deniseincarmel

Lyons tea better than PG Tips?

I am sooo afraid of where Big Lots buys their food and where and how long it is in very hot warehouses before it hits the stores...

maybe that's just me....

I'm writing all of these brand names down :-)

dukeynorton

Im sensing an amateur tea drinker here - are you English? If so, you should be ashamed of yourself

PG tips and Tetley are commonly referred to as "builders tea", nice and strong, consistent from bag to bag and an all-rounder. Also good for biscuit dunking, but that's a seperate discussion and you're not ready yet. For me, Tetley's is a little less harsh than PG tips and can be a bit more consistent. If you want a more refined flavour, then Twinnings is your bag, but it can be a bit weak at times when you need that pure gravy taste . That Tazo tea isn't too bad either and can be found in some large chain coffee shops. Bit poncy mind.

twiggy1984

Tazo? noooo! None of that evil starbucks nonsense!

dukeynorton

I know, I know, but it's alright.

dukeynorton

Hey tea is important! It's not just for christmas, it's for life!

deniseincarmel

Bingo! I am soooo not English. But, my life long dream is to visit England and my favorite authors are mostly English.

Yes, very amateur tea drinker although I did have some loose tea from Piccidilly's in London a few yrs. back and LOVED it! I just threw a teaspoon in a cup and saucer, boiling water next, and sometimes a queeze of lemon. That's why I was asking how most people in England drink it.

Here's the thing: I had three varieties, Piccidilly, English Breakfast, and Earl Gray. Although I was partial to Piccidilly, they all tasted basically the same so I couldn't really figure out which kind I liked more. And, the Piccidilly one was probably some mixture of several kinds, I assumed?? Who knows. It's fun learning more about it and hearing how people say they like it.

Irn-bru

no its not
Agree with twinings it does have a weaker taste but if OP likes lemon and black I think it might be the best bet.

Loose tea (and fresh) is really good if you can get good quality.

twiggy1984

If you don;t mind mucking around with a teapot, there's a fantastic company here in chicago that does the best Tea and Coffee I've had in the states.

www.intelligentsiacoffee.com

Their English breakfast is amazing! They also have a mail order section and definitely worth the hassle

Seriously, they got me through grad school!

Oh dear!! I feel somewhat like a tea obsessive/snob. eeek!

Lynne

I am a loose leaf tea drinker and found a great place online - www.uptonstea.com I have been using them for a while and they are really good. They have a great selection at a reasonable price. One online company I would highly recommend.

deniseincarmel

Lynne, I went there. It looks like they have an amazing selection.

Here's a link that might work:
http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/hom...3Dupton%2Bteas

Hove

Man you could worry yourself to death ,Our liquidation world food comes from Canada,Our Big Lots comes from California and most foods have expiration dates
on them .I would worry more about what comes from China .You know Wal -Mart carries Tetleys tea the round Tea Bags I think its called English Breakfast tea.

Redlippie

Your supermarket should have the Twinings variety pack. They're all a tad bland excepting for the Earl Grey. I use the loose Earl Grey tea for when I feel like that particular flavor. You can't beat loose tea for flavor.

How to make tea:

1. Boil water in a kettle.
2. Clean out a tea pot.
3. Pour boiling water into the teapot.
4. Swish it around, so the pot is warmed up. Pour it out.
5. Measure tea leaves into teapot.
6. Add boiling water, swish it around a bit.
7. Let it sit for a few minutes.
8. Pour milk into a pretty teacup.
9. Add tea (don't forget a strainer).
10 Enjoy!

That is how the Brits make real tea. (I think! I'm not a Brit either, just had to live with them!)

dukeynorton

Highly contentious issue this. There is basically two camps, milk in first or milk in after. If you are doing it very properly, especially with loose tea and all that, strictly speaking the milk should be warmed slightly. Personally, I am a milk in first man!

twiggy1984

Agreed, there's also the variety variable and whether to use milk or lemon slices!

deniseincarmel

So that's how you do it! Thanks Redlippie. I'm not big on milk, so I'd probably add my squirt of lemon instead.

The loose tea did seem fresher...maybe my imagination...or maybe the paper from the tea bags have been bleached and that's coming through on the tastebuds...