The coffee and tea thread!

[McSpunckle]

I need new tea and coffee. I half expected this thread to exist, but the search didn't come up with anything.

All I've really had thus far is shit from the grocery store, and when i go to real cafes, I begin to hate the stuff I have...

Sooo

What do you guys drink? I especially like chai tea, but I wanna try basically anything.

It helps if it can be in teabags, since I don't have a teapot...

So yeah, what kinda coffee/tea do you guys drink?

[Ghost Hip]

I have to have funky mocha white chocoalte caramel candy bar flavored vanilla cold/frozen drinks in order have coffee. However those Glass bottled Frappucinos that starbucks make and put in vending machines were my life for first semester of college last year. Vanilla was my favorite.

Oh and my friend works at a coffee shop in the mall and I cans top by and smell all the beans and if she's working I get four dollar drinks for one dollar. Free donuts too.

[bigchiefbc]

The only coffee I ever drink is espresso or a cappucino. Which is to say, not very often. I can't stand the watered down crap we call coffee here in America. The week I spent in Florence during my honeymoon, I must have had 30 cappucinos

As for tea, I pretty much only drink green tea with just a bit of honey, don't really care which brand.

[Nychthemeron]

I always get the strongest coffee anywhere I go. Anything less just isn't worth it.

I never really got into tea, but I'm getting more into it now. I'm digging the fruit teas.

[metalmariachi]

If you can find them..
Omos and Sella Dorado are the best I’ve ever tasted.

Pure Columbian brown.

MM

[magiclawnchair]

not a big coffee guy, but i drink lots of tea. if you can find teas from the metropolitan tea company they are the best. the earl grey is awesome as is the icewine, arctic raspberry and strawberry maple. oh, and i almost forgot the vanilla grenadine!

[Gunner Recall]

I don't touch coffee, but I'm a big tea guy. Invest in a cheap method of steeping loose tea, you'll be glad you did. You don't really need a pot.

Teavana sells cheap-ish tea infusers that work well. Or you can just get a cheap ball infuser thingy.
Loose tea may seem more expensive at first, but it really is much cheaper considering how many cups you can make from a small amount of leaves.

I drink a lot of Ti Kuan Yin (oolong), Silver Needle or Pai Mu Tan (white), jasmine dragon phoenix pearls (green), and Pagan Alms (red/green mix with vanilla and chocolate )

If you go with bags, I always liked mixing lady grey with earl grey.

http://serendipitea.com/default.aspx
http://www.teavana.com/

[SirBlend12]

There is this fantastic Ginger Peach tea I drink every now and then (I believe it is by The Republic of Tea). It comes in this little tube-like aluminum container, and you can either get it as 50 little bags or as loose black tea (which is better).

The way I usually make it is by taking about a tablespoon or so of the tea and just dumping it into about 8 oz of water and stirring it so the leaves get wet and sink. Then, I just toss it in the microwave for about 2 mins (maybe a bit less dependent on the strength o' your machine) and then let it sit there for about 5 mins. It steeps like no other when you do that. You'll just see clear water at the top and a dark cloud hanging on the bottom of the cup. Toss in a little bit of GOOD honey (not some crap in a plastic bear) and then stir the whole thing up for a minute or so, and drain it through one of those little cooking strainers (I'll find a pic somewhere). It's delectable. Be warned, though, that this stuff packs a punch in natural caffeine, which certainly does NOT feel the same as the caffeine in Red Bull or the like. You don't want to know what THIS feels like when you've had a bit too much, because you won't feel over-hyper or over-alert... you'll just feel sick.

Here's the tea:

And Here's that strainer I was talking about:


Try it out. It's freakin' tasty!

[jrmy]

Lots and lots and lots o' coffee, but I'm not too picky. I do like it strong, and love the good stuff, but will drink almost anything that's available. At this point, if I don't get my morning coffee, I get my mid-day migraine. So it's almost medicinal at this point.

Tea: usually late at night, usually something decaf like sleepytime.

[01010111]

I love tea. I found this Darjeeling tea once that was fantastic but I couldn't find it again. Try yerpa matte it makes green tea taste like boiled sofa in comparison

[McSpunckle]

There is this fantastic Ginger Peach tea I drink every now and then (I believe it is by The Republic of Tea). It comes in this little tube-like aluminum container, and you can either get it as 50 little bags or as loose black tea (which is better).

The way I usually make it is by taking about a tablespoon or so of the tea and just dumping it into about 8 oz of water and stirring it so the leaves get wet and sink. Then, I just toss it in the microwave for about 2 mins (maybe a bit less dependent on the strength o' your machine) and then let it sit there for about 5 mins. It steeps like no other when you do that. You'll just see clear water at the top and a dark cloud hanging on the bottom of the cup. Toss in a little bit of GOOD honey (not some crap in a plastic bear) and then stir the whole thing up for a minute or so, and drain it through one of those little cooking strainers (I'll find a pic somewhere). It's delectable. Be warned, though, that this stuff packs a punch in natural caffeine, which certainly does NOT feel the same as the caffeine in Red Bull or the like. You don't want to know what THIS feels like when you've had a bit too much, because you won't feel over-hyper or over-alert... you'll just feel sick.

Here's the tea: [img]http://cdn.republicoftea.com/images/products/viewlarger/p40002O.jpg
And Here's that strainer I was talking about: [img]http://iweb.pillsburystore.com/images/products/shprodde/162553.jpg

Try it out. It's freakin' tasty!

This method is genius! I'll try it as soon as I find the loose tea I want to buy. I'd like to try every suggestion in this thread, but I'm poor.

[SirBlend12]

This method is genius! I'll try it as soon as I find the loose tea I want to buy. I'd like to try every suggestion in this thread, but I'm poor.

Haha thanks. That tea is actually only $9.00 (I'm pretty sure) for one of the cans of just the loose leaves. And it's black tea, so that can will last you for quite a while.

Oh, and another way that it is pretty good (If you have the time and patience) is to get a decent-sized cooking pot and fill it with about a quart or so of water. Then, toss in maybe 4 tablespoons of the tea, or just a little more. Throw that baby on the stove and get 'er heating up. As it's warming, throw in about a cup of sliced fresh strawberries and like half an orange (pull apart into slices) with a tablespoon of brown sugar. Let it come to a boil and then turn it down so that it just simmers for a good while (if you have an electric stove, set to maybe 2 or 3 after it starts to boil). Then, let it hang out like that for maybe 20 minutes, and then turn the heat down as low as it goes for another 20, and then shut it off and put a lid on the pot and let it all hang out for like an hour. Once it's done all of that, pour it all in some big container and throw it in your fridge. It's good cold, but it's also good hot if you wanna put it in a cup and heat it up (just don't let the fruit pieces get in the cup, because that turns out pretty badly).

It seems like a pain in the ass, but it can be worth it if your in the mood to make it. Tasty as hell, and a fair winner of

[McSpunckle]

Tried your method whilst making a chai latte. Great, easy way to brew tea, yo! Not sure if the microwave will give me cancer-- I still don't trust the damn things-- but great time saver.

Had to use a coffee filter for the strainer, though.

[Mudfuzz]

Coffee: espresso for the most part, I also have a Vacuum Pot Siphon Coffee Brewer that is rather nice. I usually get free trade organic french roast or Olympia Coffee Roasting Company's Big truck.

Tea: fav store stuff is Good Earth original and their jasmine green tea. I also really like raspberry tea [baulk from heathfood stores] and I find trying different types of green tea fun, I don't have a fav yet.

[SirBlend12]

Tried your method whilst making a chai latte. Great, easy way to brew tea, yo! Not sure if the microwave will give me cancer-- I still don't trust the damn things-- but great time saver.

Had to use a coffee filter for the strainer, though.

Hahaha. Hey, if it works, it works. And as always, things from the stove always turn out better. I only used the ol' wave when time was of the essence.