What are you drinking? What are you planning to brew? Any interesting find? Lets talk about these here.
Old thread at bumb limit >>7630269
>>7663434
that tea pot looks like it's made of chocolate
slightly disappointed OP
regarless I'm drinking a white tea with rose hip. Fucking delicious and fragrant.
You guys recommend a upgrade path in equipment? Currently I use a cheap glass pot with flimsy infuser. I then transfer the tea to a cheap ceramic tea pot that I take to wherever I am sitting to drink. I have some nice double walled glasses I like. I am using a cheap plastic electric jug. I also am using a cheap digital thermometer that has a 5-10 sec refresh rate.
What should I save up for?
>>7663434
I'm not a tea-drinking faggot, so fuck off
>>7663543
good one, ya got us
>>7663549
Your thread sucks, faggot
>>7663434
Drinking the last of my silver needle before I get some more in a few weeks. Its become my night drink at the moment.
Any of you guys given a blowjob before? I'm kinda curious about it, how was the experience?
also I'm drinking great team with a bit of lemon
>>7663434
Aww this reminds me of moot and his love for collecting tea cups... I think I'm gonna cry. I miss mootykins.
>>7664183
who doesn't miss sigourney?
>>7664199
Sigourney? Is that an alien reference?
>>7663325
http://pt.aliexpress.com/item/3pcs-Fine-Bone-China-Ceramic-Tea-Set-1-Tea-Cup-120ml-1-Teapot-175ml-Novetly-Items/1334976224.html
This is the one I got because it came with the cups/strainer but if you want only the gaiwan there are other options
>>7664164
GOT HEEM!!!! xDD
>>7663526
So I recommend one of these things on the right. They are pretty damn good. You put your tea lives in, let it steep, then put it on top of your cup and it drains in. I personally bought the one from David's tea because they come in 18 oz and 36 oz as opposed to 16 oz and 32 oz like others for the same price, but it's up to you. You can also get them from Adagio and *gasp* Teavana I believe.
If you are looking to upgrade your equipment to more traditional stuff, then I recommend looking into a cast iron tea kettle, and looking for a basket infuser for the kettle.
As for everything else, I wouldn't be too concerned. Maybe pick up an electric kettle? I just ordered one from Sears for like 40 bucks which has programmable temperature. (I've never seen one go for less than 80 bucks anywhere else. Will report back with results.) Cups are a personal preference. I know a lot of people buy cool shit from etsy. Otherwise check Amazon. I just bought a pretty nifty looking chawan from there. I would go pick up just a thermometer from the store if you are concerned about the accuracy of your current one. Mine is just a cheap non digital one from target.
Personally, I'm in the market for a ~16 oz clear glass mug if anybody had any recommendations.
Tea is nice drink
>>7665356
let my spoons pass, you bloody cunt.
>>7663526
I dont think you need to.
Is your ceramic pot glazed inside? Its generaly discouraged using same unglazed ceramic for different types of tea as the pores in clay would absorb some of tastes and affect next teas. You should have dedicated black/green/oolong ones. At least in theory. If your pot is glazed inside, then it probably doesnt matter, if you wash it properly.
I recently bought some Sencha Kyushu, it's pretty good.
>>7665657
Glazed inside, just the cheapest $3 tea pot really.
Hmm so you reckon its all good and I should just wait till something breaks or something?
Is it weird that puer smells like crap but tastes kinda nice? I just don't like the mild fishy smell.
>>7666048
that is how raw pue-rh smells.
>>7665113
looks cool but the plastic worries me...
Important question, guys:
Bagged or looseleaf?
What's an easy way to make ice tea?
>>7667215
loose
>>7663478
>He doesn't own a Yixing teapot
Stay pleb.
>>7663526
Try this, I bought one and it's awesome because it's tiny.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Portable-travel-tea-sets-tureen-tea-sea-tea-colander-tea-folder-porcelain-Gaiwan-cups-and-bag/737692084.html
>>7665113
>DAVIDsTEA
REEEEEEEEE
I hate them, their tea are pleb-tier, they add chemical flavors.
>>7666048
If you want to try something fucking nice with pu'er, add a little drop of Scotch in it.
>>7667215
looseleaf > bagged shit
>>7667810
>Put tea with a little bit of honey or maple syrup
in refrigerator
>wait 8 hours
>drink
> what are you drinking
This really neat tea variety called coffee. It's like tea, but for men whose testicles actually descended. Don't worry though, you can still enjoy it without testicles by adding milk, ice, creamer, etc, or just asking an American to fix it for you. Enjoy your coffee!
>>7668282
>they add chemical flavors.
All flavors are chemicals.
>>7668345
he meant artificial flavourings and you know it m8
>>7668352
If he's going to throw hissy fits and call everyone a pleb, he needs to stop calling everything he doesn't like "chemicals" like a pleb.
>>7666042
More or less. Perhaps steeping unconstrainted leaves and then using strainer instead of infuser, but you dont to do anything else.
Also, its good to LIKE your teaware. I like buying myself teaware as reward. Like women buy shoes, i buy tea pots and gaiwans and tea cups.
>>7668344
Do you really consider it sign of manliness to drink coffe? Is it manly to insult other over their tastes? If so, i am glad i am not one. They sound like total jerks.
The teas that I usually drink are:
>Green tea
>English Breakfast tea
>Earl Grey
>Ceylon
With Ceylon being my favorite. Anyone got recommendations?
Just tried some silver needle for the first time off of aliexpress. Didn't have a probe to get my water to exactly 85c, but I made a couple of cups at different Temps and it tasted pretty bland. I also let it seep for about 1 minute. Is this how white needle is supposed to taste like? Or am I fucking it up pretty hard?
>>7668445
I don't know about that one in particular but white teas in general are "delicate" i.e. flavourless.
>>7668461
Kind? I don't know, the one that say's Green tea? The one I currently have has Jasmine infused with it.
Got through most of my collection before it gets too old. My Longjing, Lapsang Souchong, Maojian, and most of my hojicha are all gone now. I have some puer left, but its hard for it to go bad.
I'm thinking of picking up some good summer teas today, probably going to go with Melon Seed and taiping hou kui. I used to prefer Japanese greens, but Chinese teas have greater subtleties I've found.
>>7668502
http://www.teadiscussion.com/types/green-tea-types.php
i will assume that you are a brit.
I want to drink some cold, fruity tea. I'm used to getting the powdered Nestea shit you add water to. But is that stuff even healthy to consume? How to make my own? Just boil up some tea and add some Welch's juice to it?
>>7668514
And I will assume you are a cuck
Ignorant faggot here. Do all teas have caffeine? Im a week deep into no coffee/caffeine but still like to sip something warm can I get some recommendations?
>>7668542
Please, die.
Also, women generaly know shit about tea.
>>7668606
There are some that dont have that much of caffeine and i heard there are some de-caffeinated teas, but i heard bad things about them.
Tisanes, herbal teas, perhaps?
>>7668606
All true teas have caffeine. Green teas, white teas, and yellow teas have the least amount of caffeine. Just make a tisane.
>>7668606
All tea has caffeine.
Asians sometimes toss out the first steeping of green tea to reduce the caffeine in the second steep but I don't know how effective that is.
>>7668635
Chamomile, Chrysanthemum, Ginger, ect. It's any "tea" that doesn't use the actual tea plant.
>>7668585
Re-steeped the same 6g twice. 1st time with ~300ml and second time with ~100ml
>>7668640
Somewhat. About 50% of caffeine is drawn out in first 30-60 seconds, they say.
>>7668659
I usually do 6g to gaiwan, steeping time 30-60 seconds. Gaiwan is like 100-150 ml.
So i guess you should have either used less water (and do more infusions) or let first one steep for longer time.
>>7668381
I like you
>tea
>drinking one of society's oldest memes
>>7668445
I drink it a bunch, to get a good tea flavour, steep it at a lower temp (70-75c) for like 4-5min. Sounds like a lot but comes out really good and doesn't mess with the flavour apart from making it stronger. The subsequent steepings I normally add 30 secs to steep time. Western style brewing too, couple tea spoons of tea to 5-600ml water.
Man I need to save up for something like this:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Drinkware-Chinese-Tea-Sets-Free-Shipping/32328178731.html
Looks fucking sweet
>>7669284
looks cool but i can assure you that is not purple clay.
>>7669144
Truly the dankest of all memes, we fought three whole wars over this shit.
>>7663434
Actually, just got some vietnamese green tea with lotus. Bought it in a chink supermarket downtown(no Teavana or specialty stores on my country either). Looked like on of those bagged cheap supermarket tea boxes but it had a big bag with loose leaf. Has a very bitter beginning, almost buttery middle, strange feeling in my head and a lousy ending. 7/10 I'd say.
Anyone ever make banana tea? Shits delicious.
>>7669545
>strange feeling in my head and a lousy ending
Its the agent orange in the tea.
>>7668282
>DAVIDsTEA
i drink flavored or unflavored teas but something is really off about all of the teas from davidsteas that i have tried. they all seem to also have this weird layer of film on top whenever I brew them and they always taste 'off' to me...not a fan...
>Tea
>Earl Gray
>Hot
Just bought a bunch of tea from yuuki-cha.
Does anyone happen to know how discrete their boxes are? Will feel like total weaboo when i pick it up.
>>7663434
Genmaicha, straight of course
Just started getting into Gunpowder special too, which is very nice. Usually not a fan of bitter taste but the gunpowder has something to it.
>>7668526
>fruity tea
just put a rainbow colored little umbrella in it
I just brewed a quick cup and put All Along the Watchtower on loop, let's see
>leaf
Loose green tea stems. It's very perfumed, actually like orange blossom or even lavender.
>drink
Oddly colorless, but I'm sure that will change once I leave it step a bit more. The fragrance, like churned butter, a bit caramelic and acidic. The green tea smell is a base, but easily overpowered by what I assume is the lotus(or nam febreeze I guess).
>Drink
It's three minutes and it has MAYBE a very subtle green tint to it. The drink has a bit of sap on the surface. Like I said, it comes off with a strong bitter green tea flavor. There's a mild, almost split second feeling when all the taste becomes nil and you are left with the strange sensation of sappy flower water in your mouth, but that moment passes almost immediately when the green tea flavor reasserts itself. After the drink, the mouth retains that buttery caramel like smell of the tea but I wonder where that went. WAIT WAIT WAIT after 4 minutes I notice a peak of rosewater following the nil moment. And a bitter green tea finish.
Very mild, very relaxed, like a drink for granmas. Not as bitter as I remember it tho but it does take some appreciation, so subtle I might actually be making this up.
10 minutes and it's suddenly mildly acidic with no trace of green tea left.
>>7668526
Ahmed makes a nice apple refresh tea. Top of the line as far as
>bags
go.
Or you could just buy some tang too.
>>7668282
Yeah, bagged isn't as good. I can't find rooibos in bagged form, anyways.
>>7669710
>or nam febreeze I guess
Probably, like the time i bought some dodgy milky oolong.
>>7666742
No problems so far. Believe it's bpa free too.
>>7668282
To be fair they have a lot of shit but this steeper is great, and old be damned if they don't make a really good darjeerling
>>7663526
Depends on what kinds you drink
USE CERAMICS FOR EVERYTHING.
BOILING WATER
COOKING
EATING.
METAL TASTE SEEPS INTO YOUR FOOD
Favorite kind of tea and favorite kind of thing that isn't actually tea, but is called tea:
Tea: probably black, desu, or matcha
Not-tea: rooibos
>>7670845
What kind of black? Some generic Ceylon?
Ad matcha: Do you have all that classy equipment, or do you use shaker/coffee frother/something...?
Unrelated: Why does 4chan sometimes replace some words i post by desu?
>>7670648
had a friend get annoyed that I use plastic utensils even at home to consume my food
eating off shitty flatware makes food taste tinny but I can't afford actual silverware
fuck you grandma for spoiling me on actual eating utensils
>>7670979
In general, I just appreciate that black teas seem to make the best lattes.
As for matcha, I do not own the equipment because I rarely buy it. It's just too perishable. Getting that foamy texture with that bowl and shit sounds dope, though.
ya'll motherfuckers ever have chazuke?
I usually drink ripe peurh. I like the longer brew times honestly, producing a bold cup. I also took a hint from Nepal and have tried emulsifying butter with salt in my tea occasionally; it's not the same thing but it's good.
>>7672118
How much butter do you add, by the way? I tried salt (that worked pretty well), but when i tried milk&salt combo i used way too much salt and was forced to throw it away.
can i mix matcha with a spoon? or should i buy the cool equipment and be a real weeb
>>7672362
Quite a bit. The real trick is not breaking the butter but not ending up with cold tea either. You might want to just make yourself a pot of tea, pour yourself a 5 oz cup, and play with it.
>>7668606
honestly, I've never really *felt* the caffeine in any tea the way you feel it from coffee or taking a caffeine pill. This includes strong, properly brewed black tea. It might do a bit to remove the grogginess that's there right when you wake up, but not a lot else as far as energy, focus etc., in the way that stronger caffeine delivery does.
In other words, you should just try some tea, as it likely won't have whatever bothersome caffeine effect you're trying to avoid. It certainly won't make you jittery or interfere with sleep.
>>7668355
>>7668345
Sorry, my fault, I meant artificial flavours.
I just dislike people that add '''''''''''''''''flavours'''''''''''''''' to tea.
>>7669595
I started drinking tea from them they are a good way to start if you are a newbie.
>>7670563
If you want awesome Darjeeling, try teabox.com
Shipping is fast as fuck and prices are nice.
>>7672362
Seems awesome, I will try this.
I have some legit pure food-grade bergamot oil. I also have plenty of nice black loose leaf, so I guess I could just add a drop to the leaf after putting it in the pot.
Anyone else made their own Earl Grey like this? I've heard it's a lot better than premade EG.
>>7672426
I think tea just "releases" the caffeine more evenly which leads to a smoother energy curve
![5900396020376[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/EusZ4RK.jpg "5900396020376[1].jpg")
I am brewing some Loyd Rich India black tea right now I got from Big Lots. It cost 4 bucks for 40 bags.
This is the cheapest tea I can find that is actually loose leaf tea inside the bag and not tea dust. It's pretty good.
>>7673346
>"flowery broken orange pekoe"
>no indication of what kind of tea is actually in there
No thanks senpai
>>7673346
>Loyd with just one L
I guess it's worth it's pricetag.
>>7673381
Says
Ingredients: Black Tea
Producer: MOKATE S.A., ul. Katowicka 265a
43-450 Ustron, Poland
Made in Poland
Does anybody like Kusmi or is it overpriced?
I feel like Imperial Label is a really unique tea blend. Nobody else sells anything like it.
>>7673528
I'd like to know this as well, I thought about getting some, but I feel like it's just going to end up being overpriced average tea in a pretty tin from France.
>>7670979
>tfw Communism, Mao, and Globalization have collectively destroyed East Asian high culture
Tuck me in; let me die.
How are you supposed to know what to buy when shopping online?
Do you just buy high rated tea and hope its good?
Also any websites that have free shipping to Canuckistan if you spend enough? I fucking hate paying for shipping.
>>7674088
Health Tea House on aliexpress
>>7672510
I wish I could do this, I'd love a stronger EG
What does Oolong taste like, /ck/?
What tea should I know how to make to become a cute geisha?
>>7674944
arsenic tea
drink it while it's hot
I regret buying a 120 volt kettle instead of a stovetop whistler.
>>7674937
It's my favorite.
It's got the earthyness? of black tea, but the smoothness of green tea.
Shame is that it's hard to get your hands on.
>>7674998
Where is it hard to find? There's lots of Hmongs where I am, so convenience stores sell boxes of loose oolong.
Anyone have an opinion on Harney & Sons? Their loose leafs seem to be rated pretty well on Amazon, plus I would get free shipping on them.
>>7672969
to me I feel more 'awake' mentally with tea and with coffee I get more active physically, hyperactive even, but my mind doesnt seem to follow, might be placebo but w/e
>>7663434
I need an electric kettle. I was using my roommate's all year, but I just moved out.
What do you recommend, /ck/?
>>7675546
You'd be better off with a gas stove. Low voltage makes electric kettles a pain.
>>7674937
depends on how strongly oxidized and roasted it is
>>7675552
I'd rather have the convenience of an electric kettle. I'm currently using my parents' old steel kettle on their gas stove, but checking the temperature is a pain. Plus I'm moving out of here again soon (uni, then hopefully an apartment after graduation), so I won't have access to it.
>>7675546
Unless you don't have a stove, you should get a stovetop whistler. American electric kettles are slow and often inefficient since the minimum water level is much more than you'll use. If you're set on self heater, anything stainless and cordless should work pretty well. Or are you looking to get something pricey that holds various temperatures because you're not experienced enough to eyeball it?
>>7675587
The latter. Anything you can set to heat to a certain temperature. It doesn't have to stay at that temperature, I just want to be able to set it and work on other shit, then pour it over my leaves when it's done.
Something like this would work, but several reviews say it rusts: http://www.amazon.com/Bonavita-Variable-Temperature-Electric-Gooseneck/dp/B005YR0F40
Which is probably why they dropped the price.
I'll probably end up buying something like this just because $100 would cut into my budget way too much: http://www.amazon.com/VonShef-Variable-Temperature-Cordless-Electric/dp/B01B80TTRU/ref=sr_1_3?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1463331938&sr=1-3&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A2822756011
I've just started drinking tea and want to try matcha. What's a good brand and the preferred way to prepare it? Money isn't too much of an issue, and I have to order it online since I live in a very rural area.
>>7675729
Avoid anything from China.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/lead-contamination-of-tea/
>>7675765
then might as well not drink tea at all, japanese tea is nice and all but lacks variety, and im not a fan of indian tea
>>7676628
I meant avoid matcha from China. That's mostly just culinary grade.
>>7674944
Jasmine Green tea.
Where can I get bulk black loose leaf tea? I'm making Kombucha and want to try something nice.
>>7677066
Hipster sugar water is not worthwhile.
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/is-kombucha-tea-goodfor-you/
>>7676644
oh, ok, didnt actually read the article, makes sense considering you consume the whole leaf with matcha
>>7675765
I have a hard time believing high quality artisan tea areas in China have this problem. I would assume this only affect the larger tea farms that mass produce a generally lower quality tea. Am I wrong?
What do you guys think of Teavana? Shit's good imo.
>>7679044
It can have some good stuff but it's pretty expensive and the samples have a ton of sugar in them. For a lot of people it's likely the only place where they can try and smell some different teas before buying.
Some of their tea sets look neat but I don't know what kind of quality they are or how expensive.
>>7679075
Good points. Specially the price. It is pretty expensive. Yeah not sure about the sets either. I buy them online.
>>7679044
My roomie works there. The place is hemorrhaging money like mad, they won't be open in three years. His store was like $60k in debt in February, and I imagine it's only getting worse
>>7674937
It sounds odd, but imagine walking in a forest after a heavy rain. The smell of wet leaves and wood is all around you. Now, condense that smell into a liquid. "Earthy" as anon above said, but also woodsy.
Soon, hopefully it arrives this week.
I had similar teas from local tea houses, let's see how these compare before I order more special ones, at least the shipping is free.
>>7675765
There's no science in this guys link, just a blog with an agenda, like one of those 'don't listen to your cardiologist, just buy my supplement for fifty dollar a month' blogs.
>>7679171
Exactly this.
I think of mushroom padded copses in deep woods or my grandpa's woodshed.
>>7679241
Rou gui a special treat if made by Master Wang
>>7679897
Care to elaborate?
I had some mid-tier Shui Xian and Da Hong Pao before so I expect something similar.
I really need to start doing taste-notes.txt
It's hard to remember and compare; makes you appreciate more
I just ordered this
>>7674944
sencha and matcha and genmaicha.
more importantly...s-sauce?
>>7679151
Shame. It's pretty tasty.
>>7679151
If anything, I thought it was growing.
Anyone drink mate? Favorite brand?
>>7682044
The preparation itself isn't complicated, it's just "add hot water to tea, whisk, serve"
The rigorous training part is for religious and ceremonial purposes, honing the small movements with grace and precision as a form of meditation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tt7NBIVeMY
Really a geisha's whole life was about rigorous training, seeing as they were sold off into slavery and raised to be entertainers by grumpy old women.
>>7674937
Oolong is the best tea, desu. It has a great flavor and accommodates blends as well as black tea does, which emboldens it for excellent lattes.
I suddenly realised how ridiculous it is when people ask if the bamboo whisk is a meme.
It's the perfect size for a wide-but-shallow tea bowl. Electric whisks are made for tall glasses, and milk frother jugs are a separate container from the drinking bowl. Also there's probably the placebo taste enhancement from the visual attraction of hand-crafted utensils and bowls.
>>7682420
>milk frother jugs are a separate container from the drinking bowl
That's... not what people are talking about when they say "milk frother".
They mean those little wands for frothing milk in a mug.
>>7682457
Clearly that's what was meant by "electric frother" already.
>>7681617
The fuck off to a mate thread brand
I think we should make some resources avaliable on the OP.
Good suppliers, teaware, tea blogs, yt channels.
That china life pdf on brewing times is nice, that book on tea by Linda gaylard was also shared here once on pdf, I would post it but still trying to learn how to use mega, if anyone has it please upload it
>>7663434
Matcha tea
>>7682857
here is the pdf
https://mega.nz/#!RZZliIZb!mOD6Ky0B9S489hrcQVIQ4R4aZxNXJx45prNVrSCT_ts
>>7682857
some resources I vote for the OP
Tea sourcing (I'm kind of lacking on this department because I havent actually ordered from many sources, and im not about to recommend sources that I cant vouch for in first hand ):
https://yunnansourcing.com/
http://chinalifeweb.com/
Blogs/yt:
Don mei's blog/ chinalife's yt, there is some shilling envolved but their content is good imo
https://teatipsy.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/chinalifeteabar
Teadb: Good content, chill, two guys drinking tea and talking about it, their website also has a ton of resources on brewing and articles on different types of tea
http://teadb.org/
https://www.youtube.com/user/teadborg
For japanese tea I have no clue on good resources because I dont know a lot about it, but there were some knowledgeable people on these threads about it so if you can give some input it would be nice
>>7682917
This guy is a potter in taiwan and has some nice teaware, he also sources tea, a bit on the expensive side but his blog is interesting none the less
http://thejadeleaf.com/blogs/news
What are some good spring/summer teas? Something that tastes good iced.
>>7682857
>Gaylard
heh.
Anyone know how to make a good chai? got some cheap black tea to burn.
>>7683065
as you can see I dont have a lot of knowledge on teas that arent chinese, even there im relatively new to the hobby, on teaware maybe it would be nice to compile some cheap vendors on aliexpress to get some people started on gong fu
Also it would be nice to have some info on jap sourcers, there are a lot of people discussing sencha/matcha, but again, not the area I'm more knowledgeable on
drinking some amber oolong from mountain tea
>>7672491
>I started drinking tea from them they are a good way to start if you are a newbie.
i can see that, i was just really disappointed because i actually really like flavored teas. i prefer my flavored bagged teas to be honest
>>7674088
>Do you just buy high rated tea and hope its good?
this is pretty much what i do. you kind of get a sense of what types of teas you do/don't like
>>7675546
cuisinart cpk-17
Tried making some dandelion tea with fresh blossoms but it didn't work out well
Has anyone tried a lot of teabox unflavored black teas? I'm a completionist and want to try them all but fuck me they are expensive. Any recs? I like all flushes and all their regions.
To contribute, I've had most of YS black teas so ask for recs. I've had most of their greens/whites, TGY, and some wuyis. My next haul will be from teabox or dancongs from YS.
>>7684076
*Chinese tea _shop_.
Is there any real difference between making iced tea by brewing tea hot and then cooling it in the fridge, versus just putting the leaves in cold water and leaving it in the fridge for several hours?
>>7682044
wait are you trying to be a geisha or something? i thought you just wanted geisha style tea to increase the ambience of watching Zatoichi or something. this isn't something you can learn from 4chan you gotta go to Geisha University or some shit. And if you're a nigger or a whito piggu i doubt they'll let you in.
>>7683147
I actually have some experience with vendors in ali, the one that i can really recommend is Health Tea House, nice quality and they ship very fast.
I just ordered this gaiwan set from there:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/11-pcs-Set-New-2015-Chinese-Travel-Tea-Set-Ceramic-Portable-Kung-Fu-Tea-Set-Teacup/2010510972.html
will post how is it when it arrives.
>>7684495
seen other people refering that vendor, or maybe it was always you, they seem to hold a nice reputation, unlike some other vendors on there.
About the gaiwan, I have the exact same one, a lot of vendors seem to have that specific model, its good, nothing fancy but does it's job and it's cheap, the fair cup it comes with isn't very good but I had another one also in white ceramic so just use that instead, it's a good starter kit as it comes with the cups and a strainer too.
>>7684517
Oh, it was probably someone else just have posted about them when i bought some tieguanyin, someone recommended green saling co. on ali but i have yet to buy from them, well see about the gaiwan i never owned one.
>>7682469
He never said "electric frother" and the electric WHISK he's talking about is clearly much bigger than the frother
>>7683119
oolong
>>7684178
I'm pretty sure the hot temp allows for a larger extraction of flavor over a cold brew
Any recommendations on good tea pots/containers?
>>7682420
Do be so quick to disregard an effect even if it is a placebo. There's a saying "We eat first with our eyes." Visual appearance has a significant impact on how we perceive food.
>>7685132
>chinalife
>Here you'll find all of our expert guides to common conditions. Remember that these are great guidelines but everyone is different and it’s best to see one of our Chinese Medical doctors for individualised treatment and advice.
why would you trust this kind of philosophy for tea but not medicine? new-age is cancer.
>>7680038
That is great idea. I should try that as well.
>>7682420
Since it stuck around for few centuries i would say its definitely meme. But i may misunderstand what the worde "meme" means.
>>7682495
Please, dont be rude. I believe way of tea is one that should bring people closer together, not to divide them.
>>7683119
>What are some good spring/summer teas?
Spring and summer is season when tea is harvested, so drink whatever new tea you can get your hands on.
I personaly feel green tea is better for warm weather and black tea is more suitable for cold weather. And not just because of temperature. Green is somewhat "lighter", while black is... heavier, more rounded. That's not to say calming, but rather rather...comforting.
(Am i only one who feels that way?)
>Something that tastes good iced.
Oh, boy. Highest grades of japanese teas can be steeped in outright in iced water. That's pretty chill. (Also, expensive as fuck.)
Matcha works very nicely iced as well.
If you look for something more affordable, i'd suggest steeping the shit out of some dark oolong (like shui xian) and adding a tiny bit of sugar water.
>>7684517
>>7684705
I shilled them in the last thread because tea was awesome.
>>7685023
I use mason jar.
>>7684260
are there no geisha schools for white pigs?
http://s.aliexpress.com/vAfeYNzy
should i buy this? wtf is gelatinous rice?
>>7683119
I'm enjoying jasmine dragon pearls cold brewed in the fridge overnight, about a tbsp per liter for a mild refreshing brew. Then I just strain and add a couple of slices of lemon, a little honey syrup and ice cubes in a flask to take on my morning commute.
>>7663434
Found out about Yixing tea pots, and really wanted one until I learned about how expensive a real one is... Feels bad.
Organized the info to put on the OP, would be nice to have more ideas on sourcers and other stuff in general, but it's a start, a brief description on each of the sourcers, on what kinds of teas do they specialise would also be useful
______________
Tea sourcing:
Chinese-
https://yunnansourcing.com/
http://chinalifeweb.com/
http://www.aliexpress.com/store/1269947?spm=2114.10010108.100005.2.3wJNQa
Japanese-
http://hojotea.com/indexe.html
https://sevencups.com/
Blogs/yt:
Don mei's blog/ chinalife's yt, there is some shilling envolved but their content is good
https://teatipsy.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/chinalifeteabar
Teadb: Good content, chill, two guys drinking tea and talking about it, their website also has a ton of resources on brewing and articles on different types of tea, they respond really quick to comments and questions, both on the website and on their fb
http://teadb.org/
https://www.youtube.com/user/teadborg
Thejadeleaf: This guy is a potter in taiwan and has some nice teaware, he also sources tea, a bit on the expensive side but his blog is interesting none the less
http://thejadeleaf.com/blogs/news
Linda Gaylard's book on tea, not super in depth but helps with understanding the differences between kinds of tea and in tea culture around the world
https://mega.nz/#!RZZliIZb!mOD6Ky0B9S489hrcQVIQ4R4aZxNXJx45prNVrSCT_ts
>>7686885
oops, seven cups is actually chinese
>>7668282
http://www.authenticyixing.com/
If your yixing pot didn't cost three digits it is probably fake anon. Almost all yixing pots bought overseas are not authentic.
>>7686885
You could add teabox.com for designated tea
>>7663434
Is matcha better than green tea leaves? I love what green tea does for my mood but I'm struggle to find a brand that isn't shit.
Where can I get some nice mugs?
I'm looking for a large glass mug, but haven't been able to find shit.
Something like a 12 oz or 16 oz would be gr8
>>7687123
define green tea leaves
>>7687221
Loose leaf green tea, really?
>>7687229
but what kind?
>>7686885
That looks really good, i think that we have to add something like this:
http://www.teadiscussion.com/types/
>>7663434
Dandelion with some honey.
Anyone else fond of pink tea?
>>7687618
added it, made a pastebin, not really sure how this works, but it's easy enough to make a new one when changes are due
http://pastebin.com/iSxZb1tH
How many cups do you lads have a day?
I average about 6
>>7687861
Around the same. Less if I'm going out a lot that day. Perhaps more if I'm home all day.
Going camping soon. Any recommendation for a good set up for making tea at a campfire?
>>7687896
A pot to boil water and one of those in-mug infusers is really all you need.
>>7687902
I'd rather not put the pot directly in the fire though. If I made a stand out of wood, it's burn. Stones might work but that'd probably fall easily or be too hard to make.
I know they male stands but I can't seem to find any.
>>7687904
*it'd
*make
I hate phones
>>7684178
Yeah. Cold brewing gives you a much more mellow taste in my experience which means it doesn't require a heap of sugar to be drinkable.
My very limited experience comes from cold brewing one black and one green tea though so you might get different results.
>>7687904
>I know they make stands but I can't seem to find any.
You mean, you can't find any in a physical store?
Because a five second search on Amazon gave me some results.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=campfire+grate&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Acampfire+grate
>>7687824
It would be nice if there was some sort of quality control for what gets put in the pastebin but better to have shit info than no info.
If you are active enough you might just wanna make an account for the paste and edit it instead.
If you suck or disappear someone else can just make a new paste.
Also, I want to recommend what-cha.com for general tea. They aren't really focused on a region so I guess you'll need to add a new category.
They have some interesting European tea that none of the others in the list have from what I can see at least.
They're especially good for those of us in EU who otherwise get slow shipping and shit (they do ship worldwide).
You also might wanna add yuuki-cha.com for Japanese teas as it is mentioned somewhat regularly in these threads.
french press master race here
>>7688031
>filtering tea
epic xD
>>7688031
>pressing down on the leaves
Enjoy your tannins.
>>7687123
It depends. Loose leaf teas have wide range of quality, types and tastes. I certainly recommend trying matcha, for its very nice. But i dont think one could answer your question without simplifying and generalizing too much.
>>7687728
Like you gather some dandelion, pout hot water over them and add honey? Does that really works? *suspicious*
>>7688118
Normally you dry and roast the dandelion root as a sort of poor man's coffee, I'm not sure what the hell he's on about.
I'm trying to quit buying energy drinks because I know they are unhealthy and they are also very expensive, and I figure Tea would be a good alternative for some energy.
Right now I'm looking into getting some Bai Mu Dan since it seems to have higher caffiene amount than most others, anyone have any experience with it?
>>7687922
If you need sugar to made your tea drinkable, you're doing something wrong. How do you prepare your tea? What kind of tea are we talking about?
>>7688009
I started gathering compiling resources just so I could jump start this idea, anyone can pick it up if they want, im not, by far, the most knowledgeable person here, so, to some extent, I have to believe what people tell me.
I'm in the EU too so the ones I personally added do ship worldwide,on the suggestions made to me im not sure.
Feel free to take the wheel if you feel more qualified, tb h I just wanted some resources to be avaliable so the same ignorant questions arent asked time and time again, they still will but at least we can tell them to fuck off and educate themselves.
Anyway I put in the alterations you suggested: http://pastebin.com/SLnGTTKe
>>7688155
Throw in a link to The Book Of Tea by Okakura Kakuzo, it's the only English language "tea classic"
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/769
Basically it's an attempt to explain the role of tea in Japanese culture to westerners, written in 1906.
>>7687123
There are many, many different kinds of green tea of which matcha is one. It's certainly not objectively superior to other kinds of green tea and anything past that is a matter of personal taste. Matcha is going to be more expensive than most other green teas but that doesn't mean it's necessarily better.
If you're talking about brands then you're probably buying tea in a grocery store which means that it's all shit. If you want good tea you need to either find a specialty shop or order it online. Most tea sites will let you order a smaller portion of tea as a sample which is a great way to both expand your palate and find something you really enjoy. Here's an example of the sort of selection you might see and why "loose leaf green tea" is only a very vague descriptor:
>http://www.arborteas.com/organic-green-tea/
>>7688110
Pressing leaves relase tannins? Or is that because they are still there and continue steeping?
>>7688126
What you want is new tea. Amount of caffeint usually gets lower over time.
Doesnt really matter that much what "color" of tea it is. Differences between teas of particular "color" are usually much more significant.
Also, the higher amount of tea buds, the higher amount of caffein. (The caffein acts as insecticid in plant and those bud are fragile and vulnerable to bugs - hence the higher amount of it.) Fun fact: teas with a lot of buds are usually higher grades.
That being said, some people claim white teas (like Bai Mu Dan) have lower amount of caffein. While that is not true, people still report for it to being less stimulating. Whether is that meme or reality, i cant say (though leaning towards first option).
>>7688169
Pressing tea both fails to stop extraction and also releases more tannins.
The latter is why you should use a teapot and not one of those tiny infuser shits, since expanding leaves will get cramped.
If you're going to brew in a press just pump the plunger up and down to stir the leaves and ensure a more even extraction, don't press the leaves.
>>7688187
But wont tannins and shit continue to be released into my tea if left freely?
>>7688165
Seems really interesting, will definitely read it.
I've been trying to track down a pdf of John Blofeld's 'Art of Chinese Tea', it links it to religion and spirituality, without giving much credit to those beliefs it should still be an interesting read
http://pastebin.com/4Qw3Jzci
>>7688210
yes, but after infusing it for the amount of time you want you should remove it to a pitcher, pressing or no pressing. You just shouldnt press the leaves because the extraction is ideally achieved with the leaves not cramped and having maximum area of exposure with the water
>>7688210
Yes, obviously.
That's why you pour the tea out of the pot and into a cup to drink it.
If you're making more than one cup at a time then either make less or decant the tea into a second pot.
And just to be clear: pressing or squeezing the leaves will release more tannins than letting it sit freely.
>>7688257
That only works for coffee.
>>7688257
that shit is made for coffee not tea.
>>7663434
Should I trust tea from China town in LA?
How and where should I get good tea? I'm pretty new to tea, I mostly buy bagged stuff because I don't have one of those holder cup things that close and open.
>>7688727
from my experience asian markets like that can be hit or miss, sometimes you'll find surprisingly good stuff, other times not so much. Usually they arent expensive so, they are worth a try
>>7688727
>holder cup things that close and open
>>7688727
>>7688747
I assume he means pic related
you dont need it, any teapot will either have one of these built in or a strainer before it's beak
>>7688855
oops, clearly the wrong pic
>>7688855
>beak
Bruh it's called a spout.
There's a whole song about this.
Anyway, the infusers inside teapots are still to small, toss them and pour through a strainer of some sort.
Maybe keep them and use them as a strainer, even.
>>7688874
english not my main language, I agree with you, even those infusers dont give enough room for the leaf to expand. T b h you should just use a gaiwan
>>7688855
this man in my country, he is nothing.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Promotion-Free-shipping-20-kinds-Pu-erh-tea-Yunnan-Puer-Pu-er-Chinese-Tea-100-natural/2053490030.html
never tasted Puerh before and i see these kind of little balls popping on ali all the time, is worth it? what should i expect?
I got this stuff called the Countess of Seville a while ago it's pretty good, like a lady grey but made with green tea and corn flowers.
>>7687861
Aye, sounds about right. Need to cut well back, start drinking more water.
>>7690171
Don't the corn flowers make the tea really thick and starchy? I use them powdered to make gravy, but haven't tried them in tea.
>>7690254
>>7687861
3-4 liters a day. Less if I have to go somewhere but that doesn't happen often.
>Chamomile
>With Milk
>And Lemon Juice
>>7690325
you disgust me.
I'm drinking Turkish tea that a friend brought back for me. Its lovely, but I feel bad not brewing it traditionally because I don't have one of those crazy double teapots.
>>7690339
isn't turkish tea just gunpowder tea with a lot of sugar?
>>7690339
my favourite tea is the turkish tea
>>7690357
vintage meme
>>7690340
nope, you're thinking of morrocan tea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_tea
>>7690375
oh, yes i was thinking about moroccan tea.
Never tasted turkish tea, seems interesting.
>>7690420
It's very mild and a little woody, I'd recommend it.
>>7690288
>Less if I have to go somewhere but that doesn't happen often
> that doesn't happen often
Bants aside, I drink 1 to 3 liters per day.
>>7690339
Is that your photo? If so, then very nice. I like the style. Nothing too fancy, but things are nice and everything is proper and clean.
>>7688747
This thing..
>>7690630
Don't use a tea ball, for maximum flavour you want the water to get around all the bits of tea equally. Just dump it loose into the teapot and strain it as you pour, you can find tiny little sieves in most dollar stores.
>>7690467
MTG is fun desu
>>7690618
Haha it is, thank you anon. My desk is very ikeacore I think
