> wrote in message
oups.com...
>I am pretty much a novice tea brewer. I just started a few months ago
> and have myself a bag of looseleaf green tea.

Welcome!
>
> 1. Does tap water work good for tea brewing, my tap water is from a
> well through a reverse osmosis machine and then to the refrigerator.

I guess it depends on your taste. If the water tastes good to you by itself
then it's a good start. If you want to experiment though, pick up a couple
of different bottled waters (the ones in glass or clear plastic, not the
cloudy plastic which leaves a taste...I ahve heard Volvic, Arrowhead and
Danno are good) and see if you can tell the difference, other things begin
equal.
>
> 2. What is a good but not complicated method of brewing tea, my friend
> says just to get this thing from Starbucks where you just put the
> looseleaf in and then brew then the thing presses the looseleaf down to
> the bottom, does this work good? And what is this type of device
> called?
>

I am not sure if the Starbucks thing is the same as what I have, I have a
Bodum Assam (pic here http://www.harney.com/bodumassam.html ) that does
that but I don't use it for greens. I prefer to brew my greens either in a
gaiwan (pic here for instance http://www.harney.com/00139.html ) or a clear
glass teapot or jar or what I have on hand so I can see the leaves and the
color of the tea, it adds aesthetic pleasure for me. I even use a plain
water glass on occasion. And lately I've been using my Pyrex measuring cup,
very handy.

> 3. Are there any random little things to add to green tea sometimes
> that make better variety, I've heard people saying milk, sugar, and
> cream, how do these taste when put into green tea?

You can put whatever suits your taste into green tea...I add peppermint to
my green gunpowder tea (but not to my "good" green teas...I don't put
anything into them) but I imagine you could put some ginger in or what have
you. Some tea vendors will put rosebuds or jasmine etc. in. Depending on how
you like the taste of straight green tea, milk kills the flavor that's
inherent in the brewed liquid itself, I feel. If I were to want to add
sweetener to mine, I would add honey but that's just my thought. I do think
that for the average perosn who's not used to green tea straight it takes a
little getting used to, but it quenches thirst really well, especially when
it's cold.

Most important points for green teas: low temps (165-170 or lower) and short
to medium steep times (depending on the temp of the water). One can get more
than one steep out of a good green, I routinely get 4-6 out of mine
depending on what I'm brewing. If the temp is too high it gives you spinach.


I use anything from a pint jelly jar to a coffee carafe (NEVER used for
coffee) and recently I found a Bodum assam pot without the press part for $2
at the Goodwill, yay!!
>
> Thanks in advance.
>

You're welcome, let us know how it goes for you.

Melinda