Last night, as I was laying in bed trying to get to sleep, I realized
something. My friends and colleagues thing me somewhat of a tea
gourmet - or even a tea snob. But I don't think that's accurate.

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I don't like puerh.

I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

I don't like puerh.

I keep my teas stored in a drawer, in airtight plastic bottles because
its convenient. I know there are better methods, but I don't have the
gumption to switch. (At least I keep them "air tight" and "dark".)

I don't like puerh.

While I appreciate the intricacies of gungfu, I have no desire to
actually do it myself. Sure, it's a good cup of tea, but I don't think
its worth the effort. And for me to do it for the sake of doing it
would be pretentious. (I'm not saying that doing gungfu is
pretentious. I'm saying that it would be "for me" - it's a personal
thing.)

I don't like puerh.

I do appreciate good teas, however. And I know what "bad tea" is. I
was at a conference last week that had bagged tea at the snack table.
It wasn't too bad, but I missed my stash of teas at home. At the same
time, I often can't tell the difference between two grades of the same
tea - while I know others who can.

Did I mention that I don't like puerh?

And I have hardly any "tea memorabilia" around, except a few teacups I
bought when I was in Russia. Save for the absence of a coffee pot in
our house, no one would really know from visiting that I drink tea.

All of that has brought me to one rather startling conclusion. I am
not a tea gourmet (a connoisseur of tea). I am, in fact, simply a
gourmand (one who is heartily interested in good tea).

Maybe, one day, I'll move myself up the tea drinkers hierarchy. But in
the mean time, I'm just going to enjoy my tea.

The "gourmet" is dead. Long live the "gourmand"!

--
Derek

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are
men who want crops without plowing the ground. -- Frederick Douglass,
abolitionist, editor and orator (1817-1895)

Hehe, thanks for the morning chuckle.
What kind of puerh did you say you liked?

Mike

Hehe, thanks for the morning chuckle.
What kind of puerh did you say you liked?

Mike

Hehe, thanks for the morning chuckle.
What kind of puerh did you say you liked?

Mike

On 12 Jan 2005 07:50:15 -0800, Mike Petro wrote:

Hehe, thanks for the morning chuckle.

You're welcome.

What kind of puerh did you say you liked?

The pink kind.

--
Derek

"Meddle not in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle, and will p!$$
on your cyberdeck." - Jeff Wilder

Puerh has become my late night evening tea. I think the microbes
gobbled the caffeine and expelled it as gas. Since a little goes a
long way I don't use a pot. I put some in a styrofoam cup and add the
boiling water. You can drink it after the decimated leaf particulate
settles to the bottom which seems like only a minute. The first sip
taste like the last sip off the bottom. I think there is a temperature
where it stops infusing. You never get the over steeped heavy taste.
I'm going to use it as my brown bag restaurant tea. It holds up to
multiple infusions and to the waitress and dishwasher the cup seems
like another ashtray. I could have used it New Year's Eve when I
stopped at a gourmet steakhouse per chance. I learned the coded words
'Do you have a reservation' means it's going to be very expensive.
Well worth it in this case but way too much food and needed something
to settle my stomach. It acts better than a glass of seltzer after a
meal to do the same thing. If I was still traveling I would add it to
my road kit and never have to worry about replacing stale tea. Nothing
worse than stale tea and a dull razer on the road. It is now in the
glove compartments of my cars. I can't think of a better humidor than
a car interior. Gas stations usually have a good source of hot water
used to make hot chocolate. You didn't mention it but I'd add I always
boil the water and if I kill the taste I'll be the last one to know.
I'll give an amen to one pot fits all. If you're serving me out of one
of those tiny little gongfu pots please be generous. I had a couple of
other posts lined up but I like this one better. I'll save them latter
for the next round. I've been loosing sleep too. I bet the other guy
sleeps like a baby.

Jim

Derek wrote:
Last night, as I was laying in bed trying to get to sleep, I realized
something. My friends and colleagues thing me somewhat of a tea
gourmet - or even a tea snob. But I don't think that's accurate.

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I don't like puerh.

I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think
is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

I don't like puerh.

I keep my teas stored in a drawer, in airtight plastic bottles
because
its convenient. I know there are better methods, but I don't have the
gumption to switch. (At least I keep them "air tight" and "dark".)

I don't like puerh.

While I appreciate the intricacies of gungfu, I have no desire to
actually do it myself. Sure, it's a good cup of tea, but I don't
think
its worth the effort. And for me to do it for the sake of doing it
would be pretentious. (I'm not saying that doing gungfu is
pretentious. I'm saying that it would be "for me" - it's a personal
thing.)

I don't like puerh.

I do appreciate good teas, however. And I know what "bad tea" is. I
was at a conference last week that had bagged tea at the snack table.
It wasn't too bad, but I missed my stash of teas at home. At the same
time, I often can't tell the difference between two grades of the
same
tea - while I know others who can.

Did I mention that I don't like puerh?

And I have hardly any "tea memorabilia" around, except a few teacups
I
bought when I was in Russia. Save for the absence of a coffee pot in
our house, no one would really know from visiting that I drink tea.

All of that has brought me to one rather startling conclusion. I am
not a tea gourmet (a connoisseur of tea). I am, in fact, simply a
gourmand (one who is heartily interested in good tea).

Maybe, one day, I'll move myself up the tea drinkers hierarchy. But
in
the mean time, I'm just going to enjoy my tea.

The "gourmet" is dead. Long live the "gourmand"!

--
Derek

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are
men who want crops without plowing the ground. -- Frederick Douglass,
abolitionist, editor and orator (1817-1895)

Here we have a fine example of Jim at his very creative best. There
are some descriptions that only Jim could come up with.

(Seriously, that's intended as a compliment, not a jab.)


On 12 Jan 2005 09:43:51 -0800, Space Cowboy wrote:

Puerh has become my late night evening tea. I think the microbes
gobbled the caffeine and expelled it as gas. Since a little goes a
long way I don't use a pot. I put some in a styrofoam cup and add the
boiling water. You can drink it after the decimated leaf particulate
settles to the bottom which seems like only a minute. The first sip
taste like the last sip off the bottom. I think there is a temperature
where it stops infusing. You never get the over steeped heavy taste.
I'm going to use it as my brown bag restaurant tea. It holds up to
multiple infusions and to the waitress and dishwasher the cup seems
like another ashtray. I could have used it New Year's Eve when I
stopped at a gourmet steakhouse per chance. I learned the coded words
'Do you have a reservation' means it's going to be very expensive.
Well worth it in this case but way too much food and needed something
to settle my stomach. It acts better than a glass of seltzer after a
meal to do the same thing. If I was still traveling I would add it to
my road kit and never have to worry about replacing stale tea. Nothing
worse than stale tea and a dull razer on the road. It is now in the
glove compartments of my cars. I can't think of a better humidor than
a car interior. Gas stations usually have a good source of hot water
used to make hot chocolate. You didn't mention it but I'd add I always
boil the water and if I kill the taste I'll be the last one to know.
I'll give an amen to one pot fits all. If you're serving me out of one
of those tiny little gongfu pots please be generous. I had a couple of
other posts lined up but I like this one better. I'll save them latter
for the next round. I've been loosing sleep too. I bet the other guy
sleeps like a baby.

--
Derek

If you want to get to the top, prepare to kiss a lot of the bottom.

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I have one of those. It works quite excellently, but recently mine's
been messing up the leaves after the 2nd infusion. It sorta gives the
tea a 'Se' (acidic...spoiled taste) taste to it...how do you clean
yours? I think my tap water has messed up the infuser part of it. I
would only rinse it out with hot tap water.


I don't like puerh.

I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

It's the only way to do it, I think. Do you guys here actually use
measuring devices to quantify your tea when preparing? I use the
wooden spoon in my gongfu set.


While I appreciate the intricacies of gungfu, I have no desire to
actually do it myself. Sure, it's a good cup of tea, but I don't think
its worth the effort. And for me to do it for the sake of doing it
would be pretentious. (I'm not saying that doing gungfu is
pretentious. I'm saying that it would be "for me" - it's a personal
thing.)

It's not as much for oneself, I think. I do gongfu cha when I have
guests or others over that appreciate finer teas. I mean, I can see
someone sitting around with a small pot and doing that alone, but I
prefer to use a gaiwan anyway, and that's way to labor intensive for
one person to enjoy.


I don't like puerh.

I do appreciate good teas, however. And I know what "bad tea" is. I
was at a conference last week that had bagged tea at the snack table.
It wasn't too bad, but I missed my stash of teas at home. At the same
time, I often can't tell the difference between two grades of the same
tea - while I know others who can.

Few can in my opinion. More claim to be able to. heh.


The "gourmet" is dead. Long live the "gourmand"!


I guess we're all here for the love of tea; pretention level dictates
which title they fall under, I suppose.


heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I have one of those. It works quite excellently, but recently mine's
been messing up the leaves after the 2nd infusion. It sorta gives the
tea a 'Se' (acidic...spoiled taste) taste to it...how do you clean
yours? I think my tap water has messed up the infuser part of it. I
would only rinse it out with hot tap water.


I don't like puerh.

I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

It's the only way to do it, I think. Do you guys here actually use
measuring devices to quantify your tea when preparing? I use the
wooden spoon in my gongfu set.


While I appreciate the intricacies of gungfu, I have no desire to
actually do it myself. Sure, it's a good cup of tea, but I don't think
its worth the effort. And for me to do it for the sake of doing it
would be pretentious. (I'm not saying that doing gungfu is
pretentious. I'm saying that it would be "for me" - it's a personal
thing.)

It's not as much for oneself, I think. I do gongfu cha when I have
guests or others over that appreciate finer teas. I mean, I can see
someone sitting around with a small pot and doing that alone, but I
prefer to use a gaiwan anyway, and that's way to labor intensive for
one person to enjoy.


I don't like puerh.

I do appreciate good teas, however. And I know what "bad tea" is. I
was at a conference last week that had bagged tea at the snack table.
It wasn't too bad, but I missed my stash of teas at home. At the same
time, I often can't tell the difference between two grades of the same
tea - while I know others who can.

Few can in my opinion. More claim to be able to. heh.


The "gourmet" is dead. Long live the "gourmand"!


I guess we're all here for the love of tea; pretention level dictates
which title they fall under, I suppose.


heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 20:17:35 GMT, Mydnight wrote:

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I have one of those. It works quite excellently, but recently mine's
been messing up the leaves after the 2nd infusion. It sorta gives the
tea a 'Se' (acidic...spoiled taste) taste to it...how do you clean
yours? I think my tap water has messed up the infuser part of it. I
would only rinse it out with hot tap water.

I've never had problems with repeated steeping.

Then again, I filter our water at the tap. I find that it has an
unpleasant "processed" flavor otherwise.

I have found, however, that after a while, the "patina" inside the
unit spoils the taste a bit. The best cleanser I've found is powdered
dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher. Unfortunately, my wife has
started buying the "pressed cake" version of the detergent, and it
doesn't clean as well. But the powdered stuff (Cascade, I think) did
wonders.

I also find that baking soda and a used toothbrush do a lot to clean
off the "gunk" on the inside, and that this greatly improves the
flavor. I'm still looking for a good way to clean the infuser by hand,
though. Its wire mesh is really starting to look nasty.

My original unit was screwed together, so I could remove the mesh and
clean the "clapper ball." Our newer Tea-One is all fused together.
--
Derek

Every dark cloud has a silver lining, but lighting kills hundreds of
people each year who are trying to find it.

Mydnight writes:

[...]
I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

It's the only way to do it, I think. Do you guys here actually use
measuring devices to quantify your tea when preparing? I use the
wooden spoon in my gongfu set.

More often than not, I use a scale. I drink teas that vary widely in
density, as I think most readers of this newsgroup do, so this is the
way I find easy to know "how much" leaf gets brewed.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

More often than not, I use a scale. I drink teas that vary widely in
density, as I think most readers of this newsgroup do, so this is the
way I find easy to know "how much" leaf gets brewed.

I'm just doing it this way to 'further my training,' as my friend a
feng says. he says to be a tea master in china, he's not but is on
his way, you must know amounts without any measuring device other than
the wooden spoon.

immma gonna be a master one day. heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

More often than not, I use a scale. I drink teas that vary widely in
density, as I think most readers of this newsgroup do, so this is the
way I find easy to know "how much" leaf gets brewed.

I'm just doing it this way to 'further my training,' as my friend a
feng says. he says to be a tea master in china, he's not but is on
his way, you must know amounts without any measuring device other than
the wooden spoon.

immma gonna be a master one day. heh.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

Mydnight writes:


More often than not, I use a scale. I drink teas that vary widely in
density, as I think most readers of this newsgroup do, so this is the
way I find easy to know "how much" leaf gets brewed.

I'm just doing it this way to 'further my training,' as my friend a
feng says. he says to be a tea master in china, he's not but is on
his way, you must know amounts without any measuring device other than
the wooden spoon.

I'm just doing it this way because it's easy and I like the results.

immma gonna be a master one day. heh.

I'm going to be dead one day. Until then, all other things being
equal, I'd like to enjoy life.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Mydnight writes:


More often than not, I use a scale. I drink teas that vary widely in
density, as I think most readers of this newsgroup do, so this is the
way I find easy to know "how much" leaf gets brewed.

I'm just doing it this way to 'further my training,' as my friend a
feng says. he says to be a tea master in china, he's not but is on
his way, you must know amounts without any measuring device other than
the wooden spoon.

I'm just doing it this way because it's easy and I like the results.

immma gonna be a master one day. heh.

I'm going to be dead one day. Until then, all other things being
equal, I'd like to enjoy life.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html