two weeks in the fridge. If it clumps up, try giving it a good hard shake until it re-emulsifies and then a quick taste check?
   
   
4. Check out this article by serious eats!

What are you looking for and what does he like? You can get a standard infuser like this one that I use.

Or you could get him a "reverse french press". The reverse french press is one of the best and easiest ways to brew. It lets the leaves float in the water, but allows easy extraction of the water into a mug (it is much harder with a regular french press because pressing down the leaves can cause them to expel a lot of bitter flavor into the water).

Generally speaking, avoid anything that will smash the leaves, or will not let them float easily. If he generally uses a big teapot, make sure to get something for that. If he typically uses just a mug, the two things I listed will work great. I even use my regular infuser in my large tea pitcher/pot.

But, if you give me a price range and a general idea of what you would like him to have, what he already has or what kind of things he likes, I can definitely help you out. I love tea myself, and would hope that my wife would ask someone knowledgeable when she goes to buy something for me.

OH! And if you're looking to get the best bang for your buck, avoid teavanna. They're not bad they're just overpriced.

Here are some of my favorite tools:

• Mini measuring cups/beakers - I love these! No more spilled/wasted vanilla extract.
  
• Instant-read thermometer - I use this to check on the temperature of my dough/ingredients and even to confirm things are done baking.
  
• Maybe you already have these, but if not, I use my kitchen scale and oven thermometer all the time.
  
• Bakeware rack - This keeps my baking sheets and smaller pans better organized and more easily accessible than just stacking them on top of each other.
  
• Marble slab - keeps pie/pastry dough cold as you roll it out (I keep mine in the fridge so it's always ready).
  
• Pastry strips for making sure pie (or rolled-out cookie) dough is rolled out to an even thickness. Pastry cloth/sleeve for keeping dough from sticking.
  
• Cookie scoops - for drop cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and really anything that needs to be portioned out evenly (including non-baking stuff like meatballs). Whenever I use these, I'm always really grateful for them. Mine are Zeroll dishers I got from King Arthur Flour, but Webstaurant Store has them for cheaper, and Oxo has a line of cookie scoops too.
  
• If you make layer cakes, you may already have a turntable, but if not, this one is really good. I also like this cake lifter.
  
• Of course, there's also stand mixers. Super-helpful for things like whipping egg whites for meringues/souffles/angel food cake, creaming butter and sugar, and kneading bread dough. If you ask for a stand mixer, the KitchenAid Pro has a stronger motor than the Artisan. I have the Artisan, and it's worked fine for me for several years, but if I could go back, I'd go with the Pro instead. An extra bowl is very handy as well.

I just started making it myself. I got a SCOBY from Amazon and here's my general recipe:

1. 1 Gallon brewed tea (black is the easiest/cheapest to use, but I've used Roobios too)
   
2. 1 Cup sugar (I used refined white sugar - while technically not Paleo, it is the easiest for the SCOBY to digest)
   
3. 1 SCOBY
   
4. 1 Cup distilled white vinegar/previously brewed tea
   
   Boil the water. Once the water is boiling, add in the sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the tea bags (I usually use 12 tea bags/Gallon) and brew to desired strength. I like mine strong, so I leave the tea bags in the pot until the tea is to room temperature. You can put it in the refrigerator if you want to cool it off quicker. This is very important since hot tea will kill your SCOBY.
   
   
   
   Sterilize your brew container by swishing some vinegar around or running it through the dishwasher on the hot cycle. I bought one of these to use as my brew container since it makes bottling into these bad boys easier. This is also very important since you don't want any "bad" bacteria to get into your controlled fermentation environment. Pour the tea into your brew container, add the vinegar/starter liquid, and add the SCOBY. From this point on, do not let the kombucha touch anything metal or any non-sterilized equipment. Cover your brew vessel with a clean dish cloth/coffee filter/paper towels and let sit 7-10 days, depending on how vinegar-y you like it.
   
   
   
   That's pretty much it. Just make sure everything is clean and sterile when handling the SCOBY and you will be fine. There are a bunch of recipes and how-to's out there as well, I've just summed them up in this post. Happy Brewing!
   
   
   
   Edit: spelling

This one is super highly rated and recommended.

This is nice since it will work with any mug.

Something like this looks really nice and works well.

I had one just like this that I loved.

I had one like this that was cherished until it broke. It worked amazingly well. And there's this if you want to make more than one cup!

You really want to find something large that gives the tea leaves room to expand. The cute novelty ones are adorable, but don't steep the tea very well. You can also reuse the leaves so don't throw them away after one use!!

Also if you have one near you, David's Teas have super cute stuff. There's also a /r/tea subreddit :)

That's awesome he wants to learn more! Hope you also get to enjoy that exploration with him.

My first idea is usually to look around what you have locally, whether specialized tea shop(s) or more commercial tea selection at coffee places. Starting where you are can connect you with the people also interested and supports businesses around you.

Next my question might be whether "black-based" means flavoured or not. The highest-end black teas I have are single-origin and I usually brew them in greater tea (g) per water (ml) ratios, keeping the leaves in the water for short periods (10-20 seconds, increasing after the 3-4th time usually), usually referred to as "gong-fu" style. If that's what your boyfriend wants to go for, a nice simple starting point may be something like this, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MA4WSU4/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_wasIDbQBJ6CBZ.

If flavoured, I would usually more go for "western" brewing (less leaf-to-water ratio and longer steeping time) and you could search for "glass teapot" in Amazon or elsewhere.

For tea itself, the vendor list on /r/tea is an amazing place to start, https://www.reddit.com/r/tea/wiki/vendors/page_01. Once you've gotten into them there is a surprising amount of variability in flavours from varying places in the world and he might narrow down what types he likes most.

I'll throw in a plug for what I believe to be the best creamy earl grey you may ever find, http://www.lucasteas.com/shop/black-tea/lucas-earl-grey-cream/ , just in case you're looking for flavoured tea suggestions.

Sure! There are tons of videos on YouTube if you need a visual, but basicallly use either a quart or pint of heavy cream (a quart will give you roughly a pound of butter). I have used WalMart's Great Value heavy cream, and it tastes pretty darn good, so don't feel you have to buy an expensive cream to make great homemade butter.


Next, place contents of cream into stand mixer bowl. I start on 2 for about 1 minute and then kick it up to 10 (you may need a splash guard in place to prevent splashing). Let your mixer run for about 2-3 minutes or so. It will go from liquid, to whipped cream, to curdled and separated looking. That's when it's essentially butter!


Now, turn off mixer, and strain out the "buttermilk" (the liquid that's separated from the butter solids). You'll probably need to mash on the butter in the strainer to be sure all the liquid is separated. Save that buttermilk for baking. Some tutorials I have looked at feel it's necessary to really get all that buttermilk out to prevent the butter from going rancid (I go through the butter so fast, it's never been a problem), so give further directions to place the butter back in the mixer and add some water and mix again and strain (and repeat several times), until the water is clear.

Using your hands or a wooden spoon or placing your butter in a butter bell, shape your butter how you like it and store in the fridge or however you store your regular store-bought butter.

The butter can also be placed back in your stand mixer and mixed with salt to taste, herbs, garlic, etc. There are tons of recipes, too, that can be found on how to season your butter.

I'll apologize in advance if my directions aren't that great. But, really it's a pretty simple process. If you have any questions, just let me know!

I would not recommend washing your hair so often. Maybe once a week at most. Condition your hair in the shower every time you wash it and deep condition it once a week. If you feel like you need to wet your hair in the shower to style it I would suggest just co-washing it.

Condition your hair in the shower every time you wash it and deep condition it once a week.

Shampoo for natural hair - SheaMoisture® Raw Shea Butter

Helps retain moisture which will prevent dry, brittle hair and breakage.

In shower conditioner - Aussie 3 Moist

Curly hair holy grail. The goddess of soft, moisturized hair.

Leave in conditioner - Kinky-Curly Knot Today

Leave in conditioner #2 - Design Essentials


Scalp nutrients Jojoba Oil

Don't forget to care for your scalp too! Its the most important step in getting healthy hair as the scalp is where the hair is made. Lightly apply the oil to the scalp with a tipped applicator and massage into the skin with the pads of your fingers. Do this like once or twice a week at the least.

Clarifying Shampoo - Shea Moisture Sacha Inchi Oil

Use once a month. Helps remove the product buildup from the moisturizers. This step is important because buildup could prevent the next round of conditioning from doing a thorough job, leaving your hair dry once again, and frizzy on top of that.


Also, the way you shampoo and dry your hair is important too. Try not to rub your hair into the towel when you dry it. Instead, pat it dry. Like this and this. Not this nor that


If your hair is long enough for a banana clip it should be long enough for braids. If your're comfortable with wigs I would recommend a good lace front wig, even if its synthetic (FridayNightHair has good synthetic ones). With a wig you don't have to really do anything with your hair besides keep it clean and moisturized. And most importantly, wrap your hair with something silky at night!!!

if you grab a scale the lb-501 is probably the most popular, but people pick up the little dealer scales too. you just want to make sure it has .01 g accuracy and the ability to stay on without an auto-shutoff. people like to throw their VG and PG in condiment bottles you can get at the dollar store. transfer the nic into a brown glass bottle with an eyedropper, just use an old ejuice bottle you probably have laying around and leave it in the fridge, makes things a little easier. elr has tons of recipes and a good calculator plus lets you keep notes. defintely check out the other sub, people can even help you refine a recipe or help figure out clone recipes. here's a clip demoing by volume vs by weight, good luck man

Hey mahm0udin

I use the 5 gal version now, but I think the 10 Gal would be perfect for both methods because you get a healthy grain bed for filtering when brewing big or small.

You will want to install a Weldless ball valve with a Nipple on the inside of the mash tun.

You will also want one of these false bottoms and a piece of silicon pipe to join it to the internal ball valve nipple

Woo, that was a lot of links :) This is my setup and it works a treat :)

Mash tun cooler (this is probably cheaper at your local hardware store or wal mart) Also, this isn't the only cooler that works. Pretty much any plastic cooler works. But you'll need a different false bottom if you use a chest cooler, which may allow you to mash bigger batches.

Weldless Ball Valve Just take the plastic valve off the cooler and screw this one on. Will work on most any cooler you choose.

False bottom Put this at the bottom, connecting the silicon hose to the ball valve and the top of the false bottom.

3/8" barb You'll need to screw this onto the ball valve on the inside of the mash tun to connect the silicon hose to.

Honestly, if you've already got a kettle that can boil 6 gallons, you're good to go there, and just add this to the mix. Otherwise, pick up a Stainless Steel Brew Kettle.

This whole setup comes in just under $200 but you'll need some hoses and some hose clamps as well. But I'm sure that if you shop around (even on amazon) you might find better deals than I linked. But that's the gist of it. And there's no need to stick with the specific brands I linked. But just make sure to stick with stainless steel for the kettle, ball valve, and connecting accessories and food-grade plastic for the cooler. And any hoses need to be high temp hoses. Silicon is ideal.

This is by no means the "only" way to do it, but a great start down the road. You may also choose to use a pump. It has advantages and disadvantages. You can make great beer with and without one.

If you are looking at teas from unusual origins, say the country of Georgia, try what-cha.com.

if you are looking mainly at Chinese teas, Yunnan sourcing and teavivre are good places to start.

you can get some wonderful Taiwanese teas at Beautiful Taiwan Tea, and they have a very reasonable threshold for free shipping. You can also go to Yunnan sourcing's Taiwanese sister site taiwanoolongs.com

If you want to go down the rabbit hole that is Puerh, try out white2tea (they also have some gorgeously yummy black teas and oolongs) as well as the aforementioned Yunnan sourcing.

yunomi is a decent place to go to for Japanese teas, but since it is a marketplace type website, you would have to do some hunting (and Japanese teas are not my speciality, so I will leave much of that to other users.)

for flavored teas- there's really a plethora of places to get those, but the one that I have found with the best tasting flavored teas of the bunch is New Mexico tea company. This is just personal opinion, some people like Adagio better (and I do love Adagio's chestnut tea as well as a few others, so don't take that as a strike against Adagio).

I would stay away from most mall-type stores like Teavana because a lot of their teas are more cheap filler ingredients and less tea, just to cover up the low quality of their teas.

On the subject of tools, seeing as you are a coffee guy, might I suggest a hario teapot? A gaiwan would be the next step in going towards the gong fu style of tea. A very basic 100ml gaiwan would cost you less than 5 bucks + shipping. (shipping is expensive from here, so I would suggest getting more than one item).

For very basic tea drinking there are always in mug basket infusers.

Or you could always go grandpa style, where you just toss your leaves in a mug and refil the water whenever it gets low.

I paid a tile/stone installer to drill my crock with his specialized equipment (diamond bit and a water cooling spray tank) so I could install a stainless steel spigot: http://imgur.com/a/LTlPv

Came out nice, works great, and no leaks: http://imgur.com/PpPneYC

It's an excellent quality spigot: http://imgur.com/QqnhXad at a great great price: http://amazon.com/gp/product/B00RPBQBQ4/

Solid valve, good flow control: http://imgur.com/Hbs7P0x

Nice finish and build: http://imgur.com/sb1XEeT

The diamond tile bit which worked fine on the stoneware didn't work so well on my 2.5 gallon glass jar: http://imgur.com/J8WRDTh Whoops! Almost made it through. Oh, well.

My friend has the Aladdin Tea Infuser Mug. She got it recently (about a month or two ago) but uses it every day and loves it. It is especially great on the go since you make the tea in the same mug you drink it from. Its Microwaveable, dishwasher safe, made of BPA-free plastic and has pretty good reviews.

I've posted this before, but here's my routine.

Every night, I get out a 2L pitcher and a 1L Nalgene bottle. Into the pitcher goes a full back of Soylent and a pinch of salt. I add to that 600mL of water measured in the Nalgene (they are all graduated, which is super convenient). Seal the pitcher and shake vigorously for like a minute. Open up and add the final 1L. Shake again, let set in the fridge overnight. In the morning I add the oil, shake, pour myself 400mL for breakfast, 1L in a Nalgene for use throughout my workday, and then finish off the rest of the pitcher when I get home.

I've found this pattern to be ideal because it reduces the grittiness significantly. I have also been taking a probiotic mixture every morning to help reduce gas and improve overall comfort. If you opt to not get the extra pitcher, anything that holds about 2L or more will work. If you have another pitcher that doesn't seal well enough for shaking, a whisk will get the job done.

Prepared Soylent lasts about two days. Keep it refrigerated of course.

Here is the exact model pitcher Soylent is shipping in the Starter Kit. You will want to have more than one of these so you don't have to wash it every night. Unfortunately, it's actually 5 pieces and kind of a pain to wash.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCYNP2G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DCYNP2G&linkCode=as2&tag=jelder-20&linkId=LVAAGHCSEQ6L7HPU

If I hadn't already wound up with three of those, I'd want to get something simpler. Nalgene also makes these awesome looking 2L lab bottles:

http://www.amazon.com/Nalgene-2121-0005-Wide-Mouth-Bottle-Polypropylene/dp/B004O6NFBW/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1408564567&sr=8-20&keywords=2L+bottle&tag=jelder-20

I also have a few of these for taking my prepared Soylent to work with me. They never leak and are pretty much indestructable.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0048SZ5T6/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0048SZ5T6&linkCode=as2&tag=jelder-20&linkId=7KA7TOMS5RWBHRCR

It depends what you are interested in. Loose leaf is definitely the way to go, all you need is a teapot like this and something to heat the water in. For the teas themselves, r/tea has a list of vendors that covers many different areas. r/tea can be a great resource in general, there are tons of super knowledgeable people for each kind of tea and there are multiple people in the industry there. What-Cha is very well liked and has a variety of teas from all over, they are definitely a good place to order from for the first time. They have an intro to tea collection, though I feel that a white tea like this one should be included in it.

Not quite sure if this is what you meant, but I have this teapot (around the size you mentioned, 450ml is ~15.5oz) which has a removable mesh strainer and it's pretty sweet: https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-450ml/dp/B0006HINDI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493529901&sr=8-2&keywords=kyusu+teapot

Pretty sure that pot has been recommended here before. Not sure as far as a plain old infuser, but anything you can get that gives more room for the tea leaves to expand would be best!

Love me some BBQ chicken pizza. Same here! We can't go back to delivery or frozen pizza unless we are in a dough jam.

These are what we have: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00449IEM4/

They are a bit pricey but definitely worth it. We can fit 12 dough balls comfortably in them, 6 in each. They stack and prevent any air from getting in and they come with a dough scraper. Just be sure to measure your fridge to make sure they will fit!

>from krisbrad via /r/Charlotte/ sent 1 minute ago
>
>Well good luck finding it, I'm sure with that attitude you won't have any problems.

You've just got your head in the sand, eh? Alternative Beverage is the local place, VS Goliaths like More Beer, Midwest Supply, and Amazon:

Here

• 12" False Bottom - Alt Beverage
  
• 12" False Bottom - Amazon
  
  are
  
  
• Alla Hydrometer - Alt Beverage
  
• Alla Hydrometer - Amazon
  
  some
  
  
• Irish Red extract ingredient kit - Alt Beverage
  
• Irish Red extract ingredient kit - More Beer
  
  examples...
  
  
• 6-Gal. Better Bottle - Alt Beverage
  
• 6-Gal. Better Bottle - Midwest Supplies
  
  Well would you look at that... the local place has better prices on some of that stuff. Huh, and here I thought you could only get better prices online.

1. Get/make a tea cozy. It's basically a teapot blanket, but it keeps the pot warm for your second or third cup.
   
   
2. Cast iron/clay are best if you're going to drink the same type of tea (Green/Black) over and over again, as they're seasoned like a skillet. If you change your tea up, get a get a glass pot or a porcelain pot. If i were buying a glass teapot today I'd get this Hario http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Glass-Teapot-23oz-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=zg_bs_367229011_4
   
   
3. The real key is to warm your teacup while you steep the tea . Most tea only require 3-5 minutes so the pot shouldn't have time to cool too much, especially if the lid is on.
   
   
4. I'm a little more fond of the tea basket in a cup http://www.amazon.com/Bodum-12-Ounce-Double-Glass-Strainer/dp/B003D3NC1A and making new hot water for every cup, but I have easy access to hot water, I'm not sure how your dorm situation is.
   

Couple of questions: How much baking experience do you have? Are you planning on starting with using frosting and then using Fondant or just making cakes with frosting?

Like you I hate overly sweet frosting. I hardly ever make the typical American Buttercream frosting (shortening, milk, & powdered sugar-Blech!) However, that frosting does tend to be a little bit easier to work with. If you have some experience with cooked sugar, an Italian or French buttercream frosting isn't as intense for sweetness. They are made with real butter so they are harder to work with because the frosting gets softer the warmer it is outside or the longer you are holding the piping bag in your hands.

If you plan to use Fondant, I will use a chocolate ganache for the filling and crumb coat because it's not as sweet depending on the type of chocolate you use.

As far as supplies, it again depends on where you want to start. But there are some items that you will use regardless of if you choose Frosting vs. Fondant. These are a couple of my favorite items.

• My favorite investment has been my rotating cake stand. I use the heavier one from Ateco that I bought on Amazon.
  
• I always use an Offset Spatula. It's perfect for spreading the frosting on top of your cakes.
  
  As far as time, it all depends on what you are making and how fancy you want it. I have spent several hours decorating a cake with fondant but that's because they had a lot of tiny details. Cakes with simple rosettes on them are a lot faster. If you don't a lot of time in a day to put several hours into baking and then decorating, you can always bake the cake days before and put it in the freezer until you are ready to decorate. I'm happy to go into more details if you want more. I just don't know how much information you really want.

Hi, welcome!

There's a lot of different approaches to brewing tea, just one of which is the familiar teapot method. A really popular glass one is https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0007WTBQ0/. One really good reason for white/glass teaware is that they allow you to easily evaluate the color of your tea, which is helpful in appreciating it better and learning how to brew your tea.

When you say Japanese style, do you mean the Kyusu teapot, or do you mean teaware with Japanese designs on them?

Yess the good stuff!! This is the one in the video, but I'd actually recommend the IngenuiTea or IngenuiTea2 - they're a bit easier to clean IMO! Happy tea-making! 🍵🙏

This is the cooler I use for a mash tun. It works great. It's selling for a record low Amazon price and ships for free. I link to some pictures of it in that post. The seat top makes it easy to run a thermometer under the lid to monitor mash temps. The product link in that post helps support hbf. Thanks in advance if you use it. If you do not want to help support hbf here is a direct link.

I usually keep only unsalted in the house for cooking because I don't eat buttered bread/toast/biscuits very often, but one the occasions that I do buy salted butter (holidays, dinner parties, guests in the home) I really enjoy my buttered toast. And baked potatoes--my goodness those are tasty.

BTW, if you're a butter fan, I highly recommend investing in one of these

Grandpa style is great and all but some people aren't used to having the leaves in their cup. A simple infuser and a mug is all you need for a western-style tea brew. The reason people are telling you not to use a coffee brewer with tea is that unless you scrub it clean pretty often, you might get some lingering coffee taste in your tea. It looks like a similar device to gravity steepers as well though, you could just get a separate one like the Ingenuitea.

I am an unashamed Sleepytime tea addict...it's a must every night before bed. Yes, it's a mix, but chamomile is the main note. I got one of these and one of these for his recent Happ-Tea Birthday with a bunch of quality loose leaf black teas. He decided he just likes his Red Rose English Breakfast tea bags, so I get to play around with the tea steeper. I quit caffeine, so I haven't tried those, but I've tried Tranquil Dreams so far which I really liked. I think I might get a just straight up chamomile and lavender blend next go around.

Long live tea!! :-D

If you want something simple to make tea for one, I would suggest something like this. I don't like the in-mug infusers. I usually end up having to look around for something awkward to get it out of the cup like a fork or chopsticks otherwise I end up burning my fingers. Tea pots are nice but I find them to be more ceremonial than I feel like dealing with when I just want something quick.

As far as temp goes, usually for green tea you're good to go once small bubbles start forming in the pot/kettle. You don't need to worry about having a thermometer nearby or anything like that.

And the corn pops green tea you're describing sounds like Genmaicha.

Hi! If you want to get into tea, I would reccomend starting by watching Alton Brow's episode on tea here. It's a good background on everything involving tea and tea brewing.

If you have a Peet's Coffee near you, you can go and order mugs of tea (brewed with loose leaf). They will give you free hot water refills so you can drink as much as you can handle. You can find a tea you like without having to commit to a huge container.

I prepare my tea in the morning in a tea pot (I have this one, but I don't like it because it's hard to clean) and pour it into a travel mug.

They make travel mugs that are similar to a frech press (here) where you put the leaves and hot water in and just push down a stopper to stop brewing. I'm really picky about the lids on my travel mugs, so I don't own one.

For resusable tea bags, the most popular style is a [tea ball] (http://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Stainless-Steel-Mesh-Ball/dp/B00004RIZ7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1407090137&sr=8-1&keywords=tea+ball) (although the one I linked is a little too small to allow the tea to fully unfold). They are cheap and fairly easy to clean, but you have to be careful where you store them so they don't get bent up.

They also make tea bags for loose leaf tea. These would be easy to pop into your travel mug. You can also find bags made of muslin that can be washed out, but I don't know where you would do that.

Hario 700ml teapot is excellent and pretty cheap as well. The basket is huge, which is a significant advantage, imo. The lack of spout makes it more compact and it's top is very wide, so it's super easy to clean when it stains.

I try and keep it simple. I have a shed in my backyard which is finished and serves as my home office/man cave.

I keep everything there except my Nic which is stored in my freezer.

I take the Nic out and dilute it down to 60mg from 100 and keep that in a plastic 30ml bottle. I secure that because I have kids.

For my VG and PG I bought some cheap condiment bottles off of Amazon (link below) which makes it easier to work with.

Then I have my flavors and my scale.

I'm kind of a one flavor guy. I have one recipe that I really love so I really just stick to that. I've done it so many times I practically have it memorized. That's just me though.

So when it's time to mix up a new batch I bust out my 30ml Nic bottle, PG/VG, flavors and scale and mix it into a 100ml drip free reagent glass bottle I got from Nicotine River. Takes me like 5 minutes to whip up a batch, shake it up and let it rest.

I have two reagents that I cycle between so I have something to vape while the other steeps.

I transfer juice to a 30ml unicorn bottle for carrying it around and refilling my mod.

Easy peazy.

Plastic Squeeze Condiment Bottles with Red Tip Cap 16-ounce Set of 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OZOW6E0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_gy1Vzb36437WP


https://www.nicotineriver.com/collections/diy-tools/products/reagent-bottle

https://www.nicotineriver.com/collections/diy-tools/products/chubby-gorilla-unicorn

Step 1: Find a recipe you love

Step 2: Make 500mL of it in a 16oz squeeze bottle like this

Step 3: Shake it for like 5 minutes

Step 4: Forget about it for at least 2 weeks, ideally a month.

Step 5: Enjoy the fuck out of it.

Step 6: Make another one when it's half empty.


Once you adopt this procedure you'll never go back. Having fully steeped juice ready to go at all times is the best. I just fill up 60mLs to carry around. I usually have 2-5 of my go-to flavors ready at any time. Fresh juice sucks.

A bottom-dispensing teapot like this one is a super easy way to do gongfu. You can look it up on youtube or something to see exactly how it works.

It doesn't have the same romance as traditional teaware, and you can't build up a patina like with yixing clay or other unglazed ceramics, but it is super convenient. Sticking a coffee filter in the bottom makes cleanup even easier.

Do you have a teapot already?

Nut and Spice sampler

Orchard Black Teas sampler

I'm sure everyone thinks I'm a shill for Adagio at this point, but I swear I'm not! I'm just very happy with their teas.

EDIT: oh, you like herbals!

Tazo Passion (teabags, but sooo good)

Blood Orange

Herbal Tea sampler

There is a pretty thick SCOBY in there but it doesn't show up in the photo I will post a photo of the scobies on my next go round.

Someone on here posted a link to this and I think I might go and buy one soon. But note that if you buy one of these with a plastic spigot you will want to be sure you purchase a replacement stainless steel spigot to swap them out.
Jar
https://www.walmart.com/ip/35588833
Spigot
https://www.amazon.com/Beverage-Dispenser-Replacement-Stainless-Polished/dp/B00RPBQBQ4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1484377655&sr=8-5&keywords=stainless+steel+spigot

I bought mine at a department store and I replaced the spigot and it works like a champ now. =)

What do you think about ingeuinitea?

Am I getting sucked into some gimmick or is it actually convenient?

I would go for the white tea but it's kind of expensive for a beginner, so Alishan Milk Oolong it is.

The reason I'm getting into tea is because it seems like it's a healthy alternative to straight water, but the taste puts me off atm so a fruity, creamy flavor would be nice

This Alishan Milk Oolong brand seem good to you?

Random question: Do you believe drinking tea before sleeping is bad? I've heard it has caffeine but idk if it's tea-specific or what else, the green tea I have doesn't seem to bother me

Lastly, any specific method of measuring water temperature you recommend? Should I just buy a thermostat and wait for boiling water to cool?

So, here are some really practical things I like to do as gifts, because they're things people don't really think about, but when you don't have them... so annoying!

• Flexible Jar Openers No need for a man with one of these. Seriously, it can't get you off, but it can open any f'ing jar you will ever need to open.
  
• Fly Swatter
  
• Cast Iron Skillet Great for stove top or in the oven
  
• A few plastic condiment bottles. I like to buy the large jugs of oil (olive and sunflower) and pour them into these bottles to use. Way easier and it's cheap. Also good for storing dish soap if you buy the large, bulk size, or hand soap.
  
• Various cleaning supplies and soaps (sponges, scrubbers, gallon size bucket (to store cleaners and to use when cleaning), dust pan, broom, toothbrush)
  
• some other things you always forget about when moving (can opener, zip lock bags, aluminum foil, sharpie marker, surge protector, scissors, rubber bands)
  
  Add a bottle of wine, cuz the rest of this shit is boring af.

Like I said in another comment, I've made butter with a ~cup of buttermilk mixed with a ~quart of cream, left overnight... fantastic results! Here's the original recipe I followed and it uses your same method with the stand mixer. (I've made my mixer earn her keep by kneading pasta and bread doughs from time to time)

An as to what makes it great? not just the cows, but what the cows are fed, grass is an important element for good tasting milk and butter (gives them that yellow hue).

And btw, if you salt at the beginning, you can knead the butter in water to rinse the salt away. Salt will help keep the butter it's freshest. Also, if you want to do like the french, get yourself a butter dish that immerses the butter in water, avoiding contact with air.

Hario Mini Mill

Kettle

Scale

Brita Filter

Aeropress

Thermometer. The one I have is from a Culinary Arts class I took, but this looks to be the same. It's very useful, and to calibrate it, which you'll need to do every once in a while, fill a cup full of ice and then water and put the blue thing on so you can move it (I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm sure you'll get it), and make sure the dimple is in the water and move it to 32 degrees.

Edit: Also, the mug was from the reddit Secret Santa exchange! It's a really fantastic mug.

Brewing really isn't complicated at all if you invest in the right equipment. You can get a functional variable temperature kettle for ~$40 on amazon and an easy to use tea pot for ~20.

Honestly I would recommend decent equipment first over a wide variety of teas to begin with.

I would also point you to upton tea which has really cheap samples and offers pretty much the best price for any tea I have found on multiple vendors.

You should try one of the many mug strainers. They sell them all over the place. You said you were in Canada so you could try DavidsTea, Teavana/Starbucks, or even Chapters has some. They allow for more room than a tea ball (which I also hate) but allow for less than a pot.

You could also try just getting a smaller pot. I use this teapot as one of my smaller ones. The Hario pots are pretty amazing plus it's nice to see your tea brew in the glass. Some people don't like glass teapots though.

Definitely go loose leaf.

For the tea brewing
This teapot is nice. I also like this style of in-cup infuser - both give the tea a reasonable amount of room to expand.

I would recommend starting with samples - What-Cha do two sample sets - one for a range of blacks, greens and oolongs; and the other just for Taiwan oolongs. They are in the UK and ship quickly. Linky if you're interested

I would probably recommend starting with oolong - iirc roasted have a lower caffeine content, but you'd need to check. Based on what you've said I think there are quite a few oolongs you will enjoy.

Adagio do some flavoured teas which might be worth looking into, too.

My understanding re caffeine in tea is that per-cup it has less than coffee, and one of the other compounds in it (l-theanine?) makes it less buzzy. I've also read - but am not sure how true it is - that if you re-brew with the same leaves each subsequent brew has a bit less caffeine than the previous one.

Beyond that I can't comment on the caffeine content, as caffeine doesn't much affect me (something which I'm incredibly pleased about, as I do have periods of suffering from anxiety and tea helps calm me).

Anchor Hocking Heritage Hill Glass Beverage Dispenser with Spigot, 2 Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BWC0E42/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_f4uhAbF8X8STT

1 X Organic Kombucha Scoby - Live Culture by Scoby Kombucha https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009ZW8RP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_.5uhAb83TMN5D

Unbleached Cheesecloth 9 Sq ft 100% Cotton Reusable-Great Filter or Strainer for Cheese/Kombucha scoby/Glass jar/Wine making https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M612PJU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_j7uhAbFHCHX7S

Adhesive Temperature Strip https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0079JZLP4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i9uhAbJBGF75D

Red Baron Bottle Capper https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D6KGTK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xbvhAbFY4CJN3

Beer Bottle Crown Caps - Oxygen Absorbing for Homebrew (Gold) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZSEH8VW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_YcvhAbCE0836F

Bottles Free: Just start saving old beer bottles (not the twist on style bottle) submerge them in hot water for 5 min, labels peel right off.

Sanitizer: White Vinegar, I prefer Star san.

Prince of Peace Tea, Black, 100 Count https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AP70BKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_divhAbY9D73AP

With these products, you will be good to go and your volume is 2 gallons, so by the time your upgrading after your first batch. For me a 1 gallon container never cut it. With the capper you don’t have to worry about giving your friends a bottle of your Kombucha and never seeing your $4 swing cap bottle again. Just save old beer bottles or ask your friends for them.

To answer your question, the temps you listed are to low. For all brewing temperatures are very important. You want to keep your fermentation in the 70s. Here’s how you fix the problem without keeping your home heater on 24/7.

Round Kombucha Heater Kit for Continuous Brew Crocks & Dispensers. 10" Brewing & Fermentation Heat Mat, Works with any Ceramic, Glass, Stone or Porcelain Containers (10"-120VAC 7-Watts) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072S6XBQJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_1tvhAb04PYXBK

Enjoy... In the long run you will spend less by starting off with the right equipment.

In case anyone is wondering, this is the best way to steep tea. Many good quality oolong, gunpowder and any other large loose leaf teas need room to bloom and tea balls and bags just can't accommodate that. It's also very easy to clean, especially if you have a sink strainer.

Source: voted best way to steep by America's Test Kitchen, also my ex manages a tea store.

Those look great!

I am a tea fiend, so I can help you out most there. :) I personally own the first cup and am personally not happy with it, despite its good looks. (FYI, tea leaves easily get stuck in the drain slits, not to mention it's incredibly fragile.)

I would instead suggest this teapot instead, which is still glass and the filter is good quality. Pro-tip: For tea that expands into much larger leaves (blossoming or oolong teas), no need for the filter so you can see the beauty of the tea expanding. :) Another suggestion would be the Teavana Perfectea Maker for a gravity brewer that lets you see the tea leaves brewing.

>This might work for you: http://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-10-00753-002-Tea-Infuser-Mug/dp/B001Q3L9P0

>The mug is microwave safe, so all you need is it, a way to measure the tea, and the tea itself. It's worked very well for me so far.

u/BouncingYeti made a good suggestion! It's something I'm looking into. Hope this is what you're looking for as well :)

I picked up some 18oz/532mL glass bottles today. They're very similar to the Epica bottles /u/muxon uses.

Some thoughts so far:

• The screw-on caps seem to work well.
  
• The glass isn't perfect, but they feel solid.
  
• The bottles are each the perfect size for a 500cal serving of Soylent 1.5.
  
• /u/thapol has a good tip for an effective bottle brush.
  
  Here's a bottle I filled for tomorrow.
  
  I used a blender to prep 72oz/2.1L then split into 4 bottles. This works fairly well, but it's easy to lose a little even when using a funnel. Ten cuidado.

Thanks! I love them too. All credit goes to LootCaveCo. He's the one who originally made this post of his brewing station and I asked him where he bought his stuff. So i'll just show what he told me:



"Here is my list of stuff

Jars (the valves that come with them are apparently flimsy so he recommended replacement valves):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W21D2B6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Stainless valve
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RPBQBQ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Brewing cap
https://store.kombuchakamp.com/Brewer-Cap-3-pack.html

"

​

​

hope this helps! :)

Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot, 700ml - $15

Teaology Luna Double Wall Borosilicate Tea Cup - $3.95

I'm very much still learning, but I love this cheap little setup and it's been working especially well with my Oolongs and Greens. I picked up a sample of Pu erh Pearls from Adagio (pictured), and it works just fine for that as well if you're okay with western brewing techniques.

You don't need much in terms of apparatus. Personally, I would begin with the following. Keep in mind I am only talking about loose leaf tea.

• Something like this to which you add loose leaf tea, water, let it steep, and then push the button down to decant
  
• A digital scale to accurately measure the quantity of dry leaf. Something simple like this will suffice
  
• If you're going to experiment with a variety of tea types (black, green, white, oolong, etc.), I would highly recommend a variable temp kettle. Or at the very least, an immersion thermometer. This will help you accurately measure the temp of water. I have this one
  
  The above combined will set you back <$60. Honestly, you can substitute the Kamjove tea maker with a simple all purpose teapot, eyeball the dry leaf instead of weighing it, and guess the temp of water and do without the variable temp kettle - I personally wouldn't do it for a variety of reasons, but if you're on a budget...
  
  The next step, and the most important one, would be to get your hands on samples of tea. A lot of vendors, incl myself, offer samples. Get small quantities from a variety of vendors so that you have enough tea to experiment with, but not so much that you're stuck with a large quantity of tea you don't like. Once you have sampled enough to determine your likes and dislikes, invest in larger quantities of tea.
  
  Good luck!

I've been using [Finum Brewing Baskets] (https://www.amazon.com/Finum-Brewing-Basket-large-black/dp/B000J3JFJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479061928&sr=8-1&keywords=finum+basket+large) for the last decade or so for brewing one cup of tea at a time. The fine mesh is easy to clean if you rinse is out right after steeping. The large one is ideal for most mug sizes. I find the medium-sized basket to be a little too small for mugs larger than 10 oz.

EDIT: If you're looking for a decent and affordable tea pot, [Hario] (https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479062141&sr=8-1&keywords=hario+tea+pot) makes some good ones. Despite the glass looking thin, it's actually quite sturdy.

You sya you don't have the tools to make the mash tun and brew pot. I assemlbe my mash tun, HLT, and brew pot with two 10inch adjustable wrenches, a standard dewalt drill, a carbonate cutting bit, a stepped cutting bit, and some cutting oil. If you have the drill everything else would cost around 50 bucks, then you also gain tools with your equipment. The hardest part is cutting holes in the pot for a thermometer.

Either way to make the Mashtun and MTL you would only need 2 10 inch adjustable wrenches.

Up to you, but here is some all grain kits you could look at:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/10-Gallon-Igloo-Cooler-Mash-Tun-With-False-Bottom-AND-Hot-Liquor-Tank_p_6699.html

https://www.amazon.com/Gallon-Cooler-Stainless-Steel-Screen/dp/B013KJKAC0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1486068034&sr=8-9&keywords=10+gallon+mash+tun

You can make a 10 gallon mash tun for under 100 dollars:

10 Gallon cooler (~$50)
https://www.amazon.com/Igloo-Gallon-Beverage-dispenser-Dispenser/dp/B000F6SHTK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486068151&sr=8-1&keywords=10+gallon+cooler

Ball Valve(~$15)
https://www.amazon.com/Eagle-Brewing-Wl301-Stainless-Weldless/dp/B00OC8DXPA/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1486068175&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=wedless+ball+valve

Screen (~$8)
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Bazooka-Screen-Fitting/dp/B003ISY2DC/ref=pd_sim_468_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003ISY2DC&pd_rd_r=45GNPGH763R20241728C&pd_rd_w=MCZcu&pd_rd_wg=n4Wsv&psc=1&refRID=45GNPGH763R20241728C

1/2 female npt fitting(~$5)
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-Fitting-Coupling-Female/dp/B003GSKXUU/ref=pd_sim_328_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B003GSKXUU&pd_rd_r=SMJAVJR6CYZ7P9ZBQBQQ&pd_rd_w=h6v7j&pd_rd_wg=eclPX&psc=1&refRID=SMJAVJR6CYZ7P9ZBQBQQ

Total: 78 dollars. You can buy 2 10 inches adjustable wrenches for 20 dollars (https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-90-949-10-Inch-MaxSteel-Adjustable/dp/B000NIDIXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486068379&sr=8-1&keywords=10+inch+adjustable+wrench)

so even having to buy tools its still under 100 dollars to make the Mash tun. The hot liquor tank will be the same price minus the screen, npt fitting, and tools. I personally made mine even cheaper buy using a 5 gallon htl instead of a 10 gallon and that will drop the price 25 more dollars. There is 0 drilling involved you simply unscrew the old plastic tap and put the weld ball valve in its place, it took me less than 10 min to make my new HTL on Monday.

Also, and this is really important to why I say build yourself, any mash tun you buy is going to be put together the same way it just matters whether you put it together or someone else does, either way the quality will be identical.

If you need a sparge arm for fly sparge you can make that out of pvc pipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-jgmgbwvg4

My two cents, even though you don't believe in you. I do, if you feel like saving money you can absolutely make all this stuff yourself and it doesn't require you be good at anything more than thinking like a logical person.

The best boxes are Egg boxes you can find in grocery stores, they are high-quality and they will protect your stuff because they can protect the eggs.

Trust me, you will need these here!

rah is of course right to suggest you spend more of your budget on tea, and less on ceremony. however, then you should instead invest in an effective tea brewer/seeper that makes good tea and skip the ceremonial pieces altogether. like a "french press" for coffee, there are various contraptions that may do a better job at making tea than ceremonial pieces. or as rah suggests, simply get any teapot with a large mesh center basket and go from there. I'm not advocating these products, simply giving you more to consider.
http://www.amazon.com/Teavana-PerfecTea-Tea-Maker-16oz/dp/B004X7DIHI
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0

Hario. I own this particular size (450 ml), and it's perfect for 1 big cup or 2 smaller cups. The glass will get hot where the tea contacts it, but the handle has never gotten hot on me. It pours really well and is easy to clean too -- always a plus at work.

I added Davidson's Christmas tea to my WL recently. What I recommend is good gear. There are $10 digital scales accurate to 0.1g, so once you find out how much tea you like for a large mug (I like 6g), you can get it right every time. And an IngenuiTEA teapot makes it fun to brew, too.

Hint: You probably don't need to buy a 500g weight to calibrate the scale. A roll of brand-new pennies, 2.5g each, will probably give you plenty of material to work with.

Get two of [these(https://www.amazon.com/Anchor-Hocking-Heritage-Beverage-Dispenser/dp/B00BWC0E42/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1505181882&sr=8-3&keywords=2+gallon+glass+jar+with+spigot)] jars.

Get two gallon stock pot to brew your tea with sugar. Fill a jar with the sweet tea almost full leaving room for the gallon you are adding.
Wait about 7-10 days and then brew another two gallons of sweet tea. Pour half of the first ferment jar into the second empty glass jar and then split the two gallons of sweet tea between the two glass jars..
The first jar is your continuous brew jar. The second jar you may sweeten with whatever juices. I been doing Honeydew Jalapeño with great results. Bottle the second jar for a few days. I use growlers and honey jars and recycled beer bottles with a bottle capper.
In another 7-10 days you can repeat the process.

When I was in college, I ate so much cereal, the ones in the bags!

Right now I'm using Schmilk (chocolate). I do weight training so I add protein (double rich chocolate, but they have tons of flavors); really speeds up the healing process, no muscle pains the next day.

Benefit of Soylent was that you didn't need a blender, but it's recommended for Schmilk, so I got an immersion blender. Felt a bit bummed that I had to buy an appliance, but it's so much faster and better than shaking a half gallon of liquid!

I backed Soylent's Kickstarter, and it came with this pitcher. It's so awesome that I bought a second one, so I can have one in the fridge while I wash the other in the dishwasher. I fill 1/4 of the pitcher with milk, add 4 meals worth of Schmilk/protein, little more milk to cover the powders, and blend right in the pitcher. Add some more milk, blend again, and top off. It's ready to drink right then or chill overnight (my preference) -- done for two days!

The ready-to-go bottles of Soylent seems convenient, but it's a little less than what I'm drinking now (414ml vs 500ml), it won't save me any time if I want to add protein (adds a lot of flavor/variety for me), and costs a bit more.

Try making what i call 'tea water' too, which is simultaneously a lazy person's iced tea and actually surprisingly good. It's cold brew tea, so just toss some tea bags in some room temp water and throw the whole thing in the fridge for a while.

I usually take one of my pitchers (amazon link, although costco has a better price if you can find it there), fill it up to the top, put in two jasmine tea bags, and leave it for 12 hours in the fridge for a lightly jasmine'd flavored water. If the tea gets too concentrated for your taste then you can just mix in more water! Add more tea bags and/or time for a more serious iced tea.

---

If I don't do that with cheapo $3 for 100 tea bags though (Asian markets!!!!) I usually drink really high quality loose leaf tea. I'll either use a teapot/mug for one or a gaiwan and bring the water kettle over to my desk and just keep on making more infusions of the tea with a timer. Having the brewing device next to me or even straight up being the drinking device too makes it a lot easier for me not to forget about the tea, and it means I won't reach for sugary drinks too :)

Happy Birthday! Have a fantastic day! <3

I'd use it to buy a filtered water pitcher :)

Starting out, all I'd get is a simple pot with a removable infuser such as this. Something like that will make perfectly great tea. You can always get a fancy tea set later; it's mostly an aesthetic thing.

Yes, I get deposits so the water definitely is hard. I get spring water delivered which I could try next time to see if it behaves differently.

The dough seems really good at first, I knead by hand using the technique I saw in one of your linked videos where the guy is working clay. I knead between 5-10 until the dough "bounces" back.

I have this proofing container if it makes any difference DoughMate Artisan Dough Tray Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00449IEM4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

We've had really good luck with these ones. Beautiful booch by the way!
Epica 18-Oz. Glass Beverage Bottles, Set of 6 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0YNYSI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_YbtzDbYTHT6FZ

I like OXO scraper. Do you plan on leaving out the sipping stand? If so, this one is what I have. Ateco and Wilton are my go to for tips and bags. Here are some links.

Also, come check out r/baking There are a ton of helpful people there ♥️


https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BVFYUO/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EXHJCTA/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A35NO8HBZ6S6IT

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008VMATVO/ref=yo_ii_img?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004OCNJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502920863&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=oxo+bench+scraper&dpPl=1&dpID=311FAYKN2DL&ref=plSrch

Great post. A good way to avoid spin offs altogether is to use a condiment bottle to apply your fuel. You can apply the perfect amount and won't need to spin off. I recommend that you do this over an empty can or something to catch any drips.

Here is my list of stuff

Jars:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W21D2B6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Stainless valve
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RPBQBQ4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bottles (not a great option for cost effectiveness)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0YNYSI/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Brewing cap
https://store.kombuchakamp.com/Brewer-Cap-3-pack.html


I would recommend bottles form here https://www.containerandpackaging.com/catalog/glass-containers/glass-bottles?gclid=CjwKCAjw1rnqBRAAEiwAr29II0Oe4vUh5C7rvnfqRKQaHJOFxO4fFJWvYcxibwmRDP_hJKp2GNsOBBoCiPgQAvD_BwE&capacity=12%20oz&sort=products&page=1 or HDPE bottles like naglene as the high density poly ethylene is so chemical resistant it wont leach into your booch.

I use an IngenuiTEA to make my kratom tea. It steeps it for as long as I like (usually at least 15 minutes), and dispenses when I put it on top of a glass. I usually fill the glass it dispenses into with sugar and stir to dissolve, before pouring into another larger cup filled with ice. Cold, sweet, perfect.

A tray is handy but if you just have anything to hold/collect the water it should be fine. I found my exact tray on amazon

Honestly I’d just start with a gaiwan and a cup. If you’re making it for yourself you shouldn’t need a sharing pitcher, and if small bits of tea dust isn’t an issue then you could almost do without the filter.

I think Yunnan Sourcing has $5-$10 porcelain gaiwans that are affordable (being 60 or 100 ml)

I have this and it's awesome! I love it! You add hot water, stir and just put the cup on the bottom.

Would you like a falafel with that? awesome tea infuser? My sister is a college student and lives in the dorms so she's pretty limited in what she can do in the way of tea. She got me hooked on tea and I'd love to get her one of these!

EDIT: Check out your college's website. Usually they include a list of stuff to bring. I highly suggest flip flops (crappy ones to wear in the shower), disposable cleaning wipes, a first aid kit, rain boots (seriously. there's nothing like a crap load of rain to keep you from going to class, a nice umbrella or poncho, and lots of tupperware (big and small) to keep things organized. Also, you may want to invest in a small safe to keep your awesome stuff locked up tight. Your roommate might be great, but you never know...

Yeah, the process is fun. :) I have one of these teapots, which is the perfect size for 3-4 servings, along with some simple Japanese ceramic teacups. Nothing fancy (maybe $25 all told) but Asian green teas aren't meant to be drunk in huge American mugs. If you have a decent digital thermometer then that helps to dial in your temps/timings.

Just bought this: DoughMate Artisan Dough Tray Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00449IEM4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Tn0MDbVY7CN85

Tried buying restaurant official gear but realized I needed to own a restaurant to buy it. I actually do recommend these for proofing at home. They fit in the fridge and my cabinets and does the job like restaurant equipment the same.

This teapot is by far my favorite. I feel like Hario needs to hire me as a sales rep, I love these things so much. It is easy to clean, damn near unbreakable, and still looks brand new after years of regular use. I have all three sizes, but the 100ml is the one I reach for most often. I have clay pots, glazed, non glazed, and numerous other styles, but they all sit in a cupboard while the Hario is on the counter. I like to think that I learn a lot about a tea via color and how it changes, so I gravitate towards glass pots.

Morthy demands:

Item which would most make you seem like an old posh Englishman:

Most "oh god, I would never be seen with this in public" looking item:

Most phallic looking item:

Akeleie demands:

Most geeky item: Read by Alex Kingston ;_;

Item which would most help you achieve a goal: This is actually for a class next semester

Best item to bring to a deserted island: So I can see? I have no idea

Under $10 link for the lazy

Make great housewarming gifts cause you're pretty sure they don't already have one.

This depends primarily on how much you want to brew and what style (batch vs continuous). The easiest first step would be to go with a glass gallon jug. If you want to go a little bigger, get a 2 gallon with a non metal spigot (plastic and stainless steel are ok). Spigots make it way easier to pour for 2F. Not sure it’s worth it for a 1 gallon jug but for sure for 2+ G.

Pakkon Wide Mouth Glass Mason Jar with PlasticLid/Ferment & Store Kombucha Tea or Kefir/Use for Canning, Storing, Pickling & Preserving Dishwasher Safe, Airtight Liner Seal, 1 gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012BAWVU8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sjiIAbZAY63RN

Anchor Hocking Heritage Hill Glass Beverage Dispenser with Spigot, 2 Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BWC0E42?ref=yo_pop_ma_swf

Stand by:

Ball Valve

False Bottom

10 gallon cooler

False Bottom - Valve adapter

Please shop around. I have no doubt you could get some of this stuff for cheaper. I was restricted in that my only form of currency was Amazon gift cards. Especially the adapter could be built / constructed for much cheaper than I paid.

Additionally, instead of the false bottom / adapter, one could simply employ a Bazooka Screen instead of a false bottom, I have just read that false bottoms are more effective and less prone to problems.


DISCLAIMER - Always do your own research and make sure the parts that you are buying are all compatible and properly sized, etc. etc.

Having said that, the parts I listed above are exactly what I ordered and all fit together perfectly, I just needed to go out and buy a female coupler (to attach the valve to the hose from the false bottom) and a washer (per the included instructions with the valve, which had a additional washer for my configuration).

I always recommend Japanese Hario Maru teapots, as I feel that they are relly well designed and made.

The infuser basket is big and easily removed when the steeping is done. It pours well without dribble and the short lip is not as frail as a long glass spout. The whole thing is easily washed. They come in three sizes.

I've had a gaiwan for a while, and like everyone has said, they're versatile and inexpensive. But like you, I started out with one of Teavana's steepers and I think at first the transition to gaiwans and gongfu style brewing was a bit intimidating- so my intermediary step was a glass teapot with a large infuser basket. I got the Hario ChaCha and I still love it and use it all the time, in addition to my gaiwan =)

Steeping tea is enjoyable to me. At minimum, you'll need a device for heating the water (kettle, either electric or stovetop), a container for steeping (teapot), a filter to catch the leaves (can be part of teapot or separate), and a cup for drinking.

I use these:

• Medelco kettle
  
• BIA Cordon Blue teapot and cup
  
• Steel ball strainer
  
  The process is simple.
  
  
• Place leaves into teapot.
  
• Heat water in kettle.
  
• Pour water into teapot.
  
• Place strainer at mouth of teapot while pouring tea into cup.
  
  You can alternatively place the leaves in the strainer and stick it inside the teapot to steep. That's slightly simpler, but it doesn't allow the leaves to fully expand.
  
  Some teapots are also designed to ease the steeping process further, like Adagio's Ingenuitea, which I own and yet don't use as much. You place the leaves inside, steep, and then the tea flows out from the filtered mesh bottom, directly into a cup.
  
  Once you've developed tea as a hobby and have certain regional or style preferences, such as Japanese sencha (green tea) or Chinese oolongs, you can invest in steeping equipment specific to those, such as kyusu or tetsubin and Zisha teapots or gaiwan. These are by no means required, but they can heighten the experience, especially if you decide to prepare the tea in the culturally traditional manner; see Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies.

Check out /r/Homebrewing and just start saving. Even 2 dollars a day with you and a friend and you could be rolling in a couple months.

edit: also start saving glass bottles that require a bottle opener. Those are reusable.

edit2: Things you'll need. Feel free to find similar products.

cooler with spigot

valve(I'm not sure of the size on that igloo)

bazooka screen

bottles(make sure they're brown)

caps

capper

some sort of gas stove. say a propane stove, a turkey fryer, or a kitchen stove.

a large pot

starsan

I'm probably forgetting things.

I would advise against getting the NB cooler kits because of the crazy markup on the coolers themselves. If you look at the products, you have to assemble everything yourself anyway. They charge $100 for the igloo coolers, but you can get them for $42 on Amazon. Actually, the fittings that NB offers are a pretty comparable price to other places. Maybe just get the fittings, but uncheck the cooler and order it separately.

Also, as others have said, you may not really need the HLT. Just try to visualize your brew day and see how you can finagle things optimally. Personally, I use my boil kettle as my HLT, and things work out well.

So I currently have 2 teapots; one is about 450ml and was a second-hand gift, but sadly it's too small to fit my infuser basket in. The other one is a fancier porcelain one, but the issue is that it's a litre. My infuser basket fits great, but unless I fill it rather full (900 or 1000ml of water), it doesn't work amazingly because it's one of those taller, thinner ones.

After browsing the sub I found http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hario-Stainless-Glass-Teapot-Infuser/dp/B0006HINDI/ (which is 450ml) and it seems to have a much bigger infuser basket than I currently have. I really want to try gongfu, too...blah, I'm going to end up with far too many teapots at this rate.

Can you link to that Amazon deal? I don't see it there. A friend of mine is looking for a mash tun and that would be perfect for him.

Edit: Never mind... I found it. Was looking for Gott and it is an Igloo.

Very cool! I’ve never built any myself but my first inclination is to use cheap kitchen sponges - the kind without the scrubbing side. How are you attaching them to the tongs? If you wanted to reduce drips even more, you could try applying the chemical with something like a plastic condiment bottle instead of dipping?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D9Z7TS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_QTJ9AbN3QZ24Y

Seems like something the dollar store would have too.

I've used this as my only teapot for several years:

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0

It's pretty minimal and maybe not what you're looking for. I've fumbled it several times and never broken it. Works great with every kind of tea.

The link for the mug on Amazon is here for the people who asked. :)

I personally love it, so give it a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Squeeze-Condiment-Open-Tip-Polyethylene-Durable/dp/B009D9Z7TS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1496678617&sr=8-4&keywords=plastic+squeeze+bottle

But honestly treat it like honey... You don't just pour honey into a drink, you make a honey syrup batch so it's easier to pour and mixes in the drink more quickly/evenly. Do the same with this. I assume this is like a honey? So make a 2:1 ratio elderflower syrup!

6 balls around 270g each. After the 12 hour initial, bulk rise - I use this container, lightly oiled - it also makes a great cover for the intervening "stretch and fold" rest/knead periods:


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005INDQSC/ref=s9_dcacsd_dcoop_bw_c_x_1_w


I pour it out and, using a dough knife, eyeball it into 6 pieces, trimming and weighing to get them all close. I then shape them into really tight balls using Alton Brown's method (just ignore everything else he says about pizza), i.e., gently rolling them along a flat surface until a nice, smooth skin forms.

The balls then go into a floured proofing tray (I use this one: https://www.amazon.com/DoughMate-Artisan-Dough-Tray-Kit/dp/B00449IEM4/ref=lp_8066596011_1_1?srs=8066596011&ie=UTF8&qid=1537597372&sr=8-1) for UP TO another 12 hours. You can stretch this time period for days, probably. Just pop the whole tray into the fridge.

https://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-Perfect-Infuser-12oz-Chai/dp/B001Q3L9P0/ this one?

I rec this one, Davidstea Tea Press stops the infusion, though the tea is on the bottom. Similar to a french press, but the mesh style stops the infusion. Better leaf expansion and less moving parts. https://www.davidstea.com/us_en/teaware/teaware/travel-mugs-and-tumblers/tea-press-black/902592US01.html?cgid=teaware-travel-mugs-tumblers&dwvar_902592US01_color=101000#sz=24&start=25

There are many like this one https://www.theteaspot.com/products/urban-glass-tea-tumbler where you can flip and pull out the filter from the bottom. Or others with a basket that you can remove from the top.

I highly recommend using the Ateco Stand

I've used a cheap turn table before. The Ateco spins better and the thin aluminum plate makes it easy to grab and turn the cake as you go.

20 bones not that bad really considering you would have to be preparing enough booze for an apartment complex of Texans before you would have to replace the filter (and the filter is only like 5 bucks).

I did this once with an HEB brand knock off when it was getting close to replacement time, and it worked pretty well. Not a hangover was found in the bottle.

I recommend everyone buy a butter dish, one that uses water to preserve it. You can keep it out instead of the fridge, and your butter is always soft. Then buy some really good butter and some good bread. You won't want anything else for breakfast. Something like this.

Hey,

Yup, it's this one - https://www.amazon.com/HomeBrewStuff-Stainless-Bottom-Silicone-Tubing/dp/B004B7GIV8

Added this high-flow connector to it, I should be able to dig up the original elbow as well - https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/fbelbow.htm

I have a piece of silicone tubing that is sized well for a Rubbermaid 10gal cooler, I'd throw that in too in case it would work for you.

It's all stainless and in good shape. I can take a pic after work later. I'm thinking shipping/packaging should be ~$10 depending on where you live, and if you could include enough extra to buy me a pint at a bar that'd work for me.

Invest in an infuser and start drinking loose leaf tea. The dust/scraps that go into bagged tea can't hold a candle to the fresh, rich flavour you get out of the full leaf. You can find single-serve mugs, mesh strainers, and full-size kettles. The difference is noticeable and makes the whole experience more enjoyable.

Yes. Just do it on low power, for very short times (20 seconds at a time) to avoid popping. Related: a microwave shield would be an excellent investment for you.

You can get quick-cooking rice, and steam-in-bag frozen veggies.

Oatmeal (or oatmeal smoothies) is always a good go-to breakfast. Don't get the sugar-filled packets. Get rolled oats or steel-cut oats. You can add frozen or fresh fruits, peanut butter, cinnamon, etc.

Anyone use or recommend a specialty proofing container? I may just need to use better plastic wrap that actually clings better, but I was wondering if anyone used containers like this or had any other recommendations on how they proof their dough in a refrigerator.

You actually can do that if you have a big enough tea basket or a small enough cup. You do it a little different tho.

You want to put the strainer in the cup or gaiwan first, then put the leaves in the strainer. Then when you're done steeping, instead of pouring the tea out of the gaiwan into the cha hai, you can just lift the strainer out and drink from the gaiwan.

So it's basically like standard western style tea brewing, but with very short steeps and a lot of leaf for the amount of water. I use about 8 grams of tea leaves for 90ml of water and then start steeping 8 to 10 seconds. Every steep I increase by a couple of seconds. You can often get 10 steeps from a tea, which at 90ml of water per steep is almost a liter of tea! For good puerh I sometimes can get 20 steeps or more.

They also make a device that is a self contained gaiwan and cha hai. I have one but they're a little difficult to clean. https://www.amazon.com/Kamjove-Gongfu-Teapot-Infuser-TP-757/dp/B00MA4WSU4

An electric programmable kettle with different temperature settings will cost you about $30-$40 I just picked up this one, pretty decent, probably a bit too much water for one sitting to be honest. It's pretty important to get the right temperature for tea since too hot scalds certain types, and too warm doesn't get the full benefit of others.

At work, I'd go with those infuser cups, since it's really convenient. I don't have this one but I've got something similar to it.

With about $60ish left, you can get quite an assortment of teas.

Amazon! There are plenty of options but this is the one I purchased: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BWC0E42/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_rIJxwbSZFN1VY



Very happy with it so far

My dream, it has become real. I wanted to do something similar for years, well done finding the motivation to actuate it.

​

I'd always picture using something like: https://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-ingenuiTEA-Bottom-Dispensing-Teapot/dp/B000FPN8TK/

Anything you can seal up and shake works well. I use one of those shakers you mentioned. Some people like glass jars. If you're interested in pitchers that can mix the whole bag at once the same pitcher sold by Soylent is available elsewhere. Here are some previous threads about the topic as well.

One 500 calorie meal is 106 grams of powder (1/4 pouch). Approximately 112 ml or 1/2 cup by volume.

I was kind of being sarcastic about being a snob. I'll drink folgers or earl grey or w/e is available and it won't bother me, but I like making good stuff when I'm at home.

The grey jar is dried lavender I use for lavender tea sometimes. The "french press" is actually a nifty thing for brewing tea.

The pu-ehr I got was just some random one I found on amazon called "yunnan longrun". One of these days I'm going to put in a big order on yunnan sourcing or something and try out a bunch of different teas.

That looks like a fairness pitcher:

• http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_category=17655024&controller=category
  
  More glassware here:
  
  
• http://www.yunnansourcing.us/store/index.php?id_category=11192170&controller=category
  
  Hario glass teapots are nice and sell on amazon:
  
  
• http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NVMC4I/ref=mp_s_a_1_10?qid=1426813680&sr=8-10&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=hario+glass+pot
  
  Lots of teapots ranging from 100-1000ml here:
  
  
• http://stores.ebay.com/Dragon-Tea-House/Glass-Pots-/_i.html?_fsub=11838200&_sid=150831608&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322
  
  

I go to BU and MIT for biomedical engineering or course 20. I'm going into my sorta senior year. I probably need to take an extra semester so I'm in an odd situation right now. My senior project yearly class thingy needs to be delayed cause I haven't taken thermodynamics yet.

I'll be moving into a nice off campus studio and let's see...

This Brita pitcher is really nice for dorms. It's right above $10, but quite useful cause dorm water sucks.

I personally need these ice-cube trays cause it's bloody hot in Boston and I realize I haven't been making ice! XD

Easy way to 'steam' things. Use those plastic shopping bags you bring home your groceries in. No need to waste money on the name brand 'steamer bags'.

Addintionaly food like carrots, potatos, sweet potatos, corn on the cob, and other fresh veg dont need refrigeration and all microwave well. The smaller the food the shorter the cook time. I do big potatoes for 6-8 minutes, small carrots for 4-6.

Also keep in mind real butter (not the spreads or country crock) doesnt need refrigeration just stitck it in a butter bell so you can add butter to any dish you microwave.

https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Cha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0?th=1&psc=1

Its glass but 300 ml pot. Large basket. I have the 700 ml one and love it.

I use these: https://www.amazon.com/Epica-18-Oz-Glass-Beverage-Bottles/dp/B00I0YNYSI/

I usually split a pitcher into five servings (roughly 450 calories each with my add-ins). I just make sure to rinse them out thoroughly after use and they pretty much stay fresh.

I actually got it on Amazon (here's the link... if it doesn't take you to the model I pictured, just click the little options boxes on that page.)

However, this is a really popular model and you can find it sold elsewhere, sometimes for less. For example, here it is on Dragon Tea House for a few dollars less (also free shipping).

I think I have seen this one on AliExpress before too.

GREAT QUESTION. So I've used those disposable fleet enemas in the past. We didn't have any, so he rummaged in the kitchen until he found one of these. Filled it with warm water and helped me, um, apply it as needed.

I use these. They fit perfectly in the door of my fridge. Use them for Simples, Orgeat, and Pureed Fruit

https://smile.amazon.com/Epica-18-Oz-Glass-Beverage-Bottles/dp/B00I0YNYSI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1504719096&sr=8-3&keywords=glass+bottles

I've tried a few different pots and by far, like really really far this is the best one.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007WTBQ0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've since bought 3 of them. One for work, one for the kitchen, and one in my office.

One of these
https://www.amazon.com/Tasteful-Bamboo-Gongfu-Table-Serving/dp/B00M3Y8LNY/ref=sr_1_7?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1494108554&sr=1-7&keywords=tea+tray

They have removable water trays and are pretty nice looking / build quality isn't terrible. when i was looking, ones cheaper than this didn't seem high quality/would have issues. I looked around quite a lot and that is the cheapest price for those that I found.

Looks like they went up to $33. Still a great deal. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004B7GIV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_EPZOAbDVCD667

I have this one which I use at work:
http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417840377&sr=8-1&keywords=glass+tea+pot

It's about the right size for 2-3 cups of tea and works really well. Added bonus is that if you take the mesh out you can steep a flowering tea and watch it bloom!

And just to be clear, don't wrap the dough balls (they may not be able to expand as needed). Put the dough balls on a plate or baking sheet or something similar and then wrap that. If you wanna get real pro with your dough making, you'll wanna get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/DoughMate-Artisan-Dough-Tray-Kit/dp/B00449IEM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1525284555&sr=1-1&keywords=dough+proofing+tray
(could likely be found cheaper at a restaurant supply store).

I use a 2 gallon glass jar, like this, fill it with sweet tea, and add kombucha. A scoby will form in week or so. Leave it alone for a couple of weeks, and that's really all there is to it for the first ferment. For the second ferment, I put it in 2 liter soda bottles and add what ever I'm using for flavor- really like raspberries. It will be nice and fizzy in a week or so.

If I go to re use the loose leaf how do I do it? I usually only drink one cup at a time. Do I just take the infuser out, let the tea dry lol? Or is it only intended on steeping again right after the first?

Also, i was looking at this combo https://www.amazon.com/Epica-6-Temperature-Variable-Stainless-Cordless/dp/B01G7OL9ZW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1486621787&sr=8-3&keywords=variable+kettle plus https://www.amazon.com/Hario-Chacha-Kyusu-Maru-700ml/dp/B000NVMC4I/ref=pd_bxgy_79_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=W6562BAB0YZQKH1YGCTM&th=1 i assume I get the water to the desired temp then pour into the infuser then straight into my mug?

Finally, as for the variable kettle is it okay to only pour one cup into it? Also, I heard a complaint that it didn't heat the water all the way up to the desired temp?

Transfering back and forth is not a great idea, more chances for it to get contaminated. Put your VG and PG into working bottles, if your mixing by weight, condiment bottles work well, something like this. When you run out in your working bottles, wash them out let them dry then refil from your large bottles of VG/PG.

As for Nic, break it down into smaller bottles, 30ml Boston rounds with poly cap work well. Say if you have 120ml of nic, break it down into four bottles, put three in the freezer and use one for your working nic.

I would get a fresh new bottle. Don't want to end up with ketchup flavored vg. This is what I use. I buy vg by the gallon and easily fill these guys up to use when mixing. SET OF 2 -- 24 Oz. (Ounce) Large Clear Squeeze Bottle, Condiment Squeeze Bottle, Open-Tip, Screw-On Spout, Polyethylene Durable Plastic, Diner Style https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D9Z7TS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_84RJzb0QA0Y9Q

Damn, that's unfortunate! this teapot seems to be pretty good, I hear good things since the infuser is so big it allows a lot of room for the leaves to expand - also cheaper!

Better LPT: Buy this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000BOA2D0?cache=ff0d32fe5e7eed2f7671556856acadd2#ref=mp_s_a_1_1&qid=1393659200&sr=8-1 and your microwave will stay very very clean.

My favourite western-style teapot is the Hario Maru. The Ikea Riklig mentioned earlier also looks nice. IMHO the most important thing about glass pots, if you go for one, is that they are easy to clean: No bamboo parts, and no curvy spouts.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_t.bYDbFZ2G82Y 😊

Or the smaller (300ml) version of the Hario teapot. I bought one after it was recommended here, and I love it.

I have this mug! I use it basically every day at work. It's awesome and you won't regret having bought it.

Edit: For those wondering which mug this was.

We have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-284-Stoneware-Butter-Keeper/dp/B0000VLURQ

I love Amazon Prime. Whenever I need something for the kitchen, it's usually there.

Water is free since it's included in my utilities, however, it tastes awful. I would love to be able to purify it up a bit with this pitcher. Rockstar!

I highly recommend a tea brewer like this one: https://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-ingenuiTEA-Bottom-Dispensing-Teapot/dp/B000FPN8TK/

It'll open the world to loose leaf and your options become vast. Otherwise check out Adagio or David's Tea for Mightly Leaf like teas.

Use the Nordic ware tray and cover, works like a charm. I clean mine in a dishwasher to deal with the mess.

http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwave-Sided-Round/dp/B00004W4UM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396564769&sr=8-2&keywords=microwave+bacon+cooker

http://www.amazon.com/Nordic-Ware-Microwave-Spatter-Cover/dp/B000BOA2D0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1396564769&sr=8-9&keywords=microwave+bacon+cooker

> hario teapot

Like these:

Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot (700ml) Hario https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007WTBQ0/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_bxaHzbVRCQ14M via @amazon

Hario Fukami Tea Pot (700ml) Hario https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BD1O0WO/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_wAaHzbACZRYP5 via @amazon

Hario Pure Glass Tea Pot (700ml) Hario https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GYVDKO/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_x_exaHzb99HJJDR via @amazon

At 700 mL (23.7 oz) they seem a bit small compared to the other 40 oz pots I've been looking at. Thanks for the recommendation, though!

Is something like [this Hario kyusu] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0006HINDI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_AvJgVokcDe4Tk) what you're looking for? I recently bought one and absolutely love it. The infuser is removable so I just use it as a strainer to avoid that metallic taste. Works wonderfully and at $14 it's a steal.

Amazon reviews are overwhelmingly positive. I don't have one since I'm happy with my current infuser, but if you're interested I would say go ahead.

Thats why i actually like this one better. It lets you put the tea back into the lid after steeping. I bring it to work and use the same earl grey leaves all day re-steeping for a couple minutes with hot water.

The forlife is a good infuser, I have used it in the past. At work, I used to use an Ingenuitea because it is really straightforward to use and clean. And then any old mug is fine.

The leaf and water matter the most, but make sure your leaves have room to bloom and move around, or you'll get a weird brew.

I got it from Amazon There are a few different sizes. I really like it and I would highly recommend it. It's the same one the guys at TeaDB use.

Get a good splatter guard. This helps steam the food while it is cooking.

Hario Chacha Kyusu Maru Tea Pot glass teapot w/ large stainless steel basket, makes 2 cups of tea or other herbal drink. I love this teapot!

The Keuring aint mine. It's my roommates. If I were to donate it, it would end very badly. Haha.

He also bought me a tea thingy and a bunch of teas.

I love all of it.

I recommend the Adagio ingenuiTEA, which I've used for years. It's dead simple, and brews a nice big cup. Plastic isn't usually BIFL material, but mine's withstood 5 years of regular use without failing at any point. It's dishwasher safe, so you won't have to hand wash. I wash mine in the dishwasher maybe once a month to give it a good cleaning, and just a dump and rinse in between.

You can also get it on Amazon for a decent discount.

I swear by ingenuiTEA (they also have a 64oz one). I've bought all the tea lovers in my life one. It's dishwasher-safe, the handle never gets hot to the touch, and you can steep as little or as much loose-leaf as you like. It's freaking magic to everyone who sees it for the first time, because it's gravity-fed and all the tea drains out through the bottom into the mug.

Make sure you buy at least one spare filter, though. I've accidentally thrown one away when throwing out the used tea leaves (look, I don't function well in the morning before I've had my first cuppa, okay???) and another time I accidentally popped one out in the sink and it fell down the garbage disposal, I didn't see it, turned on the disposal, and it made the most god-awful noise. Whoops.

\ They recommend the 64oz size good for "brewing a pitcher of iced tea". Well, screw that, I have a 72oz monster mug and you bet your ass I'm going to enjoy every last drop. Pitchers, hah.

This might work for you: http://www.amazon.com/Aladdin-10-00753-002-Tea-Infuser-Mug/dp/B001Q3L9P0

The mug is microwave safe, so all you need is it, a way to measure the tea, and the tea itself. It's worked very well for me so far.

I do. I have been using the Takeya pitchers that Soylent sends out to new customers, I liked them so well I bought a total of 7 during the crowd-funding, so I can just throw them in the dishwasher every day. It looks like the amazon prices have started going up, but you "should" be able to get them for about $10 ea, and I've heard Costco has them in a 2 pack for $15.

I use 24oz Thermos hydration bottles when I go out, I bought mine at Walmart for about $20 ea.

Some recipes will need a blender, but I've stop using it for my current recipe. Just shake well in the Takeya, my current recipe also emulsifies really well and tends to stay that way.