Reddit mentions: The best tea accessories

Wooooo okay! Here's 1-20, and I will give the bonus ones a go in just a few minutes! fear cuts deeper than swords

1.) Something that is grey. How about a knife set?!

2.) Something reminiscent of rain. Cinema Paradiso! The cover of it is two people in the rain :) (Movies wishlist)

3.) Something food related that is unusual. This Manatea infuser is unusual! (Default wishlist)

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. Tell me who it's for and why. (Yes, pets count!) I have a pet wishlist and a wishlist for my best friend! This traveling litter box is the perfect combination--it's so I can take my kitty on trips to my best friend's place! (Kitty wishlist)

5.) A book I should read! I am an avid reader, so take your best shot and tell me why I need to read it! Why have just one book when you could have 3000?! This little usb is loaded with over 3000 classic novels. Yes, almost all of these novels are free on Project Gutenberg, but having them all in one spot ready for you to peruse is amazing. You're almost guaranteed to find a book worth reading that you haven't read yet! (Books wishlist)

6.) An item that is less than a dollar, including shipping... that is not jewelry, nail polish, and or hair related! Well, not a physical item, but I have an mp3! (Music wishlist)

7.) Something related to cats. I love cats! (keep this SFW, you know who you are...) Kitty nail caps! I have a sphynx, so I have to clip her nails roughly every week (otherwise when she scratches herself, she cuts herself up D:). Nail caps are a cute and more hassle-free way of dealing with her claws! (Kitty wishlist)

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. This one is pretty tough for me, actually--I love purposeful items! However, I already have a cheese grater, so this hedgehog shaped one isn't actually something I NEED--it's just so cool!! (Default wishlist)

9.) A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Life is Beautiful. It's a sweet, touching, and heartbreaking story of a Jewish father trying to keep the joy in life in a concentration camp. It's laugh-out-loud funny, and so sad you'll cry. Definitely worth watching. (Movies wishlist)

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. Packaged, high-cal foods will be really helpful! You have to keep your energy up while you're on the run, and you need a portable snack! These cookies are sure to give you the extra boost you need to escape the zombies. (Default wishlist)

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. Hmmm this is a toss-up for me. I need a laptop for life. I have a little chromebook, but when I need to update my resumes and write cover letters, I need to go to the library to use an actual computer to make sure the formatting is right. A laptop would help with the job hunt and (hopefully) help land me a job! (Expensive things wishlist) My other goal, to become healthier, would be helped by wrist weights to wear during my runs! No, it's not a huge amount of weight, but it will make my runs that much more difficult and help tone my arms! It's a small change with a big impact :) (Default wishlist)

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. Oh gosh, take your pick. Cat snuggie (kitty wishlist), sriracha (who doesn't love hot sauce?! Under $6 wishlist), a pumice stone (Under $6 wishlist), or a kitty laser toy! (kitty wishlist)

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? A $500 keyboard. I love playing piano, but I'm a young and flighty thing--I fully expect to be moving around a lot for the next 5-10 years, and I can neither afford an actual piano, nor can I imagine transporting one in and out of various apartments. This keyboard will give me the chance to practice and enjoy playing, but it's a much more compact and liveable way of doing so. (Expensive things wishlist)

14.) Something bigger than a bread box. A relatively cheap and yet still nice vacuum cleaner! Nice, easy to use, and practical :) (Expensive things)

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. A storm trooper USB! Cute and practical! (Default wishlist)

16.) Something that smells wonderful. Lavender chamomile bubble bath! I don't know about you, but few things smell more relaxing to me than lavender and chamomile, so a combo bubble bath just sounds like bliss to me. (Default wishlist)

17.) A (SFW) toy. Here's a whole bag of toys! And less than $10 too! My kitty would have a field day with all those toys :) (Kitty wishlist!)

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school. A lunch box! I always brought my lunch to school, so every year I got a cool new lunch box for that year :) These ones are super cute, and insulated! (Default wishlist)

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. I've had a life-long Disney obsession! (Movies wishlist) My whole bathroom is Mickey themed (default wishlist), and I'm always looking for cool new Disney items to add to my wishlist! I seriously love Disney.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. You too can own the Sword of Gryffindor! (Expensive things wishlist) Not only do you get to wield the weapon that destroyed three pieces of Voldemort's soul, it's also pretty practical! It's a letter opener that you can proudly display resting in the hands of a lion :) (Expensive things wishlist)

Yay! I can actually help with this!

Adagio Teas has my FAVORITE loose leaf teas in the world. It depends what kind of tea she likes to drink, but you can get her a bunch of samples and go from there. You'll also get frequent cup points you can use later if you get some samples.

My favorites are:

(Black teas) Yunnan Gold, Golden Monkey, and Black Dragon Pearl: all chocolatey and rich, I drink them with soy milk and listed from not-very-earthy to smoky-earthy.

(Green teas) Gyokuro, Sencha Overture, and Jasmine Yin Hao: I prefer Japanese steamed greens which are more grassy and vegetal than Chinese pan roasted ones, but if she likes nutty green teas Dragonwell is also great.

(White teas) Silver Needle and White Peony: Awesome because they're low in caffeine (I was just informed they aren't necessarily lower in caffeine, so let's just say awesome for the sublime nectar-y taste), my white teas have been kind of lonely since it's winter here, but in the summer they're perfect. Apricot liqueur and honeysuckle come to mind.

But I'm not a big fan of blends (she may be), or Oolongs, or Pu Erhs, and definitely I don't drink anything not camellia sinensis (like honeybush), and a lot of my favorites are pretty expensive (but so worth it), so if you know she loves peppermint or chamomile by all means do that! If you only got one from Adagio, I would go with yunnan gold undoubtedly. You can get a sample for only $5 and it's heaven. Nobody dislikes this tea, not even people who say they don't like tea!

(And you can use code 6905673943 for $5 off!)

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Next she's going to need a way to brew it. I abhor doing dishes, my mother has made me some wonderful tea cups (she does ceramic pottery) but you can definitely just use the coffee/tea cups you already have to start. If you wanted to make it a cute holiday basket, of course, a tea cup would make the whole thing look adorable. At the risk of sounding like I work for Adagio, a glass cup like this is so perfect because you can watch the color of the tea as it brews which is a great indicator of tea strength!

Since I hate dishes so much, I have ended up using just empty, fill-able tea bags (I get the 2-cup capacity ones here) which is really great for re-steeping because you can just save the tea bag and put it in the fresh water.

Temperature is super important if you're brewing anything other than super robust black teas or herbal teas. For example, I steep my favorite green tea at 170 degrees F, which is a lot cooler than the 212 of boiling water. I bought this thermometer more than a year ago, and I've never had any problems... plus, getting a temp-specific tea kettle is so expensive :/ To walk you through how I personally make my tea:

1. I pick which tea! The hardest part!
   
2. I boil some water in an electric kettle, but any kettle is fine
   
3. I measure out about a teaspoon of the looseleaf into an empty teabag... the tea you buy will give you measurement instructions for how much!
   
4. I pour the boiling water into the teacup and measure the temp. If it's supposed to be brewed at boiling, I don't bother measuring, otherwise, I'll wait until it hits the correct temp to brew
   
5. I put the teabag in the correct temp water and time it. Again, the tea you buy will probably come with instructions for how long to brew.
   
6. I save the teabag to use it again for my next cuppa!
   
   I'll often put agave sweetener in my tea, and soy milk if it's a black tea.
   
   I have also bought this for steeping and I adore it but it's another dish to do for a student without a dishwasher... It's a spring-loaded receptacle where you place your loose-leaf, and when it's done steeping in the hot water, you put it on top of the teacup. The gravity pushing on the spring releases the tea from the receptacle leaving the leaves and it's really really cool and efficient and you can make more tea at a time... but for a beginner, I would really recommend empty bags.
   
   ---
   
   Best of luck!
   
   tl;dr Adagio is not a cult
   
   edit: linked to Adagio

Fear cuts deeper than swords

OOH I LOVE SCAVENGER HUNTS. Placeholder. I'm working on this. Goodbye sunday night productivity.

EDIT Aug 11, 11:44pm PST

1.) something that is gray.

2.) Something reminiscent of rain. It rains so much in my city and on those days I like to have my tea and soup and all the yummy hot homecooked food at school in the library while I study. I already have a great thermos for my tea and hot cocoa but not for my soups/food.

3.) Something food related that is unusual. I don't know if this is necessarily food related but WOOOO TEA. MANA-TEA. Seriously this is awesome.

4.) Something on your list that is for someone other than yourself. A wii for my mom because she has been wanting a wii or ipad for a long time. My bro and i think the wii would be better because at least we could all play it together when we go home to visit.

5.) I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone. It's the book I just finished reading and I feel like it has helped me a lot. I am so much more motivated and driven and it is helping me make some tough choices in my life. I am a senior in college but this book can help anyone who is at any place in their life I think. I currently have this on my wishlist which is like a supplement to the book. Seriously though, read it, share it with everyone you know. Let's make the world a happier place.

6.) An item that is less than a dollar. Awww yeee. They always seem to have one of these on the coffee table at my brother's house. Wherever he lives. Even though it's never his. But yeah, they're cool but I don't actually want one.

7.) Something related to cats. THIS IS SO AWESOME. I have another mug with the disappearing thing on my wishlist too. But yeah, I love cats, I just don't have much cat stuff on my wishlist. I do need a real cat though... hint hint nudge nudge

EDIT Aug 12, 12:15am PST

8.) Something that is not useful, but so beautiful you must have it. Okay it's not Amazon but it is beautiful and I have had my eye on it for a year. Despite that fact that I do not plan on having children for at least 8 years. Dem hormones are a'ragin.

9.) I know it's not REALLY a movie but... A movie everyone should watch at least once in their life. Why? Because it is so beautiful and awe inspiring. It really brings me a sense of peace every time I watch it.

10.) Something that would be useful when the zombies attack. Explain. I can put on my holy strainer hat and pray to The Flying Spaghetti Monster to save me from the zombies.

11.) Something that would have a profound impact on your life and help you to achieve your current goals. I know I used this for another one but really, I think doing these exercises would help me in all areas of life.

12.) One of those pesky Add-On items. These beauties, even though I doubt I can grow them without a yard...

13.) The most expensive thing on your list. Your dream item. Why? My little acer hand me down freezes a lot, can't do multiple things at once, doesn't have a cd drive, has a screen too tiny to edit photos or edit my website. Basically everything is frustrating. And I'm a college student. So I use the computer for basically everything... and everything the little laptop CAN do takes forever.

EDIT Aug 12, 1:51am PST

14.) Something bigger than a bread box. If you don't think that is big enough, then here, but it's newly added.

15.) Something smaller than a golf ball. Well, I'm pretty sure this is smaller than a golf ball. If it wasn't, I'd be disappointed.

16.) Something that smells wonderful. Mmm imagine the ginger lemon grass!

17.) A (SFW) toy. And here's another one because I couldn't decide which one looks more fun...

18.) Something that would be helpful for going back to school.

19.) Something related to your current obsession, whatever that may be. Currently obsessed with learning all kinds of new jewelry techniques! Also obsessed with tea because it's the one thing my boyfriend and I developed an interest in together. It didn't start out as either of our interests.

20.) Something that is just so amazing and awe-inspiring that I simply must see it. Explain why it is so grand. THIS IS SO PRETTY AND USEFUL AT THE SAME TIME. Seriously so cute, has lovely details, 8gb, and you can wear it as a pendant. Whaaaat!

EDIT: this lovely is made in oregon!

As others have said, there's nothing wrong with supermarket tea (Bigelow's Earl Grey is still one of my favorites, for example, and I've tried all sorts of Earl Greys. Numi's Earl Grey is great too, can't be beat, and is in many supermarkets) ... it's ok to try around.

That said, if you know where to go, some bulk teas will be even cheaper.

For example, Upton Tea's Season's Pick Teas are not the best, but they can be pretty darn good, and they are fantastic values. Also, if you poke around, you'll find some great deals for certain regions and seasons. Lately, for example, Assams and other Indian teas have been shockingly inexpensive (maybe even immorally so), and you can get some great deals. Similarly, some Myanmar teas can be great deals. It's like a lot of things: there are some great deals among the less popular; fads come and go in cycles, and it's cheapest to explore options when certain types of teas are on the downswing.

Also, depending on where you are, take a look in antique and vintage stores for handmade pottery (and other non-handmade stoneware and porcelain). Sometimes you can find really great one-of-a-kind pieces for really inexpensive. Don't worry too much about matching tea sets; the highest-end stoneware is all one-of-a-kind anyway, and building a collection of eclectic pieces I think is more satisfying in the end than a matching set.

Similarly, look in thrift stores and ebay for things like kettles and infusers. They just need to work, which isn't saying a lot when it comes to boiling water. Infusers just need to be able to let tea expand enough; tea balls get a bad rep, but if they're big, you'll be fine, and they're often easier to find for cheap in thrift stores (although infusers are one piece of equipment I recommend just paying money for--a Finum basket or House Again infuser on Amazon are your best bets). I imagine you could even forego a kettle altogether if you are just drinking yourself and have access to a microwave, or just want to use a saucepot.

Congratulations on finishing your classes, and thanks for the contest! It's summertime! And I hope you enjoy every minute of the time you have. It sounds like you've got some awesome stuff planned, and happy birthday to you.


As your summer vacation starts, mine is really coming to a close. I know you're asking what we have planned for the rest of the summer, but I have to just briefly talk about what I've already done this summer, because it was awesome and I take any opportunity that I can to gab about it. I had the opportunity to do an internship in Cape Town, South Africa during May and June. I interned at the Treatment Action Campaign, which is an organization that focuses on advocacy for people living with HIV and AIDS. It was an absolutely incredible experience. The best summer that I could have possibly hoped for.


But what do I have planned for the rest of it? Well, I need to work on getting my IRB application together, so that I can get my upcoming research project (finally!) approved. That's number one right now, and it's weighing pretty heavily on my mind. What else? My gran is turning 101 years old at the end of the month, so I expect we'll be having a big party for her again. That's about all I've got on the docket, though.


If I'm chosen, I'd absolutely love this item right here. (I plan on continuing to drink a heckuva lot of tea throughout my summer!) Thanks so much again for the contest!

My kitchen is pretty full of various devices. Let's see:

• Asian hot water pot. I love tea, so it's nice to just hold the "dispense" button and get a mug of boiling water.
  
• Speaking of tea, skip tea bags (unless you're using these for your own tea, which you probably only need for really fine stuff like chamomile). Instead I use this tea infuser, which works great for most teas. This one isn't very good at infusing tea, but it is really cute.
  
• Prefer coffee? Get a French press; it's pretty cheap and it's way better than drop coffee. You just need a cheap coffee grinder so you can have fresh grounds.
  
• Yes, I said a cheap coffee grinder. You can upgrade to a nice burr grinder later, and that will free up your cheap blade grinder for spice duty!
  
• Asian rice cooker with fuzzy logic. I manage to burn rice on the stove, and the dumb mechanical rice cookers are no better. This thing is fantastic, and useful for more than just plain white rice. Mixed or brown rice, jambalaya, etc...
  
• Toaster oven. I end up using this a lot, either to cook small meals (pizza bites, or breakfast (two slices of bacon, two frozen fried chicken strips, two frozen biscuits, 20 minutes at 375)) or for actually toasting things (I insist on toasting hamburger and hot dog buns).
  
• Kitchen scale. I'm using a crappy spring model, but soon I intend to get a decent electronic one. Just read this article from NYT if you're not convinced of why a scale should be a must-have. I'll probably buy the scale suggested by Cooking for Engineers.
  
• Microplane grater. I just bought it, and it rocks. Citrus zest, cheese, nutmeg...
  
• Tongs. I don't know how I got by for so long without them.
  
• Cast iron skillet. It's easily my favorite pan to cook in, because I can do so much with it.
  
• Do you need a pepper grinder? Get the Unicorn 9" Magnum Black. Nevermind what it sounds like, just buy this one; don't even bother shopping around for others. It's that good.
  
• Instant-read thermometer. I don't know if I recommend the exact one I have (a $20 from Taylor, which may have already broken) but having one is essential. Now that I'm using it I'm realizing how badly I was overcooking a lot of meat and sausage.
  
• I have something like this "safe" can opener, which cuts the can open from the side rather than the top. The idea is that you're only cutting through glue, and so the blade never touches food, which is a big hazard for contamination since people rarely clean their can openers thoroughly enough. So this is great in principle, but not all cans are equal, and sometimes it just totally fails to open some cans.
  
• Kitchenaid mixer. My mom got it for me for my birthday, and I have to say it's damn good, if you mix things a lot. Does a much better job than other mixers I've used. I also got the grinder attachment, which I've been experimenting with, so that gives the kitchenaid a bit more use.
  
• Slow cooker. Shouldn't be any surprise there why it's useful.
  
• Walmart's Tramontina stainless steel pans are about as good as All-Clad, but less than half the price. (Shocking! Quality stuff from Walmart?) I just got them so they haven't seen much use (see above comment about cast iron skillet) but I can already tell how nice they are compared to the bargain stuff I was using before.

Disclaimer: I have received so many canisters of fruit-flavored teas that I'll never ever drink - and I am an adventurous eater, I'll try just about anything once - that it has reeeally turned me against the idea of gifted tea unless you're totally certain the recipient will like it. If you must give someone tea, I'm also very strongly anti-sampler. One very nice tea is usually a better gift than four alright teas.

This is the situation that gift certificates were made for. Someone else suggested Adagio. If it seems too impersonal, combine it with a nice mug or a nice strainer for loose-leaf teas, like this one.

If she's not an adventurous person, that's okay and you're not going to turn her into one by buying her teas she might not want to try as a gift. If you really want to pick something instead of getting a gift certificate, remember that it's supposed to be a gift and not a chore, so get her stuff that you know she'll like. If you really really really want to get her a tea instead of a gift certificate, instead of getting her a sampler of new and different stuff, get her one or two things that she already enjoys, but a higher quality product than she'd ordinarily buy for herself. The one tea gift I've received that I actually drank all of was from somebody who knew that I loved jasmine green tea, so he got me...jasmine green tea. It was awesome.

If you know that she likes black tea and fruit-flavored teas, I bet she would appreciate a really nice earl grey, for instance, or maybe an oolong tea.

Quick start? Buy this which works great in mugs as well as many medium to larger teapots, and then find a company that you can order samples from and start exploring.

What company I'd recommend starting with would depend on your tastes.

If you want to get into single-estate black teas, one company that really got me into tea was Upton Tea Imports. They have small (and inexpensive) samples of virtually all their teas. They have some strengths (black teas, esp. from India, inexpensive black and green teas from China, inexpensive oolongs of surprisingly good quality, herbal teas) and weaknesses (especially avoiding getting Pu-erh from them, their Japanese teas aren't great IMHO).

Harney & Sons is another company I love that also is great for sampling and offers small sample sizes of nearly all their teas. I find them more well-rounded than Upton, i.e. they're more consistently good but don't offer quite as amazing bargains as in Upton's areas of strength.

If you live near a Wegmans, that's a great option, because they sell the tea in a bulk section and you can measure it out in small sample sizes...it's actually cheaper than ordering samples from virtually any company because you have to do the work of measuring it all out. Maybe not quite as good in quality as Wegmans, many natural foods stores stock Frontier Coop and/or Mountain Rose Herbs, sometimes other tea companies, with self-service stations. If the stock is fresh (big if) these can be a great inexpensive way to get started with sampling, again saving a ton of money because you're doing the labor of measuring out all the small quantities.

When you're getting started, I recommend avoiding any company that insists on selling 2 ounce / 50g sizes as the smallest size...it doesn't seem like much tea, but it's a lot of tea if you don't like it, and it limits the amount you can buy. Buying 1 ounce or better 0.5 ounce or 15 gram packets, you can sample a lot more and you can learn much more about tea in a short period of time. And you'll be much more likely to discover all-time favorites that way. That's how I got started...

Then once you get going, and you have an idea of what you like, it can be worth ordering stuff from companies with 50 or 100g, or 2/4 oz minimum sizes.

I agree with the general advice to not take psychs with an anxious mindset... BUT with that low of a dose and the trip sitter you'll have, I wouldn't worry too much about it. In fact starting low isn't too bad of a strategy to alleviate that anxiety and make the feeling of shrooms more familiar.

But you should do some research to know what to expect. This post is a good start.

This is the first place I would look: The Shroomery Dosage Calc: https://www.shroomery.org/6257/Magic-Mushroom-Dosage-Calculator

Based on 1.5g and your standard cubensis shrooms, you should expect a level 2 experience which you can read the effects of. Basically, as others said, you will probably be really stoned.

>I was planning on 1.5 grams for each of us. And making a tea with it.

This is my preference. This is what I do specifically:

• I use herbal tumeric ginger tea. (Couple it with a tea with a strong flavor to counteract the ick of the shrooms. Ginger is supposed to help counteract nausea.)
  
• Use a loose leaf strainer. It just bought it in a tea shop its its essentially like this: https://www.amazon.com/Yoassi-Extra-Fine-Approved-Stainless/dp/B01LQ7NQTW
  
• Boil the water. It doesnt need to cool down before brewing because your brew time will be long and the hotter water will extract the drug better.
  
• Brew the tea for 5 minutes with coarsely crumbled shroom and then add the other tea; brew 5 minutes longer. (adjust for how long your other tea needs to brew, just as long as the shrooms get 10 minutes total brew time)
  
  For grinding the shrooms, anything works. I usually try to get it coarse so I dont end up drinking so much shroom powder :P I tend to use a kitchen mortar and pestle, but crushing it in a sandwich bag works great too.
  
  >Fasting before hand.
  
  Meh. Just don't eat a big heavy meal beforehand. I've heard that fasting helps (and I have), but it didn't move the dial for me too much. Its just less food to throw up if you get nauseous.
  
  >Will we have munchies? Should we plan for that?
  
  It has the opposite effect. You really wont want to eat. Just have a healthy plant-based snack for when you come down. Fruit is a great choice.
  
  >Anything else we should plan on?
  
  
• Make a playlist and bring some headphones. At some point you may just want to lay down and close your eyes. The music can help center you. Find something mostly instrumental and epic. Sigur Ros, m83, shoegazey music in general works well for me. Anything forceful sounding is going to feel like a hammer against your temple--- avoid it.
  
• Bring paper and pen to takes notes or draw on.
  
• Dont count on using technology with screens -- phones, TV, etc.. It will feel like a major drag at some point.
  
• You are going to be giggly, like a laughing Buddha. I believe thats the effect of new pathways opening up and surprising your brain with unexpected insights-- pure comedy for your brain.

Since you think your taste buds are out of whack, I'd say try a bunch of sampler sets. Some tea is scary expensive but it doesn't have to be! Online vendors will provide the best value for your $$$ but if you have a good teashop near you with friendly staff you may be able to show you some cool stuff. The samples given at teavana tend to be tea with a bunch of other shit added to it you won't get a good idea of what actual tastes like unless you get lucky and find a person who's really into it.

Many vendors have tasting sets. I have a soft-spot for upton because they've been around for so long. Their low/mid tier teas are good. Their "premium" teas aren't so premium IMHO. However I quite liked this sampler. It is a bit expensive. Honestly I think other people will provide better recommendations.

Also for brewing tea, a good thing to start with a simple brew basket like this. Put leaves in, dunk in water.

I'd suggest Harney & Sons because they have samples and free shipping in the US. Check out their flavored black teas for a start- I'd recommend Paris, Earl Grey supreme, New England Breakfast, and if you want an intensely flavored tea that tastes sweetened but isn't, try their Hot Cinnamon Spice (amazing with a bit of milk!).
I also love their flavored Oolongs- pomegranate oolong and milky oolong. They are distinctly different than the black teas (do not add milk!), but very delicious.
Lastly, I'll suggest a couple green teas that are great for beginners. Genmaicha is green tea with puffed toasted rice (which sounds weird but is so good!), and Hojicha (roasted green tea-- very low caffeine but reminiscent of coffee)

If you haven't brewed loose-leaf tea before, I'd suggest a mug basket infuser (like this) It's the simplest way to brew tea for one person. Just measure a heaping teaspoon of tea per 8 oz of water (for Hojicha a full 2 tsp since it's light). Good luck and hopefully you enjoy whatever you end up trying!

Starting out places: TeaSource.com Harney.com and Adagio are great. Use CatShip19 til the end of May to reduce Teasource's free shipping to $30. Harney is always free shipping. Adagio, I'd have to look up.

I can't really recommend a tea cup without knowing your brewing preferences. Are you brewing for one or more? Do you like to have frequent small cups (consider gaiwan or gungfu style), like to brew at your desk (just get an in-mug infuser) or if you want a simple tea-pot: I love the style of ones that have a metal basket and lid that pop out for easy cleaning (link for ref, but I don't know the brand). Big glass tea-pots are nice for show. Clay supposedly can improve taste (?).

Personally - I make milk based Chai in a pot on the weekends, otherwise most of my tea is brewed with the linked in-mug infuser basket in a beautiful hand thrown clay mug from a local pottery shop. I suggest going this route until you know what types of tea you like - then you can buy the gear best suited to brew that style.

>I likely won't bother with Gog-Fu brewing or a Kamjove though. I just wanted something that is still relatively hassle free (which is why I started with teabags) but still delivers the benefits (or even more).

Yeah you can just get a basket infuser for super cheap and brew in the mugs that you already drink in.

I can personally however suggest getting a kitchen scale for around $10 because it will be easier to use the amount of tea that you actually want to use with one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LQ7NQTW/ is the infuser that I use and it is great while being cheap. I have two of them.

If you are drinking green tea it also would be a good idea to get a kettle that has some sort of temperature control as well. It can be pretty easy to put water in that is too hot for green without one.

So tired today. Stayed up late with Mr Tea doing our own little Christmas thing. I didn't expect anything for Christmas because of our income situation but he surprised me with some big gifts that he's been purchasing throughout the year and hiding at a friend's house. I got 4 new Le Crueset pans that I'd been lusting after, a Starbucks gift card (cause I'm a total addict), a DSW gift card (also a shoe addict), this hilariously adorable little guy, and a Sur la Table gift card. Little did Mr Tea know... I'd been doing the same thing and he had presents waiting for him that I'd bought months ago too. Lol! We're both thrifty but of course we like nice things so we pick things up on sale, with coupons, and any way we can maximize a discount we can find. We did the same thing for Tiny Tea (Clearance octonauts bath toys and $0.50 Lego duplo sets FTW!!)

Though this is a hard time for us, I'm truly fortunate and very grateful.

!!

Getting started with matcha is so awesome! I've been drinking it in the morning with breakfast for almost a full year now, and knock on my fake-wood desk, I haven't gotten sick at all (except for that one sinus infection when I stopped drinking it for two weeks...whoops).

I think you are selling yourself short if taste isn't as important to you. I feel high quality matcha is better for you, but maybe I'm just overthinking things. I would give this one a shot since it claims to be ceremonial grade, it's 4oz, AND it's barely over $20. That sounds like a steal.

I have matcha every morning. Tea ceremony purists would probably faint over my routine, but it's pretty quick for me and it still tastes lovely.

Tools:

• A little sifter/strainer/whathaveyou
  
  
• Chasen whisk and chashaku scoop (I prefer to use the chashaku scoop over the little spoon because I find it's easier to scoop out of my matcha tins.)
  
  
• Big ol' soup mug - You don't need a fancy schmancy special bowl. My mug is some weird soup mug from the 70s with Garfield on it.
  
  
• Matcha powder! (This one is my favorite, but it might be too much money if you're just getting started)
  
  __
  
  

1. Take your clunky soup cup and fill it with hot water. I use hot tap water. Let it sit in the sink.
   
   
2. Put the kettle on to boil. When it has reached a boil, pour the water into a one-cup liquid measuring cup and let it sit.
   
   
3. While the hot water is sitting, remove your cup from the sink, dry the inside with a paper towel.
   
   
4. Place your strainer atop your tea cup. Take out your matcha tea and scoop as much as you'd like onto the strainer. Here I use the chashaku scoop to press it against the strainer. This is what breaks up the clumps, leaving me with very fine, powdery matcha.
   
   
5. By the time you've finished adding the powder to your cup, the hot water in the measuring cup should be ready. Keep in mind you want the water to be between 155-180F in temperature.
   
   
6. Pour in the hot water and whisk it to death until it's lovely and frothy.
   
   
7. While waiting for it to cool (if you're like me and are a wuss), eat your breakfast!

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 :)

Ohhh how I <3 you! =]
It is Friday woot but it is my work Sunday tomorrow is my Monday. Still exciting, Wednesday is the start of my vacation=].

A giftcard would be awesome to put toward getting an ipad mini, I still really want one! It would be amazing to have something to put in my purse and still read my books, do my emails, work, etc.... right now I have my phone that I do all that on, and it can be quite a pain with such a small screen. For the love of my eyes haha. Or this little t-rex would be totally kick ass!! I could have some fun with this bad boy!


It's the weekend yay =D

I'm sorry your week hasn't been going very well. Hopefully it will start getting better soon!

I'm going bowling and having beers with some friends tonight, which should be pretty fun. Then on Friday my friends are throwing me an early birthday party while two friends are in from out of town, so I'm really looking forward to that!

This adorable manatee tea infuser makes me smile and definitely comes in handy with drinking yummy tea.

Oh and catdog!

I drink looseleaf with an infuser like this one, or in a ceramic teapot (haven't gotten around to shelling out for a clay one yet.) This is my process for making black tea, which is what I usually drink.

1. Put water in the kettle. Bring it to a boil.
   
2. Pour a cup or so of water in the teapot or infuser, put the lid on, and let it sit for a few minutes to warm up.
   
3. Bring the kettle back up to a boil. (If you're using a kettle on the stove, just leave the burner on until the second pour in step 6.)
   
4. Dump the water out of the teapot.
   
5. Put in a few teaspoons (this will vary according to taste and will change as you get more practice) of tea in the teapot.
   
6. Pour boiling water over the leaves, as much as you're planning to make (this, too, will vary, and you'll settle into a usual amount. A few cups, perhaps).
   
7. Wait 3-5 minutes (I set my phone timer for 4).
   
8. Pour into a cup. If you're using a teapot with the loose leaves floating around inside, strain it. I use this strainer, but if you want to go fancy, you can get something like this. They just sit on the rim of the mug.
   
9. Add whatever you want. I usually do a few drops of liquid stevia and a squeeze of lemon juice. Sometimes I'll do a little cream instead of the lemon. Sometimes it's just sweetener. Sometimes I drink it without anything added. Depends on how I feel.
   
10. Enjoy!
    
    I'm not a huge fan of tea bags, because I'm sort of elitist about my tea and because I can't find many bagged teas that are as delicious and full-flavored as looseleaf teas.
    
    When I'm drinking tea, it's usually before or with breakfast, so I'm generally just eating breakfast alongside it. However, for a treat, I like to get some McVitie's digestive biscuits to nibble on with a pot of tea. If you're American, you can often find them in international food stores (or order online!). They go wonderfully with tea, and they're way more appetizing than they sound.
    
    I hope this helped, and that you can forgive my penchant for abusing paretheses! :)

Okay based on that I'm going to suggest a few things you could add to your wish list. I promise I won't be offended if you don't like them, but you might find something you're interested in. :)

Tea things:

First for cute tea things, I highly recommend the flowering tea pot I received it as an Arbitrary Day gift and it's awesome. The teas are delicious and most importantly, to me, the tea pot is sooo cute.

Mana Tea infuser a lot of people have this on their wish lists. I should add it to mine too.

Tea Sampler There are several samplers with different types of tea from this company and a bunch of others. You should look around for sure.

Hello Kitty Stuff:

Add on Hello Kitty alarm clock

This Hello Kitty toy It's adorable.

Mug

Ceramic travel mug

History related:

Hitler Youth This looks like it would be a fascinating read.

The Roads of the Roma: A PEN Anthology of Gypsy Writers

Gypsies Under the Swastika

The Rape Of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust Of World War II


Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II

For a teaware splurge, I'd suggest a Zojirushi instant hot water heater. I've yet to see anyone unhappy with that purchase.

A good water filter, if you need one.

As for teapots, cups, etc: there's the practical answer and the fanciful answer.

The practical answer is: if you're new, you don't know what teas you'll enjoy, much less how you'd like to prepare them. A good, solid bet would be a basic mug infuser like this or [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Extra-Loose-Infuser-House-Again/dp/B01N1OTXHW), or a gaiwan, or a simple medium-size ceramic teapot. From there, you can figure out if you prefer a certain variety, then get the best type of gear to maximize the brew for that variety.

The fanciful answer is: really, you can brew any tea in any set up. So, if you really love the look of a Japanese kyusu, you can still use it to brew a strong western breakfast blend. Go for it.

I did see a good suggestion here, that a lot of people who like yixing teapots really just like the aesthetic of them (guilty as charged!), in which case you can find ceramic pots that can work for any style of brewing for any type of tea. You can find these at vendors like: teaware.house, Dazzle Deer, Taiwan Tea Crafts.

Okay I'm really not sure which is a deeper rabbit hole, coffee or tea...

For coffee, before you buy any gear, I'd recommend going to a few good local roasters. Try some pourover, try a latte, a cappuccino, and some espresso. I like a of the above, no sugar necessary. Don't worry about buying coffee gear until you figure out what you like, or if you like it at all.

For tea, buy a decent infuser. I prefer something like this:

FORLIFE Brew-in-Mug Extra-Fine Tea Infuser with Lid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sU.CAb9N3FK95

Fits in any mug, gives the tea plenty of space to expand.

There are tons of varieties of tea. Tons. The ones I'd consider must try are probably: oolong, genmai, Jasmine green tea, Earl grey, chai, white tea, and some standard black tea.

My usual rule of thumb for tea is if I'm going to be putting milk in it (black, Earl grey, chai) tea bags are fine. If I'm not putting anything in it, I try for loose tea. Not all loose tea is created equal, and some bagged tea is pretty good though. Ymmv.

Good luck, and happy sipping!

Welcome to loose-leaf tea, I hope you find it as amazing as I do!

It looks like that’s a blend of Indian black teas. If so, I can’t recommend these mesh strainers enough! I brew all of my Indian teas in them. They’re super easy to use and they fit directly into most mugs. Great for brewing one cup at a time. They also allow more room for the leaves to expand than most mesh strainers, which I’ve found to make a big difference. Plus they come in all different colors so you can collect them all :)

I'm sorry! That sucks, my family never really celebrated holidays and stuff so I feel your pain. I can honestly say my parents never got me a birthday present that was wrapped. My mom swears they did birthday parties for me when I was a little kid like younger than 6 but I don't remember and there's no photos.

Do...do you like art? Like things I could draw? You can see some of my art on my submission page I did a contest called mediocre art contest, and linked examples of my work. I would absolutely love to make you a drawing on small painting. I'm working on one for the second winner of that contest then have to make another for another person then I would be free. I'm trying to get in with the other RAoA artists! But anyway you hit me up if you dig my style! I'd love to make you something special.

Heh heh this guy

Ok. Here we go. Making ghee is super easy, but definitely do it a few times before making a big batch. I think newbies usually under cook it at first because they are afraid to burn it, but once seeing how easy it is, actually do end up burning it by not paying attention at the end.

1. Put unsalted butter in a pot and cook on low medium.
   
   
2. Wait a while. If you scoop continuously, it'll be tiring and a waste of your time. Wait until there is a thick foam and then scoop it off.
   
   
3. Keep waiting. The first few times, I'd stay near the stove to see it and learn the cycles and then you won't have to until the end. I usually do other things and check back on it to do the scooping and see how it looks.
   
   
4. The second stage is larger bubbles (not always but usually). You can scoop these off but its not as easy as the foam. After or around this stage, the butter becomes mostly clear. Technically it is pretty much done as transparency indicates it is mostly fat. It isn't truly done, though.
   
   
5. Towards the end, there will be lots of small bubbles coming upwards (almost like pouring a glass of seltzer). At this point don't leave the stove. Scoop away as needed and wait until almost all the bubbling has subsided and you're finished. Let cool for 20-30 minutes and put in mason jars.
   
   
6. put the mason jar on loosely overnight or for a day and close once its solid (unless it is very very hot outside then it'll be less solid)
   
   Notes
   
   The bottom will turn dark brown or potentially black. It might appear that the ghee is black if the pan is narrow (less surface area so more solids accumulate and turn black). Just grab some of the ghee with the spoon and you'll see that it is still golden and you'll know its not burnt. It isn't finished until the small upward seltzer bubbles are mostly done. Don't go crazy wondering about it. By the time the small bubbles are even there it is mostly done, so don't worry if there are still some. You'll notice they get less and less and you can pull it when there isn't too much happening.
   
   I've found straining into a teabag is the best option. Coffee filters are way too slow and stall and metal filters let particles through. If you can buy a 100 pack of filters like these, they'll last you forever and you can use them for tea.
   
   If you go 10 or 20 minutes past the end of the small bubble phase, it will burn, so even if you are lazy and just checking on it throughout the process, stick near it at the end. I burned it once and even though I didn't toss it, it wasn't as good.
   
   When you pour it, it might seem a little dark to you. By the time it is solidified, it'll be mostly white.
   
   Ghee is pure fat and lasts a lifetime. I make 3 lbs at a time and it lasts a couple few weeks because I eat it as my main fat source.
   
   Hmmmm what else. If I think of anything else important I'll message again. Ask any questions you'd like. I'll go grab a pic and link it.
   
   EDIT: I realize it is more golden than mostly white, but you get the idea.

Like most anything else, there's no less than a bazillion options, and everyone will have their own take on which ones you should begin with.

If you can find a tea shop reasonably close, I recommend buying an ounce or two of several teas. Any reasonably large city should have a tea shop, you may have one near you. Take note of how to properly brew each one and give it a try. Experiment with the steep time and temperature a little if it's not quite to your liking, or if you're just feeling adventurous.

If buying in person isn't feasible, try a sample pack or similar from a reputable online vendor. There are some links in the sidebar that will help with that.

Get a tea kettle for boiling your water, good ones can be had from a variety of online retailers, like teas, but home goods stores will usually have a decent kettle. Electric or stovetop doesn't really matter much, I use a stovetop kettle myself.

With a kettle and tea in hand, you have a couple options for brewing. The best (IMO) is a proper tea pot, and there are many styles available. I have this one, and it's pretty foolproof and sturdy:
Bodum Assam Teapot

Alternatively, you can just use tea filters, like this:
Tea Filters
It's basically a DIY tea bag.

That is my recommendation for equipment, and only based on what I have personally used. I will let others offer suggestions for specific teas to order online, as I make all my purchases locally and can't recommend anything in particular.

Loose leaf is really worth it with green tea, to start out with.

My favorite type of green tea is Japanese. O cha has some great stuff. Sencha is your basic Japanese green tea, don't worry so much about the other types unless you want to make a hobby of it. It is very strong, highly caffeinated stuff, which also means you have to be careful; don't brew it in boiling water or for more than two minutes, or it will take the roof of your mouth off.

China also produces some excellent green teas. I'd go to Silk Road Teas for that. Chinese tea is much more forgiving. It's pretty common to dump a scoop of leaves into a thermos and then just keep topping it up with more water all day. More subtle brewing techniques will let you play with flavor more, of course. Dragonwell is the most common everyday Chinese green, and it's easy to brew and drink, so it might be good for a beginner. Silk Road also does nice sample sets!

Many beginners also like Adagio. They're good at easing you into the world of tea, and sell a lot of teaware if you don't have any equipment yet. In-mug infusers are a fantastic approach if you don't feel like spending gobs of cash on decorative teapots, Amazon is also a good source there.

Green is only one category of tea, of course. Black is great stuff, oolong and white if you get interested in the complex flavors, and if you want a powerful hit of caffeine, try the pu erh. It's an acquired taste, but boy will it keep you awake.

ETA: Mug infusers that are in stock. They come in colors, but you'll have to look yourself. Also fill your own tea bags for the weak of heart who insist on tea bags.

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.

Obligatory /r/tea plug.

what-cha.com is fantastic! Great selection and good prices.

Use 1 tsp (5g) of tea leaves, and you can steep them multiple times (up to 3-5 depending on the tea you use), so 50g of tea is quite the value. You can also try samplers of more "exotic" tea if you want to try them out.

I highly recommend Yunnan black tea, tastes like chocolate and caramel black tea without all the watery fillers and flavorings. :D It also doesn't get bitter if left steeping for a minute or two longer than you intended.

I also just tried a sample of their Kenyan Flowery Orange Pekoe black tea recently, and it's basically a higher grade of the regular black tea you get in stores. Less astringency, more delicious juicy flavor.

I use this type of strainer and it works great in all sorts of mugs.

Hope this helps!

Here's a mishmash of items that I really love having in my apartment:

• Command Strips for hanging pictures/mirrors/various objects without putting holes in walls.
  
• A diffuser of some sort. I have this one from Saje, but there are lots of different kinds of varying prices on Amazon. You can get different blends of essential oils that smell really nice and help with stress management, sleep, etc.
  
• My slow cooker is my best friend, for real.
  
• Colouring books are a big thing now. I really like having a few lying around for when I'm bored or need to relax!
  
• Containers to pack up all the delicious food she'll be making in her slow cooker! ;)
  
• French press and kettle. Also this ADORABLE SLOTH TEA INFUSER.
  
  

Honestly it'd probably be more fun and educational to put together your own sample pack. An infuser can be had anywhere, the two popular ones around here are Forlife and Finium. Then a vendor like Upton Tea has tons and tons of affordable samples as well as a huge catalogue. You could get a cross-sample selection of the tea world, like a traditional english blend, a chinese black, chinese and japanese greens, a roasted and a green oolong, and a white tea. Then from there you can refine your taste and figure out what you gravitate towards!

Mainly why I recommend starting with straight teas if you intend to really get into tea, is if you start with a collection of blends, you don't really know if you're tasting the tea itself or the other ingredients in it. Unflavored tea already varies wildly in flavor from light and vegetal, to sweet, fruity, and floral, to deep and earthy.

(Another popular alternative to infusers would be a gaiwan set, though that's a little more advanced as a vessel for gongfu brewing.)

I will have to do so! Thank you so much for your help - I am not super experienced with Chinese teas but hopefully I'll be able to taste whether it's the quality it claims. (But, I'm not picky so I'll probably enjoy it regardless). I'll have to open up the tins and see.

Do you have a recommendation on brewing style? I normally brew Western-style with a stainless steel tea infuser - do you think this method would be good for this type of tea? I don't have access to a gaiwan set or anything like that, although if it's really superior I could be convinced to buy something....

That looks like a good starter green tea. I'm not sure how happy you'll be with "Mister tea" though. It doesn't leave a whole lot of room for the tea to expand, and that gunpowder green definitely will. The basket for your contigo mug looks pretty good. You may want to look in to a basket type infuser for normal mugs, as well. This ForLife infuser and this Finum basket are both pretty popular around here.

Welcome to the world of tea. Cheers!

Before you go out and buy a lot of tea, only to find out it's not to your liking, explore your options a bit by trying out sampler packs.
A bunch of good samplers where linked to over here, but that's mostly for straight unblended teas.

I hardly drink flavoured teas myself, so I can't really give you any good recommendations on that, but perhaps someone else will chime in.
Adagio carries a lot of samplers, many of them containing fruity tea blends, so you might want to check that out.

If you don't have anything to steep your loose leaf in, I recommend picking up an infuser basket that allows you to brew directly in your cup/mug. If you end up liking hot tea, you can always invest in teapots and whatnot later. (And so begin the hopeless teaware addiction many of us suffer from!)

This, and this should do well. Avoid smaller infusers such as this, as your leaf needs the room to expand and interact with the water while steeping. A cramped infuser will not allow your leaf to do so, and may lead to an inferior brew.

> I think I will start with some fruity tea, is it acceptable to put honey/sugar into that?

It's your tea, you're free to drink it however you like it best. I do recommend steering away from your usual preferences every now and then to experiment a bit. There's a lot of different flavours to be found in straight tea, and it'd be a shame not to give it a shot. If you like it better with sweetener though, by all means drink it with sweetener.

> I had some tea bags but wasnt a huge fan, not very strong of a taste, would loose leaf tea be better?

You betcha!

I'll list some of my own favorite teaware, but I'm not sure how it would match up with your expectations or her preferences.

ceramic teapot, grandma style: I had one of these I really liked, which was lost in a move (stolen by customs, probably). If you are ok with the idea of looking at local thrift shops for that might be the way to go. There's no reason something like this couldn't be sold new but a really classic look and feel works even better, and ceramic cleans up as well as anything you might buy.

glass teapot: I have one just because I picked it up in Chinatown on a whim, a Kamjove version. Since I don't brew tea Western style much and usually use a different device I hardly ever use it, but it is functional, and cool looking.

basket infuser: my parents bought me one of these (not a teapot, but it seems as well to move off that theme). It's a "For Life" brand version, and it works a lot better than I expected, so I actually do use it. Those cost more than I'd ever pay for a Western style brewing device (around $30, as I recall), but other versions online cover the same function, one just mentioned here in a post not long ago: https://www.amazon.com/Yoassi-Extra-Fine-Approved-Stainless/dp/B01LQ7NQTW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=basket+infuser&qid=1574063246&sr=8-1

gaiwan: way off the subject; this is a much better way to brew tea. It's just a different approach, "Gong Fu" instead of Western style, kind of a long story. For as inexpensive as these types of items tend to be you could probably pick her up an inexpensive gaiwan, that basket infuser, and a glass teapot for not very much at all, and kick her tea habit into a next gear.

We might talk about the tea part; a token effort at upgrading her exposure to that too would be great. What kinds does she like?

If you want a nice looking Japanese tea set you can find some authentic Japanese tea pots at Den's tea
. The cheap one's use metal strainers rather than ceramic but they would still be good quality. If you have any Chinese tea shops near by you can find some cheap ceramic cups to go with it and probably not go over budget.

Instead of the tea ball look into a cup with a strainer. It is so much easier and it makes much better tea. (and when you do multiple infusions it makes it easier to save the leaves as they are less likely to roll off)I found this on amazon but there are probably cheaper options. Especially just buying a well made strainer that fits a cup you already have.

I use this one. Chan teas is unfortunately closing but that cup and strainer set works great and it is a good price. The strainer is more than $12 on amazon [by it self] (http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Extra-fine-Infuser-Porcelain-Dish/dp/B001JP1KPO/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) probably because it is so well made.

You could try out Harney's sachets (they're shaped like a small pyramid, and filled with loose leaf, so it's kind of like drinking loose. Its much better quality than what is put in teabags, and the sachet provides the leaves room to expand). I don't know where you're located, but they're pretty far reaching (I'm in NZ and they're in several stores here... which is definitely saying something), or you could order online;

https://www.harney.com/irish-breakfast-tea.html

*Edited to add; if you did want to look at an infuser, I think these are incredibly fantastic and super low hassle;
http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8

You just pop them on your mug, scoop in the tea, pour hot water, take out when done. Boom! re-useable metal teabag!

are you sure it wasn't just a low quality water bottle you tasted from?
I have 3 Klean Kanteens I use for all kinds of things and none of them leave a flavor behind because its just steel and no plastic lining that collects off flavors. Are you sure it wasnt a cheap lining? my first reccomendation would be a insulated klean kanteen. Its by far been my favorite and I've been through a lot of tea mugs.

If you're set on glass though I owned [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Lifefactory-Glass-Beverage-Bottle-Turquoise/dp/B004C3LVXQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1427182808&sr=8-3&keywords=16oz+glass+water+bottle
) for a while before I moved to metal and it held up well and the coating was nice to protect my hands from hot drinks. I was always careful to prewarm it but I never had it crack when I was lazy a few times. It DID shatter when it went flying out of my backpack side pocket like 10ft onto a concrete hill...but if you're set on glass it would be my choice. I usually make my own teabags from cheesecloth or this stuff to steep on the go.




another cheap option is to get something like this

and buy a mason jar. That way when it shatters, you can just get another jar for very cheap.

edit: Also with the mason jar you can just use something like this
gives you a better quality brew to go and lets you control how long you brew a little easier and better than french press style mugs imo.

Disclaimer: I literally just switched from bags to loose leaf tea drinking today after hours and hours of research.

I bought a Bonavita Electric Kettle (http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40/) and chose it for it's precise tempature control and the ability to dual-purpose it for coffee pour-overs as well.

For infusion, I purchased an in-cup stainless steel one (http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8) mostly because it has good reviews and Amazon Now had it in stock for 2-hour delivery. There is some well-reviewed plastic infusers as well, but I like the visual of stainless steel in my new ritual.

The process is super easy. I fill up the kettle with water and punch in the temp (160 degrees in my case for Harney Japanese Sencha). Once it's hot I put the infuser in my mug and add a heaping spoonful of loose leaf. Then I pour-over the leaves and set my phone timer for a couple minutes. In no time, the tea is ready and I remove the infuser and dump the contents into composting.

The resulting tea is perfect. Easily twice as good as the experience as using the tea bags (I've been drinking Harney Japanese Sencha in bags for 2 years).

1. This is all you really need to brew tea anywhere.
   http://imgur.com/a/xqFqH
   
   You might look like the eccentric dude in the office lunch room, but, who cares.
   
   You can also just use T sac filterbags, $7 for 100 on Amazon.
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B010RV810W/
   
   
2. Temperature and time and leaf-water ratio matters, for C sinensis tea. You don't want to be over 180F for a green or under say 200F for a black/red, usually. Oolong can be more forgiving, but most people develop brewing parameters for what they like. If all you have is boiling water, you get a feel for how long it takes to cool to Green brewing temp. Also pouring from one vessel to an unheated one loses 10F or so.
   
   And Tie Gwan Yin / Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) is a type of Chinese Oolong. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tieguanyin?wprov=sfla1
   
   The Townsends in Eugene OR had an excellent Tieguanyin, which surprised me.
   
   I usually don't expect much from brick and mortar teahouses in the US.
   
   Yunnan Sourcing US warehouse is in Portland. When I lived in the PNW, their deliveries would arrive next business day or so.
   
   http://yunnansourcing.us

It's more wasteful than other methods, but I like using t-sacs if I won't be near a sink. You can make a few up with your favorite tea, and put them in a small tin or baggie and slip it in your bag. Use like you would other teabags. I've had good results with resteeping the bags if it's a tea I would resteep using other methods. I just make sure to use it pretty shortly after the first cup.

In terms of equipment, to brew western-style, you can buy reusable strainers to brew the tea. You put a teaspoon or so of leaf into the strainer, steep as normal, and set the strainer aside when you're ready to drink. I have this one and I really like it. It's good to get a big strainer so that the tea leaves can unfurl - good tea expands a lot when you steep it.

Quality is up to your personal taste, imo. In my experience, higher-quality tea tends to be smoother, lacks the off-flavors (bitter, acrid) that are found in some cheaper tea, doesn't lose all of its flavor on the first steep (you can usually steep high-quality tea multiple times before it runs out of flavor), and is more complex than cheaper tea. Imo it just smells and tastes better all around. It's like saying "How can I tell when I'm eating good quality pizza/drinking good wine?" You can tell cause you enjoy it more

Its not a good plan to invest that much $ without knowing if you honestly like tea or not. To begin just get a simple infuser this one works , hopefully you already have a mug. Just boil or microwave water to start before you are sure you really love tea. You could always get a cheaper kettle but the most basic way to start is just infuser+mug+tea . Grab yourself a few sample from adagio or harney. I like harney to start since their samples are 2$ each. Grab some from as many of the major tea groups as possible. Find what you like. Good luck.

TL:DR Spend more money on tea, less money on accoutrements

I don't know about you, but when in the office I like having something around that will make laugh, so I suggest this MANATEA Infuser it sure will be a source for some smiles!

As for me you don't have to worry cause I live in the middle east and shipping alone will be 10$ i think.. so focus on yourself and celebrate the awesomeness you've achieved! Seriously, 60 pounds and 3.95 GPA!

Looks & brains, you got it all gurrrl!

Ignoring aesthetics,

A cast iron teapot can be great, especially with a tea candle to keep it warm.

The most important thing is to use a basket style infuser.

I would recommend a 330mL French Press (for making single cups) because they have a wire filter built in, are cheap and easily available.

I've also enjoyed using this basket style infuser because it makes single cups, the lid keeps the heat in, and the lid doubles as a drip catcher if I plan on doing multiple steeps of the same tea.

My S.O. and I are a big fan of her Bredemeijer vacuum insulated 1.2L tea pot, which keeps tea for two hot for a couple hours. On that note, having a vacuum insulated mug is great for tea on the go, or for keeping tea warm while you pour into smaller, traditional cups.

You could get some good quality loose-leaf tea and cold brew it! It's super easy and usually flavorful!

• Fill pitcher with water
  
• Add loose leaf tea (it really depends on the type of tea - 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per cup)
  
• Stick in refrigerator overnight.
  
• Strain the liquid to remove all of the leaves (I have this infuser and I pour all of the liquid through it into a bowl and then back into the pitcher)
  
• If you like tea just a bit sweeter, make a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan. Constantly stir and bring to a boil until dissolved) and add!
  
  I believe /r/tea is a pretty active subreddit. I'd search and ask there for recommendations of good types of tea to cold brew!

I am tired of waiting so I'll make a budget matcha set for you:

[Rice Bowl $7.6] (http://www.amazon.com/Smiling-Blue-Porcelain-Rice-Bowl/dp/B0042J0R7Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1412653136&sr=8-2&keywords=rice+bowl) you can find this cheaper, but I'll post this for convience. while a proper chawan has a wider base that is better for whisking the matcha, this type of bowl could work. Generally chawans are $20 and up.

[Bamboo whisk$11.88] (http://www.amazon.com/1x-BambooMN-Brand-Chashaku-preparing/dp/B003VSEG7Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1412653207&sr=1-3&keywords=matcha+bowl) (+ Chashaku & spoon) you can find cheaper whisks for around $5 or more expensive ones from Japan that generally are of a better quality. Some people use milk frothers or normal cooking whisks, both can be used, but won't be as effective.

Right now we are at $19.48, the cheapest matcha at o-cha is the [Uji Organic Matcha] (http://www.o-cha.com/uji-organic-matcha.html) for $10.56, slightly more expensive and in my oponion a more friendly matcha is the [Uji Matcha Kiri No Mori] (http://www.o-cha.com/uji-matcha-kiri.html) at $12.74. If this is your first time making matcha, I wouldn't recommending purchasing anything over $15 there.


Bonus accessories that are useful, but not necessary is the [Matcha Sifter for $14.56] (http://www.o-cha.com/matcha-furui.html) and the [bamboo whisk stand] (http://www.o-cha.com/matcha-whisk-keeper.html) for $4.73.

Also if you want to practice your whisking skills I reccomend getting a powdered green tea [like Teavivre's] (http://www.teavivre.com/organic-green-tea-powder/).

More details please! (Also I assume you meant infuser - but if you do want a tea scented oil diffuser then let us know!)


What's your budget? Is this person Really Into Tea or just Kinda Into Tea?

​

This one is my favorite https://www.adagio.com/teaware/ingenuiTEA_teapot.html

​

This style of strainer is another favorite. https://www.amazon.com/Yoassi-Extra-Fine-Approved-Stainless/dp/B01LQ7NQTW *They make a lot of versions of these so you may want to find others and read reviews.


There are plenty of cute and silly ones out there but I find them to be more of a pain to clean and care for.

Here is a really cute owl mug! I may have to get this one for myself!

Here is a different owl one!

A beautiful cast iron one

Bonus adorable tea infuser!

Tea is always a good idea! There's a local teahouse down the street from where I live, and I have yet to find a combination there I don't love. When it's cold outside, I get a combination of lavender Earl Grey and Earl Grey cream with a hint of honey as a sweetener. Sometimes I'll make it like a "tea latte" and ask for hot almond milk. I almost wish it was cold enough for me to get some now!

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.

Just make sure that it's super fine material, but not too fine to let the leaves out. Also make sure it isn't treated with anything. We can't use regular paper towels because of the chemicals that they are covered in- gotta make sure the same goes for your fabric. Good luck!

If you want it to be reusable, you can model them off of the paper ones for single use.

It is tiny, but it'll work. Ideally you want something bigger that'll allow leaf expansion, especially for some of the bigger leaf teas like oolong and some whites/blacks. The holes might be too big for rooibos.

If you like it, upgrade to something like this https://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1467332365&sr=1-2&keywords=forlife+tea+infuser

thingy. Because our coffee maker is broken at work and I've been downing tea. I have a vanilla, caramel, and earl grey tea that I LOVE at home but it's only loose leaf so I need one of these thingies for the office.

I hope you are having a marvelous day, thank you for the contest :)

For Loose leaf tea I would suggest that you get an in-cup infuser like the Forlife Tea infuser

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JPA3Y8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have the Forlife and I love it. It gives tones of space for the tea to expand (which is very important) and it just works great. I think you might like to start with a tea like darjeeling. Darjeeling has a wonderful floral taste and is referred to as the champagne of tea.
While Puerh is a wonderful tea I have found that it is very easy to get inferior Puerh that will leave you with a bad impression. Puerh is also a tea that people either love or hate so it might not be one for beginners. Peet's Puerh is ok but I would stay away from Teavana's Puerh.

Most importantly get out there and try tea. You will find what you like. Don't worries about tasting bad tea. Tea is cheep and you won't lose out by trying new stuff.

1. I feel loved when someone says they thought of me when we weren't talking. Like when my fiance randomly texts me in the middle of the day to say "I love you" just because he was thinking about me. Or when a friend links me to something because it reminded them of me. That makes me feel loved.
   
   
2. Tea ball infuser
   
   
3. Twiddle Fiddle toy
   
   
4. Affirmation

I like using a larger infuser like this. There's enough room for the leaves to expand and it's pretty easy to clean. This one is also very high quality, I've had it for years and it's still as good as new.

The water lays calm and undisturbed in my mug. Each H20 particle relaxed and at rest going about doing what ever it is still water does. Then things begin. The water resting in the mug becomes shaken, as if an earth quake has just hit, as I place my mug in to the microwave. There is a loud bang as I shut the microwave door. Then all seems calm again for the water for a few brief seconds. Then the beeping begins. With each button push on the microwave its like a siren goes off to the the helpless water within the mug. A flash of light goes off, the water inside burning. Steam begins coming off the mug, the water dieing as its spirit leaves the cup here it once laid so peacefully. I open the microwave looking down at my victims. they seem helpless but they still haven't suffered enough to satisfy my appetites. Thats when i grab the bomb I open it up and fill it with leaves herbs and spices, although delicious to us, these things are poisonous and deadly to the citizens of my mug. I drop the bomb in and the chemical explosion happens instantly. You can see the corpses of the water rapidly turn brown, all the while their souls still leap from my mug. But this is still not enough for me. I reach for a spoon and stir, the mug has become an inescapable vortex of death with my tea bomb right at the center. I celebrate my victory by adding some honey, as victory is sweet. then to savor that victory I slowly sip from the mug, feeling empowered and ready to start my day.

Change Jar, just in case.

I think the mugs are fantastic! I know someone else who made mugs for their bridal party. The loose tea is a great idea, if it was me I'd get them each a package of tea from David's tea of a type I think they'd like.

You can also tuck in a tea infuser. Here's an inexpensive one. This one is cute.

This is the one I use. Originally ordered one and then ended up ordering a second one for work. I've been using them multiple times a day almost every day for half a year now and there aren't any signs of rust so far.

I know some people aren't fans of metal infusers, but it's working out pretty well for me. Would definitely recommend it.

For brewing, you can't go wrong with a simple in-the-mug infuser.

An electric kettle is great, too. It frees you from stoves and microwaves, so you can brew right at your desk.

Oh, and you may wish to check out Mellow Monk's Green Tea -- green tea from independent artisans in Japan. /selfpromotion

Happy brewing!

Hey!!

I tried this tonight! I haven’t had the tea yet I’m waiting until closer to bedtime, but we drink lots of tea in our household, so instead of the melitta plastic thing you linked, I used the brown coffee filter with a fine meshed tea infuser I had in the kitchen, it’s not exactly like the link below, but pretty much. The paper filter fit fine.

I didn’t let the water boil, but get hot. I don’t have lemon right now so I made a paste first, transferred the hot water, and am now filtering it. I added a bit of stevia for the bitterness, and I was advised against using teaspoons so I measured 3g on my food scale. I’ll get a more precise scale eventually, but does this method sound close to what you were describing? I assume the lemon is for taste, I can get it tomorrow. Have to admit, the 3g was more than what I was using originally, so it goes to show using teaspoons aren’t always accurate. I’ll report back on sleep this weekend. Thanks!!

https://www.amazon.com/Yoassi-Extra-Fine-Approved-Stainless/dp/B01LQ7NQTW/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1539387946&sr=8-5&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=loose+tea+infuser&dpPl=1&dpID=41mWJpk7UXL&ref=plSrch

Matcha is super easy to make. You just need a wide teacup and a whisk. Amazon has a pretty good set here.

These Jalapeno Cheddar Peanuts would be nice!!!! And my favorite dinosaur is tea rex. He makes the best tea ever!

Thanks for the contest!

I don't like tea balls very much because they don't allow the tea to fully expand, which results in a less flavorful tea. I prefer metal strainers because they are easier to clean and produce a more flavorful tea.

This is the one that I use: http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317657140&sr=8-1

Though, if you find a good tea ball, it might be more ideal, simply because you could store it inside your thermos after you're done drinking the tea.

Tea:

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

5

7 (how do i add a digital download to a WL?

9 (NSFW TOOL)

11

12

16 NSFW

17 (it's funny because of an inside joke

20

Happy happy cake day

Congrats on the house! How exciting :)
I want this. I didn't think I could love tea more than I already do. Home Sweet Home.

That looks like a nightmare to clean.

Source: Owner of countless styles of infusers over the years. I've settled on the FORLIFE Brew-In-Mug style. It's easy to clean and very roomy, so it gives the leaves space to expand and plenty of room for water flow.

yes, i indeed read that, but not knowing what these things look like or how each feature that sets them all apart makes my seeking after one more challenging. so is this: https://www.amazon.com/Schefs-Premium-Tea-Infuser-Stainless/dp/B012T8SX1I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479147565&sr=8-1&keywords=tea++basket+infuser something i'd want? if so, i'm imagining filling the basket up with leaf then pouring hot water over it into whatever drinking device i'd like, in my case a thermos? how are the leaves allowed to steep in this setup?

How about a reusable teabag or even disposable tea bags? If you happen to live by a Daiso or other kind of dollar store, they sell disposable teabags for about $1.50 for a 100 pack. I think that there are also collapsable tea filters, if you don't mind a non-metal filter.

Otherwise, those are pretty small in terms of infusers (~2.5x4in) that would actually work well with tea. My last suggestion would be using a strainer like this although it's not too different from the second infuser I linked earlier (aside from maybe you could use this to scoop out the leaves). If space is the priority though, I think your teaball is already effective for your needs.

1.Cake Related. Gotta have that butter!


3 [A book I am eager to read!](http://www.amazon.com/The-Lobotomist-Maverick-Medical-Illness/dp/0470098309/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2ECIJJQQ9NLB8&
coliid=I3C6N0VUIQEABZ)

4 Eating Utinsils

5 Animal

6 Purple

7 A game

8 A guilty pleasure

9 A tool. Have you ever seen this movie? All these dudes are MASSIVE tools. It's amazing.

10 Something from my childhood

11 An organizational item. Can't have bottles scattered about!

12 Hobby

13 Nerdy/Geeky. I mean, PBS Home video... that's properly nerdy.

14 Natural Book are made from trees, and trees are au natural!

15 Green

16 Something you wear

17 Funny

18 This could work for rinsing dried beans

19 Gardening

20 Mine broke, I'm gutted without it. Luckily, I have a birthday coming up, and I plan on getting this bad boy asap.

This was fun! Thanks for the contest!!!

It's cute, but I don't know if it would have enough room for the tea leaves to expand. It would go great with this though.

Those are kick ass, really love the beautiful & unique Russian one!
I just found my favorite infuser, works awesome.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368540939&sr=8-1&keywords=tea+infuser
That's a really great infuser. It was recommended to me here and I love it

[I've got something like this, which I like for in-mug infusing:]
(https://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_46?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1512056519&sr=1-46&keywords=tea+infuser)

[This also looks like it might be good - an on-cup infuser:]
(https://www.amazon.com/Adagio-Teas-ingenuiTEA-Bottom-Dispensing-Teapot/dp/B000FPN8TK/ref=sr_1_16?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1512056500&sr=1-16&keywords=tea+infuser)

Or a glass teapot - I have one identical to this, which is easy to use and clean:

Sloth steeper?

Edit: For steepers, it's usually good to have one where the tea leaves can open up fully. One like this is good (and comes with a little saucer to put it on afterwards). Is it this sloth one? It's pretty cute, but it's hard for the leaves to spread out in it.

Double edit: If heating up water is not an option at all, then I'd probably bring water/tea in a travel mug. They have ones that will keep it hot the whole day. I like Zojirushi ones and DavidsTea mugs. The one I have from DavidsTea keeps it hot for around 6-7 hours.

I use my Mr. Tea Infuser
(28g) along with my GSI Infinity Mug (104g) and whatever normal stove I bring with me to heat the water. Works great for me. I also use a squirrel infuser from time to time when I'm feeling super naturey.

In the town where I wasn't born,

lived a gal who loved some tea.

She said it tasted so much sweeter

from a yellow submarine.

So she added it to her wishlist

so someone hopefully would buy.

So her tea would be as majestic

as a girl with diamonds in the sky.

We all want tea from a yellow submarine,

a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.

We all want tea from a yellow submarine,

a yellow submarine, a yellow submarine.

Thanks for the contest! :-)

You should get a basket infuser like one of these:

1

2

These are large enough to let the leaves open up so you can the whole flavor. There are other options such as a gravity steeper or infuser thermoses, but these are a good place to start :)

I'm not sure where you live, but if you have Wegmans grocery stores they have a really excellent and affordable (like almost Lipton affordable if you pick less expensive teas and double infuse them like I do) loose tea selection. They also have a variety of infusers and disposable tea bags (I would start out with something like this and upgrade to a reusable infuser like this if you decided that you're going to keep buying and making loose leaf tea). If you don't have a Wegmans, Google tea rooms in your area...some of them sell tea as well. If that still doesn't get you results, there are a ton of websites. Adagio is probably one of the more accessible ones for beginners...they sell an oolong called Fujian Rain, which is one of my favorite everyday teas. They also sell their teas in bags if you don't want to do the whole loose tea thing.

There are also reasonable quality bagged tea options...Numi comes to mind, I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting.

Also, don't listen to the snobs that are going to come into this thread to give you shit about ever having had Lipton.

We have a few that are great but aren't made anymore. I think this is sort of the successor:

http://www.amazon.com/Finum-Brewing-Basket-medium-black/dp/B000I68NCS

I wish they made it with a metal rather than plastic frame, though.

I'm curious about this one--if you try it let me know how well it works:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO5KQ4O

You can always get cheap steepers from amazon. :) I have this and this. They are both a little small, so the teas can't fully expand, though. My personal favorite is something like this because it has tiny holes that stop anything from escaping, and still plenty of room for larger tea leaves to fully expand.

I LOVE my FORLIFE Infuser. I hardly have any particle steep through. Highly recommend.
EDIT: And just in case this is important to you, this FORLIFE infuser fits small teacups as well as mugs. (That was my selling point.)

Finum's huge fill-them-yourselves tea bags are a pretty good disposable solution.

I went on amazon.com looking for empty tea bags and what I found works wonders.
T-Sac Disposable Paper Filter Tea Bags, Size 1, 100 Count
http://amzn.com/B001BLCIN4
They hold 3 tea spoons of tea, good for on the go people, and all I do is fill, staple closed and put in my cup before I head out. So easy and the same great taste I want.

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.

You can actually do this if you buy "roll your own" bags. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Filter-Bags-Disposable-Infuser-Filters/dp/B010RV810W/

But you will also need a grinder, or pre-ground beans, and in the end something like a portable french press or something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Teas-Etc-Tea-Traveler-Ounces/dp/B003FGW71G

Might work better.

Lovely! Could you share the brand of your strainer? It looks really nice!

Edit: I think it's this one?

Seconding the use of a large in-mug infuser like this one

All I drink is green tea and they are wildly different in flavor and worlds beyond bagged tea. Remember that especially with green tea, you can and should perform multiple infusion at the appropriate temperature since each subsequent infusion will have a slightly different flavor. The in-mug type of infuser makes multiple infusions super easy to do.

The next step after a ball strainer is giving the leaves room to expand and infuse better. You want a basket infuser or teapot+strainer.

The next step after supermarket tea is loose-leaf tea from a good vendor (see the sidebar). I suggest buying a sampler that includes green, oolong, and black teas.

List of "Promotional" Sample Sets

Curated sample set

Your post got blocked by a privacy filter. For privacy reasons, when sharing Amazon links in a public forum you should delete all the extra parts of the URL that come after the Amazon item number. That "?coliid=" stuff is related to your wishlist and could be used to track back to your Amazon account.

The first link should look like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LQ7NQTW/

And the second like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1OTXHW/


Let me know when you have edited your post and I can unblock it, or for a faster turn around time you could delete it and post again and it should go through on its own.

Manatea is the best tea! I would give this to my tea drinking sister. I think it would really cheer her up. Quick link for you.

Happy Birthday! make sure you treat yo self first. Stainless Steel Tea Ball $1.99

I recommend getting a basket infuser, something like this. Then you can brew loose leaf tea directly in your mug, you just put the leaves in the infuser, the infuser in the mug, and pour hot water in the mug. Then when the tea is strong enough, you remove the infuser and rest it somewhere. If you've got good leaves you'll even be able to reuse them and brew more tea with them.

a used book, valued at $5 or less

$4 or less if you look at the other options

$3 or less

$2 or less

I give up, I can't find the last one haha... happy birthday!

I've got one if these in-mug infusers and it seems to work really well. You'd then just get the hot water from the hot water dispenser, warm it up in the microwave, or get a small variable temperature electric tea kettle for your desk. I'd go for the latter, probably, as different teas brew best at different temperatures

Welcome! I've never used paper towel, but it could work. I fear it may tear after 1 or 2 infusions.

I've used this infuser and its worked well for me. It's a bit pricey @ $19 though.
http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Stainless-Folding-Infuser-Carrying/dp/B00FOMKNSI/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1457753210&sr=8-9&keywords=for+life+tea+infuser

You could also invest in a gaiwan. Half the price at $8.
http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Clay-Tea-Pot-Gaiwan/dp/B00H98UGCS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457753354&sr=8-1&keywords=gaiwan

This video helped me understand brewing process. It's a bit long, but hope it helps!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puldqGnW9P0

I would keep it as whole as possible just because that's the logic I use for tea, if its not strong enough grinding may make it stronger but may introduce off tastes like bitter or grassy. This may not be a problem for you with your specific taste, but I would give it a try whole if only because its easier and then experiment with a finer grind.

I like these for bags

https://www.amazon.com/T-Sac-Filter-Bags-Disposable-Infuser/dp/B010RV810W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493325561&sr=8-1&keywords=loose+leaf+tea+bags

(Look at the sizes and get one that meets your needs as they go from small cup to pitcher) but often just use a stainless steel strainer which can be found n amazon for a similar price.

I'll have to add a picture of my mug tomorrow since its at the office, where I find I need a cuppa' more often than at home.

I covet this ducky infuser, just too cute! I have this and the manaTEA one in my kitchen wish list.

I'm hosting a mad hatters tea for my kids 10 year birthday, but this, of all the silly nonsense, this is the stupidest tea party I've ever been to in all my life. Great idea, thanks for the contest!

I am currently using this tea infuser It fits most cups/mugs, and pretty much keeps all tea leave residue out of your tea. Only tea dust particles or VERY fine teas, such as Gyokuro will have anything getting through. You can also buy the infuser with different tea pots it fits in.

As has already been said, those ball infusers are pretty worthless. Find yourself a mug infuser. This one is pretty inexpensive will allow your teas to fully expand.

https://smile.amazon.com/Infuser-Handled-Stainless-Infusing-Steeping/dp/B01N1OTXHW/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=mug+infuser&qid=1567979211&s=gateway&sr=8-5

I'd try brewing it in an open basket like this one.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1412355993&sr=8-6&keywords=tea+basket

this is the basket my friend uses.

Personally I like to use a french press.

http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew-Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=pd_bxgy_k_text_y

I have used a tea infuser similar to this one to make coffee in out backpacking. Grind coarse, put in mug, pour hot water, and let steep to taste. It actually makes pretty darn good coffee. The trick is to make sure the pores in the infuser or ball are not too large otherwise fines get out into your cup. Heck, I may make tomorrow morning's coffee this way.

This rubber ducky tea infuser is super cute: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003XK9ER4/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1VLYJ4MSXW971&colid=3GV3JTD1WV9VT
Just look at it! Your cup of tea is its bath tub.

Awwdorable.

Intros are cool!

Manatees say meow

Sexy Rexy!

Thanks so much for the contest!

LOOK AT HOW FRIENDLY HE IS

FRIENDLYYYYYYYYYYY

LIKE A UNICORN

Ok, I was a barista for 4 years at a traditional coffee shop and I have a hunch as to why you had trouble. If you're grinding the beans very fine and packing as much in there as the bag will hold, you're actually going to get a weaker brew because the water isn't able to effectively circulate through the coffee, even if all the grounds are wet. Grind it a bit coarser and leave room in the bag for the grounds to expand. A medium/coarse grind would probably work best, just let it steep a bit longer.

Edit: I realized that a lot of bags available really are too small to hold enough coffee, here is a link for bags that are big enough to get a good cup but honestly, I'd still use the reusable basket.

These are more fun! I got my mom this one for Christmas last year. I'm not sure how well they work compared to standard infusers, but they are fun!

I've used this tea infuser multiple times a day at work for a couple of years now, and haven't had any rust issues with it. The holes are fine enough that I haven't had any issues with tea coming through them, and it's really easy to clean.

You'll want to get a brew basket most likely. I recommend either the finum (http://amzn.com/B000J3JFJU) or Forlife (http://amzn.com/B001JPA3Y8). You can leave the leaves in the basket and resteep. I wouldn't hold it over a day, though. You can also get an inexpensive gaiwan to start (http://amzn.com/B00HNJQWU8)

Also, different teas should be steeped at different temperatures (don't boil everything!) so you'll want a good kettle for that too. Or a pot and a thermometer. Doesn't have to be fancy!

Wah Ha ha I got my mother Fred the sloth.

Fred and Friends, CA Slow Brew Silicone Sloth Tea Infuser https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00V6AJN5Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5ygNDb4GHQZJX

I gotcha. If time is an absolute crunch in the morning, then there are a few things you can do to shorten the time spent on tea. Here's something that I do whenever I'm on the move. I use one of these, and keep a premeasured dose of tea in it, ready to be watered. When you happen to move toward the kitchen, turn on your kettle to the appropriate temperature, and walk away. When you're ready to steep, just do it and set a timer. Put pants on, or whatever takes ~3 minutes. Remove the leaves/strainer, close your cup and you're ready to go!

I haven't found a do-everything-automatically fix that doesn't have a major flaw. As far as I can tell, the quickest option is to take time beforehand to streamline the brewing process, so you don't have to think about it when it matters.

TL;DR: Setup everything the night before, and push buttons as you fly through the house in the morning.

yay 90s! here is my item. thanks!

Looks awesome!


put your weeds in this for even less clean up :D

I use this at work. Small and easy to clean.

http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Just-Ducky-Floating-Infuser/dp/B003XK9ER4

Sometimes I get distracted watching it float around happily and my tea gets steeped for too long.

Hey, I have this basket: https://www.amazon.com/Infuser-Handled-Stainless-Infusing-Steeping/dp/B01N1OTXHW/ref=sr_1_31?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1537158119&sr=1-31&keywords=tea+infuser

I dont think it's small, pretty much takes up the circumference of my mug.

I'll try brewing directly in my mug, any suggestions on the ratio of leaves:water and the duration of the steep?

The only bottled water I had on me was Nestle Pure Life which tastes pretty neutral to me.

I've used T-Sac "disposable tea infusers" and they work pretty well. I don't think I'd use them with a tightly-rolled oolong, because they're not as roomy as a metal infuser. But other than that, they're acceptable.

Just at tip - if you have a hair straightener, you can use that to heat seal these bags! Just fill the bag, fold over the top, then press it with the hot flat iron for a few seconds. It'll seal immediately and perfectly!

By the way, I'm talking about these types of bags: https://www.amazon.com/T-Sac-Filter-Disposable-Infuser-Capacity/dp/B001BLCIN4/ref=sr_1_2?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1482895644&sr=1-2&keywords=t-sac

In regard to straining sludge... Just by coincidence today I was reviewing several "Extra Fine Mesh Loose Leaf Tea Infuser" products on Amazon!! This would strain MOST of the black goop out overnight. Even saw 1 review comment, from a fellow kratomite lol.

My question is: How much are you losing, by straining sludge? As you say, would it require doubling the amount of kratom... so you're losing half the potency? That would not be good.. sure kratom's cheap right now but I dunno it seems wasteful.. I do like the idea of a cleaner "brew".. For hot tea w/ crushed leaf kratom this Tea Infuser would be perfect.

I got mine from Amazon, here is the product page, I’m pretty sure I also saw some at my local Target!

You mention ducks? Perfect Infuser. I'm sure he wouldn't mind loose-leaf tea with it.

Also, a mug? In Case He Has a Sense of Humor.

No matter what, I always love a caffeine-free Chamomile.

I think the rubber ducky tea infuser on my Tea Goodies wish list is probably the most awwdorable thing ever. It floats in your mug and makes you tea! How cute is that!?

Not from Amazon. I have multiple ones like this but they don't carry it. I see a lot of posts in favor of this one but I think the holes in the mesh look kind of large.

[EDIT] Actually, if I needed to buy one at Amazon I think I would get this

I have this nifty little Yellow Submarine Tea Infuser for $2.37!

Thanks for the contest :)

Something like these will get you started while you're figuring out what sort of tea you like (which might influence which brew method and equipment you want.

This one works in most mugs and is big enough to let the leaves have some room to float around. The one downside is that it's difficult to get it out of the mug when you're done brewing since the handle is metal and gets super duper hot. I used it a lot before I got pots with infusers built in...my favorite was a gift and I can't find it anywhere online, but I also have one that's similar to this, but smaller. I generally use those because they're more convenient and they make enough so that I can have tea for a couple of hours without having to get up and rebrew.

These have never steered me wrong!

EDIT: And here's a lengthy article about the best steepers.

I'd avoid the gimmicky silicone ones and get something like this or a teapot with a metal infuser. You want the water to circulate well and to have enough room for the leaves to expand. That's why the small metal tea balls aren't ideal for large leaf teas like oolongs.

So, the easiest way to make it is to just dump some in some almost boiling water. The downside, obviously, is that you have loose leaves in the water, which is (IMO) not the most appealing tea.

If you want to keep the leaves out of the tea, then you need a strainer. I use (this one)[http://www.amazon.com/HIC-Snap-Mesh-Ball-Infuser/dp/B000I1ZZ24/] cause it's cheap, easy to get the tea into, and easy to clean.

A lot of people like the (pourover kine)[http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-3-Inch-Strainer/dp/B001713L84/], but I like my tea stronger than most, so I like to let the leaves spend more time in the hot water than the pourover method does, and the scissor type strainer I use gives me the most flexible.

If you've got it in a bag, this is the most thorough video I've seen on the subject.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syAjix4QgNc

Otherwise, if you're using a strainer, all the same rules basically apply, you just use the strainer instead of the bag.

Ok look at getting a metal tea strainer like this https://www.amazon.com/Schefs-Premium-Tea-Infuser-Stainless/dp/B012T8SX1I/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1466302962&sr=1-3&keywords=tea+pot+strainer make sure the arms are wide enough to stay on top of your pots rim.

Hey guys. I just recently discovered this thread and thought I'd post my question instead of starting a new thread.

I recently ordered this and this. I am looking to wean myself off of coffee and have always enjoyed tea. I mostly drink green tea hence the amazon order. Does anyone have any recommendations on other/better brands?

I'm also looking to get either this addition to my Contigo mugs or just another mug for tea.

Oh that's cool. How did it taste? Wouldn't have thought to combine those two.

If you use something like these when steeping the fines from your tea, it should work well.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B001JPA3Y8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_MhWzCbFV7EFEY

House Again Extra Fine Mesh Tea... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1OTXHW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Great for cold brewing pitchers full or western in a teapot too

This is the CUTEST THING IN THE WORLD

OH CANADA!

Oatmeal?

You should get this because it's adorable, useful for stress, and hello - CALMING MANATEE. You should get me this so I can stop stressing about never being able to see the back of my head.

deputydawg!

Just get these. There were cheaper ones that are like 2 bucks for a bajillion, but they don't seem to be on amazon anymore. Anyway, you get the gist. I'm sure you can find something in London.

weigh it out and put in a teabag (http://www.amazon.com/T-Sac-Filter-Disposable-Infuser-Capacity/dp/B001BLCIN4), don't worry, powder does not fall through the holes in the bag. fold over and tie it up.
Then boil it on the stove, 2 cups of water to a boil then a medium simmer for 15 minutes (bag reused 3 times) and fill up one of these bad boys. I sip it throughout the work day: http://goo.gl/TWMQEw

Or if in a rush do the above method with the tea bag, bring the tea bag to work and just let it steep in the hot water from the hot water cooler. I'll drink 3 cups of tea with the same teabag. I also squeeze in half a lime per cup and mix with honey.

Then, discard the teabag full of wet sloppy sludgy powdery gook. This is a crime to some people as I am "wasting precious alkaloids". I could probably toss and wash down the sludge, but if I do that at my desk, my boss/coworkers would probably think I had weird issues.

The tea just makes work much happier and peaceful.

did you check other sellers?

Manatea is the best tea

When I do bring a stove, I use T-Sac Filter Bags. As far as a mug, I use an Evernew 400ml mug that fits inside of am Evernew .9L non-stick pot. This allows you to create one or two servings. Hope this helps.

https://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Just-Ducky-Floating-Infuser/dp/B003XK9ER4

I use this. Makes me smile :)

Pretty cool for under $10