Having A Cup of Tea

[Blackhorse]

I checked out recent reviews on that batch of Yorkshire Red...and passed. Too many very negative comments about the strength and quality not being up to snuff. I did order some other Yorkshire Red going for a bit more but with very solid reviews. Also picked up some PG Tips and PG Tips Strong Blend while I was at it.



While I was at it I grabbed some decaf tea for my wife’s Valentine’s Day bag...decaf Earl Greyer & Licorice Spice. The brewing aroma of the Licorice Root stuff nearly makes me gag...but she loves it. GAK!



Lastly...snagged a goodly bag of Australian Black Licorice for her as well. If you like black licorice and enjoy the twists sold here in the USA...do yourself a massive favor and try some if what is made in OZ/NZ...which is only about ten thousand times better. In every way...on every level. I like the little Scotty Dogs but usually order Darrell Lea.

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I like PG Tips tea. And love licorice

 

[Carlos]

Cathy and I really like Yorkshire Tea in the red box. I am a fan of loose leaf also. However, just for ease of making it, hard to beat Yorkshire tea.

 

[Blackhorse]

Cool. I picked up two others as well. Buying binge! Time to toss out the out stale leaf and get some fresh. So I also got a box of the Yorkshire Red and one of Clipper Teas Specialties Earl Grey. All together that should do me for about six months. I already had several varieties of Darjeeling First Flush and some good Assam that are all still fine. This is the first time I’ve stocked up on “UK Supermarket Teas”. I imagine the ladies at Upton will wonder what happened to me.

 

[Blackhorse]

Interesting...tried Yorkshire Gold this morning after having Yorkshire Red yesterday. Both using bagged tea. Both made using the same water source, heated to boiling in my precious Mueller Instant Water Boiler Thing (it’s arguably the greatest kitchen counter appliance ever). Anyway...both brewed exactly 3 minutes. They are very similar. The Gold tastes to me like a good Assam but not all that malty. The Red tastes the same but with something else added...like Ceylon. Probably more complex than that by far. I thought they were both going to be super strong but they weren’t...just about the ideal strength to ensure full flavor. I almost think that milk and sugar (or Splenda) would kill the flavor instead if enhancing it. Got several other Irish teas on the way. Thompson’s Irish Breakfast and Punjana.

And we were very nearly out so I’m getting some good Pacific Sage Raw Honey.

 

[RSteve]

Both made using the same water source, heated to boiling in my precious Mueller Instant Water Boiler Thing (it’s arguably the greatest kitchen counter appliance ever).

I have a similar instant pot by Hamilton Beach, but it's problematic pouring water for making "pour over" coffee, which I make frequently. Too much water flows from the spout for pour over. Coincidently, I got an email today from Bodum.com
with a sale on their pour over insta-pot, which I didn't know existed. $29.99, shipped (on sale)

 

[Blackhorse]

Mine has blue LED’s that light up when it fires up. Wouldn’t trade it for anything.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TZ5YHJN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Tennessee Dave]

Believe it or not at the ripe old age of 70 I had my first cup of tea with some milk in it. Is this an acquired taste? I usually drink it au natural with the occasional lump of sugar or honey. Not sure about this milk thing.

 

[Blackhorse]

Depends entirely on the tea.

 

[RSteve]

Believe it or not at the ripe old age of 70...

You don't qualify for "ripe" until you reach 75.

 

[RSteve]

Mine has blue LED’s that light up when it fires up.

So does my Hamilton Beach. I did an experiment to see what would bring 14 oz of water fastest to the boil: Saucepan on portable induction cooktop, microwave, or hotpot. Fastest, by far, was the saucepan on the induction cooktop at 1500 watts.

 

[Carlos]

I use an ancient copper Simplex kettle for boiling water for tea and coffee. It's ugly. Plenty of patina and green. Made in England. I'll have to get a pic. I do not care about speed, but copper is fast. Nor do I need another appliance taking up counter space. It's simple and works.

 

[Blackhorse]

So does my Hamilton Beach. I did an experiment to see what would bring 14 oz of water fastest to the boil: Saucepan on portable induction cooktop, microwave, or hotpot. Fastest, by far, was the saucepan on the induction cooktop at 1500 watts.

Hey...do me a big favor and time your “boil time”. My range has a ceramic glass top and it takes forever. My Meuller Water Boiler seems super fast by comparison. Let’s use 32 fl oz of water...cold from the tap like you would use for tea. Let’s compare times.

 

[RSteve]

Hey...do me a big favor and time your “boil time”. My range has a ceramic glass top and it takes forever. My Meuller Water Boiler seems super fast by comparison. Let’s use 32 fl oz of water...cold from the tap like you would use for tea. Let’s compare times.

Will do this afternoon. Nap time for the 17-month-old.

 

[RSteve]

Got to it while the 17-month-old and 6-year-old ate breakfast. I let my cold tap run until it was MN cold.
Heavy saucepan with lid on induction cooktop: 5' 16" to boil
Hotpot: 5' 12" to boil
No appreciable difference

 

[Carlos]

Used everyday. By the looks of it, it was used everyday by it's prior owner. And I have had it for years. A tip, with the Simplex, fill with water, then pour out a bit. So when the lid is in and it comes to the boil, and you go to pour. It is not so full that water comes around the lid.

 

[Blackhorse]

Having a big ol’ mug of Thompson’s Irish Breakfast tea...green label...teabag. Crisp and clean with excellent strength. Lovely aftertaste. This is gulping level tea. One of my favorites. The company description is as follows...”This luxurious blend produces a rich, rounded character, thanks to Assam’s finest leaves picked only during peak quality periods before being vacuum-packed to preserve freshness.These are blended with teas from the high-grown slopes of Mount Kenya, producing a bright, full-flavoured infusion with a fresh finish.”

OK...testing of the: “Mueller Premium 1500W Electric Kettle with SpeedBoil Tech, 1.8 Liter Cordless with LED Light, Borosilicate Glass, Auto Shut-Off and Boil-Dry Protection”:

• Used one quart (32 fl oz) of cold tap water (we got a whole half inch of snow on the ground...so it’s cold).
• Timing done with my Seiko Automatic Samurai Dive Watch.
• From pushing the on button to a solid boil...3 minutes, 30 seconds. Not bad.

The Thompson’s...

 

[Blackhorse]

PS: Awesome shot of the Simplex. Now THERE’S an obvious workhorse.

• If the zombie apocalypse ever happens you can use that beast as a “Battle Teapot”!
• If we named kitchen stuff that would be “The HULK”.

 

[RSteve]

Wasn't the comparison based on 32 oz.?

 

[Blackhorse]

Oops. Yes. 32 fl oz. Correction made.

Just made a second cup and used the 16 fl oz (least amount of water allowed) line. Time required was a little less than 2 1/2 minutes! Wow!

BTW: second cup was Yorkshire Gold...by Taylor’s of Harrowgate. Very different profile than the Thompson’s Irish. Much more of a malty character...not anywhere near as crisp...rounder...about the same strength. Maybe they use more of a “second flush” Assam, whereas the Thompson’s has a more “first flush” profile. Side by side I’d usually pick the Thompson’s Irish Breakfast.