Loose Leaf Tea

[neocaligatio]

I was quite pleased to get a package of loose leaf tea and a single-mug infuser for Christmas from my other half - The tea was simple Yorkshire Tea, but the difference between the tea bag and loose leaf was quite noticeable!

I also tried some Waitrose large-leaf Lapsang Suchong, which was a real experience - smokey and frangrant, almost the Laphroaig of the tea world!

So my questions are:

1. Does anyone else use leaf tea?
2. Where can I purchase good leaf teas to try? (without paying extortionate prices)
3. Can anyone recommend where to purchase another good infuser and/or a nice tea-strainer? (not the 99p wire version)

Chris

 

[hunnymonster]

Mostly I use loose leaf tea... and mostly from Waitrose actually.

A Bodum Tastea is my weapon of choice for a single cup

and I use a Bodum Assam Teapot like this one for larger quantities

 

[neocaligatio]

I'm quite keen on a loose-leaf specific tea pot, but the other half loves our current china tea pot, hence the need for a strainer!

 

[hunnymonster]

Get one anyway - my SWMBO doesn't like see through teapots, but it's my teapot and I like it

The best thing about it is that there's no chance of getting a spout blockage from a clod of leaves...

 

[neocaligatio]

You put up a very logical argument....

 

[antdad]

I could be converted to the leaf with the convenience ofTastetea.

 

[PaulH]

IMHO any loose leaf tea tastes better than tea bag tea. If I'm feeling lazy I drink 'man tea', i.e. a teaspoon full of loose tea leaves in a warmed cup onto which I pour boiling water (just remember not to drink it right to the bottom ). Usually, however, I would brew up in a pot using the traditional method

 

[neocaligatio]

And the tea of choice for you all?

 

[hunnymonster]

Darjeeling or Earl Grey, mostly Earl Grey.

Just thought of a killer reason to get a new teapot.... if SWMBO loves the china one, how upset will she be when she knocks the spout off on the tap when washing it? :ugeek:

 

[Proinsias]

I'm even worse about tea than I am about shaving.

Nothing but Tea has good quality loose leaf and offers a range of sample packs. I don't think I've seen such a wide selection of tea anywhere else, I'm drinking my way through the black tea sampler atm.

If you're feeling flush I reckon Nada has some of the finest tea and teaware in the UK, mainly pu'erh but a few other surprises. In most cases if you want decent tea you are as well ordering from close to the source or from the US. I've heard good things about Wan Ling for another UK option but I've not tried them myself as yet.

I tend to use what most would consider tiny brewing vessels, pots or gaiwan under 200ml. Lots of leaf, small brewing vessel, many infusions. I think the gaiwan is the most versatile and handy brewing vessel of them all, I travel with one and my 60ml plain white one is the most used piece of teware in the house. It's something like this:

Marshaln demonstrates how to use a gaiwan from one of the best tea blogs on the net.

Something like the IngenuiTEA from Adagio might be worth considering as an all rounder, easy to use and clean:

London has some good tea places too. Tea Smith is run by a fellow Scot, yay!, and has some lovely teas served on a tea bar with a top notch chocolate selection. Here's a review from Cha Dao. Other options which are on my hit list the next time I'm in London are Postcard Teas and Yauatcha

Be careful, it can get expensive. TeaChat is a great resource for everything tea related, aside from maybe teabags.

For great Indian tea look no further than Lochan Tea's great sample pack of 1st and 2nd flush teas.

For Japanese tea there are loads of options direct from Japan but O-Cha is up there with the best of them.

For Chinese tea Jing Tea Shop are tough to beat but as above there are many options.

 

[Boab]

I am not a tea drinker myself but my mum is, I picked up some lose tea and one of these strainer type things in Germany as a christmas pressie for her.

 

[davnig]

I'm even worse about tea than I am about shaving.

Nothing but Tea has good quality loose leaf and offers a range of sample packs. I don't think I've seen such a wide selection of tea anywhere else, I'm drinking my way through the black tea sampler atm.

I'll add my recommendations of the Nothing but Tea company, great for loose tea and all things tea related, and fantastic customer service too, been buying from them for more than 5 yrs.

be warned though, having been a DE shaver for just over 2 months and getting RAD, you will get TAD if you start browsing this site - there are sooo many different teas to try - black, oolong, pu-erh, green, white (my fave varietal branch), exotics, tisanes. Then there's strainers, cups, . . . another pastime to spend money on lol