How do you make YOUR perfect cuppa?

[zazen999]

For me, the sugar thing isn't down to snobbish-ness, tea with sugar in literally makes me gag I can even taste it if my tea is stirred with a spoon which has previously stirred a sugary brew, and it has to go down the sink and start again. Drives the OH mad!

My favourite thing to dunk is a McV's digestive, closely followed by home-made ginger biscuits.... Mmmmmm....

You're SO Yorkshire chuck.

I had a lot of trouble with tea for years as my horrid evil step father used to make a brew with 4 tablespoons of tea in a little [one person] pot; leave it for AGES, then have it with evaporated milk. Bright orange it was. BLEUGH. Put me off for years. The sludge in the bottom of the teapot smelt VILE.

[OllieMartin]

Well I just made a cup using the popular method on here of putting the milk in last. I've realised why I put it in first, my mugs are black so I can't see how strong it is until the milk's in. So I definately can't remove the teabag until after the milk's gone in.

The result: Well I think it tastes slightly different, but I can't decide if it's any better.

Conclusion: Tea's tea, the order the ingredients go in makes no difference to the layman like me, it's purely strength of tea, and quantity of milk and sugar that really affect the flavour IMHO.

[LostGoddess]

You're all wrong!
Boil kettle, then leave to settle for a minute (lot of lime scale round these 'ere parts)
Pour water into lovely big mug.
Dip tea bag in and then straight out of water and discard.
Enjoy lovely coloured hot water.

Ahhhh! someone understands me don't you get amused by the look of regret on people's faces that have asked you if you would like a cup of tea. I just tell them to pour the hot water in the cup and just tickle it with the teabag.
At work I don't allow any of the northern heathens I work with to make me a brew (that's what they call it up here, regardless of whether you want tea or coffee, what's with that??? anyhoo I digress). I bring in my own water every day and drink my own white tea. That's how important a good cup of tea is!

Great thread

[Hilary B]

For me, the sugar thing isn't down to snobbish-ness, tea with sugar in literally makes me gag I can even taste it if my tea is stirred with a spoon which has previously stirred a sugary brew, and it has to go down the sink and start again. Drives the OH mad!

My favourite thing to dunk is a McV's digestive, closely followed by home-made ginger biscuits.... Mmmmmm....

I wasn't referring to people who prefer tea without sugar (that would just be silly), but to those who decry anyone who likes it WITH! I can't stand most artificial sweeteners, and have the same reaction about spoon-used-to-stir.

Aren't those biscuits sweet, so doesn't dunking them put a sweet flavour in the tea?

[Hilary B]

Well I just made a cup using the popular method on here of putting the milk in last. I've realised why I put it in first, my mugs are black so I can't see how strong it is until the milk's in. So I definately can't remove the teabag until after the milk's gone in.

The result: Well I think it tastes slightly different, but I can't decide if it's any better.

Conclusion: Tea's tea, the order the ingredients go in makes no difference to the layman like me, it's purely strength of tea, and quantity of milk and sugar that really affect the flavour IMHO.

I can see the problem with black mugs. The point to not adding cold milk to the dry teabag is that the cooling effect changes how the flavours are developed/extracted. If you like your uncivilised version, you drink it that way!

[coreopsis]

I'll stir up your cups in here:
1.,Earl Grey or Lady Grey itself,no milk,no sugar
2.Ordinary tea,2 sugars and squeeze of lemon(or slice)

No milk in my tea please

[Hilary B]

I'll stir up your cups in here:
1.,Earl Grey or Lady Grey itself,no milk,no sugar
2.Ordinary tea,2 sugars and squeeze of lemon(or slice)

No milk in my tea please

Ah well, I reckon Earl Grey is just about drinkable without milk (vile with), and a hint of sugar.
'Real' tea should be strong, sweet (but not to excess) and enough milk to cool it to drinking temp.

[Glutton4...]

Heathens
A measured amount of tea LEAVES to a pot...warm the pot...add the leaves...pour over boiling water...fit teacossy...leave stand...your chosen cup, add milk and pour...and a digestive goes down well with it too...haha

I wasn't going to post, as I no longer drink tea (long story) but finefencer is 100% correct. My only additions are; MUST be English Breakfast tea, MUST be China cup/mug.

I drink Coffee - Heaped spoonful G*ld Blend ('real' coffee has me on the b*g in 5 mins), 1 small sugar (pref. brown) loads of really fat milk, and water if there's room! The Spanish local bars near where my Sister lives make it just perfectly!

Not that you Tea drinkers are interested...

[Hilary B]

I wasn't going to post, as I no longer drink tea (long story) but finefencer is 100% correct. My only additions are; MUST be English Breakfast tea, MUST be China cup/mug.

I drink Coffee - Heaped spoonful G*ld Blend ('real' coffee has me on the b*g in 5 mins), 1 small sugar (pref. brown) loads of really fat milk, and water if there's room! The Spanish local bars near where my Sister lives make it just perfectly!

Not that you Tea drinkers are interested...

I certainly prefer tea made in a pot with leaves. In a pot with teabag (a quality type) is reasonable. Teabag in mug can be acceptable, but is never as good (and teabag and milk should never meet).
My preferred tea is Assam (I used to like Ceylon, but these days it seems far too delicate), but any strong type is pretty good.
Having got used to semi-skimmed milk, I now only like full-fat milk in REALLY strong tea (aka 'builder's tea')!

[StephenH]

As an English gardener I drink almost as much tea as an English Labourer, and I have MY way of making a cup.
But whenever I make a brew for someone else, they always seem to question my methods. So, how do you brew yours?

My method:
Teabag in cup
Splash of milk (most people question this at this stage, but this way I can fill it up without worrying if I've left enough room for milk at the end.)
Hot water
Squash teabag against side of mug with teaspoon
Remove teabag with teaspoon and squish last drip of water out
Add sugar now if required
Stir
Drink.

Any complaints?

This is an excellent way of making light brown hot water, but it ain't tea.
This is the only correct way to make tea. Use loose-leaf tea, not bags, and use a good-quality brand (I use, and thoroughly recommend, Taylors of Harrogate's 'Yorkshire' tea, but there are other good ones). Use a ceramic teapot, and shortly before the water boils, pour a small amount into it to warm the pot, swill it round, and empty. Add one teaspoon of tea per mug (four teaspoons if you're using a standard quart-size pot), and when the water is boiling, pour it into the teapot. The water must be still boiling when it hits the tealeaves. Give it a good stir, put the lid on the pot, put a tea-cosy over it, and leave it to brew for five minutes. Time the five minutes - it's longer than you think. While it's brewing, put milk and sugar (if wanted) into the mugs. When the five minutes is up, pour it through a strainer into the mugs.
I used to make tea with a tea-bag in the mug, but after doing it the proper way, as above, I never went back to that way, quicker and easier though it is. The results of the two ways do not bear comparison. Try it my way, and I think you'll agree.

[StephenH]

If I had time I would subscribe to this method A Nice Cup of Tea by George Orwell however I dont agree with number 6 as thhe water should only be boiled once, reboiling can cause less oxygen in the water and doesnt allow proper infusion or so I have read.

So I've red too, but you shouldn't believe everything you read. Like George, I've never noticed that boiling the water for some time before pouring it onto the tea makes any difference.

[StephenH]

Heathens
A measured amount of tea LEAVES to a pot...warm the pot...add the leaves...pour over boiling water...fit teacossy...leave stand...your chosen cup, add milk and pour...and a digestive goes down well with it too...haha

A person after my own heart!