Ask Lemmy

Why not heat it on the stove in a small pan?

Has that happened to you? I've not managed to make super heated water in the microwave.

Mine makes funny noises too, but since it has a marker for one cup, the noises obviously don't matter.

Lemon juice, honey, and also gin?!? Genius! Any water, or just that?

We ran out of JD Honey - trump tax and Canadian embargo - and I was gonna add a local bourbonesque booze ... but I never even thought of a gin base.

I recommend getting an electric kettle and leaving it on the counter. It's extremely fast. You can fill a measuring cup, dump it in, and 2 minutes later it's boiled hotter than the microwave. And if you drink coffee, a French Press is 100% better than drip.

In the US, if you go to the store and ask where are the tea towels are, they'll look at you funny, then suggest you look in the T-shirt department.

I'm not a commie, and if god forsook me, how would I know?

OTOH, I still mostly only drink Red Rose and Tetley, and given enough steep time ... say 10 or 15 minutes ... they're not so nasty. And I was born -next- to Canada, so I can't be -too- disabled.

So, I like loose leaf when I can, but will totally use bags, I grew up with Tetley so that'll always be the tea I'll use for some basic iced tea. Yorkshire gold reminds me a lot of Red Rose, which is the other really common bag tea (and I swear is what my grandmother uses for her water intake). Recently, have some bags from Genuine Tea, it's a Canadian brand and some of their blends are pretty good, there's an elderberry hibiscus one that's great to just toss a few bags in a pitcher and cold steep.

Going to mention more types of teas rather than brands that I've liked in the past, there's a lot of variety and tea (like quality coffee) can totally have a wide range of flavours depending on region, age, processing etc. By no means an expert, I just like trying things.

I like Lapsang Souchong sometimes, can have a strong smoky flavour, don't have any more but we had some first flush Darjeeling tea that was fantastic. I had some nice white tea as well, but you need to be careful, turns super unpleasant if you over steep it or have the water too hot, should be floral and lightly fruity, not pine needles.

Otherwise, I personally like oolong and pu'erh tea the best. I tend to brew tea quick with an excess of leaves, but you'll use the same tea leaves multiple times. Pu'erh can have some earthy subtle flavours, and apparently totally changes as it ages (it's fermented if I recall).

What kind of tea experience are you looking for? A sweet and fruity herbal good hot or cold? Something refreshing and subtle to enjoy with a touch of lemon? Something dark and complicated? Smokey and earthy? There are so many options you should probably think about what you want from your cuppa.