I've been a tea lover since high school, and that was fifteen years ago. I
knew I liked Earl Grey, and Lipton... As I tried new teas, I discovered
Oolong, Green, and English Breakfast. Great teas, but I was buying fannings
in a bag.

I bought twinings tins of Earl Grey, Irish Breakfast, Ceylon, Russian
Caravan, etc. Usually making them with a coffee maker with very mixed
results. I've always used a couple of pyrex dishes, and a strainer. I like
the way tea tastes the most when I get water SCALDING hot, not BOILING, and
I steep black tea for 3 minutes or so. I stir the tea, leaves flying around
everywhere in one of the pyrex dishes. I then pour it into a warm SECOND
pyrex dish through a cheap strainer. By this time it is quite warm, but not
HOT tea. I consume it rather quickly. It's a little messy, and uncouth as
a process goes, and if this is the best way to do it, then I'll keep doing
it this way.

My instincts tell me that this is NOT, however, the best way to do it. My
favorite teas right now are actually NOT stand-alone teas. I'm on a diet,
so decaf is a necessity for now. (Minus 40 pounds since January, by the
way.) My favorite varieties in order:

1.) Green Tea with Mint
1.5) Earl Grey
2.) Monk's Blend
3.) Czar Nikolai (but I can't drink that one because it's not available
caffeine free.)

Stand Alone tea...
1.) Darjeeling (wonderful flavor/complexity)
2.) White Tea
3.) Green Tea

I drink a lot of herbal teas as well. Rooibos is a staple, chamomile,
fruity/etc... Think Celestial Seasonings, and that's all it is. My wife
enjoys them too.

I made a decent sized purchase at www.culinaryteas.com and was at first
disappointed in their Earl Grey, but I'd followed their suggestions, and put
their teabags in BOILING water. I got bitter, rancid filth that had me
emailing them, and complaining about the quality of their tea. When I used
my decade of experience, using hot, scalding water, it worked out just fine.
The teas I'm drinking that I got from them are just fine. I enjoy them, but
I am as interested in quality as I am saving money.

This brings me to my main set of questions:

1.) is there a all-in-one teapot that is feasable for use in the workplace
that can be used in conjunction with a microwave to help brew superior tea?

2.) Is there a consensus within this group where to buy the finest teas
online, and a place to get the best prices for them? I would be interested
in learning of both.

For those of you who read this all the way through, I think you very much.
Tea has been a major part of my life for a long time, and I want to learn
more, and try more. There are tea purists who would snub me for my liking
such a variety, I'd think... Considering the "fruity" nature of Monk's
Blend, but I was nonetheless quite impressed, and taken with it. Earl Grey
has been a favorite ever since I first heard of it watching Captain Jean Luc
Picard on Star Trek. (You must admit, he had to increase the sale of the
stuff!)

Now that I have my brewing technique mostly down, I would like to buy
appropriate equipment for doing this. When I'm home, I don't mind the
silly/uncouth ritual, or something similar, but I would like to try and
avoid the pieces of leaves that I get in my service pot (which are plenty...
The filter isn't quite fine enough.) What I *DO* know, though, is that tea
DOES like to be out in the open when brewing. It is a superior tasting brew
if you can avoid getting enough tea leaves in your main service to cause
bitterness. I'm just looking for a better method (if there is one) and to
hear some more suggestions on teas to try.

I'm a little interested in this "Pu-erh" stuff... Can anyone describe the
flavor characteristics, and can one buy this decaffeinated?

Thanks a million for your anticipated response! This seems like a nice,
friendly group.

Regards,

Daniel