Loose tea leaves

[Terry R.]

Do we have others that prefer loose tea to bags? What is your method for making it while camping?

I recently found a wonderful gadget for brewing my tea that lets no leaves escape. It is a little cup/pot like thing that you pour the water into with the leaves, brew and then set on top of your cup you plan to drink from. Once you set it on your cup, the tea comes out the bottom, a lot like a drip coffee maker but much faster. No leaves, just beautifully strained tea.

I have always struggled to find the perfect strainer.

[reeves99]

Hi Terry,
We use loose tea at home and just use a small regular strainer over the cup. On the road we use teabags because it's easier. We have a stainless steel teapot in the trailer so no worries about it getting broken.
Can you share a photo or the brand of strainer you have? Where did you find it? Also, did you find a brand of tea you like? We find it a bit difficult to get "good" tea in the US. (No offence to Americans, it's just that they're not into hot tea as much as their neighbours to the north )
Phil

[Mike Magee]

Yes to loose leaf tea, noticeably better tasting than tea bags. I prefer white tea for a hot cup, but black tea if it will be iced.

I have several infusers. I have also tried (and it works) a French Press coffeemaker with loose leaf tea instead of coffee; you still get some fines in the cup, but they settle to the bottom so they're no big deal.

As for source, we are fortunate to have a specialty tea shop here in Tulsa. But even so, I usually order my tea from Darlene's Tea Port of Wichita KS... the shop sells their teas on eBay, too.

[fusedlight]

Tea balls work great. And... they are dirt cheap.

[Terry R.]

This is the little brewer. I have used all kinds of infusers and I have always gotten some leaves in the bottom of the cup. This gaget strains tea better that any thing I have ever tried. It is nice to see exactly what is going on when brewing.

I will be ordering one for the camper.

I think oolong is one of my favorite tea. Darjeeling brings up a close second. http://images.search.yahoo.com/image...r=yfp-t-701-14

[Pam Garlow]

I have that tea brewer also, Terry, and it works great. But I tend to just bring tea bags when camping, for simplicity.

[Gail & Tom O.]

I love the Serengeti Tea Company's tea. It isn't a teabag but a disposable infuser called a ticolino. Check it out Serengeti or for Canada Serengeti. Now they are putting coffee in the ticolino and it is pretty good.

[HerseyBA]

Nothing fancy. A hand full of King Cole tea from Sussex, NB in a pot of cold water set at the back of the fire until it is as black as a black cat at midnight night of the new moon. Jump starts your heart on those cold predawn hours in the winter at hunting camp.
A little strong for the locals but as originally a Nothern New Englander it works for me.

[RogerDat]

Originally Posted by HerseyBA

Nothing fancy. A hand full of King Cole tea from Sussex, NB in a pot of cold water set at the back of the fire until it is as black as a black cat at midnight night of the new moon. Jump starts your heart on those cold predawn hours in the winter at hunting camp.
A little strong for the locals but as originally a Nothern New Englander it works for me.

When I used to backpack many many moons ago it was strong tea that I went with for the morning brew. Don't like instant coffee and the coffee pot and makings were too much to haul.

Must have worked, I woke up enough that I never broke camp and left the pack or the tent behind.

Now I generally just do sun tea for iced, still like it strong. Takes me back to some fond memories as does your post.

[john warren]

yes i love exploring different tea,, i find the best at asian grociery stores and shops. loose only
bag tea isn't tea,,,its teadust, appairently swept from the floor where they package real tea.

[Mike Magee]

Originally Posted by john warren

yes i love exploring different tea,, i find the best at asian grociery stores and shops. loose only
bag tea isn't tea,,,its teadust, appairently swept from the floor where they package real tea.

So that's why teabag tea has such an earthy flavor!

[Terry R.]

Yes, John, I have noticed the very same thing with a lot of teas. I rarely get my tea from the grocery stores. Another reason is, they rarely have loose leaf tea. The oriental store has the best Bancha tea leaves. It is so mild.

[fusedlight]

Originally Posted by john warren

yes i love exploring different tea,, i find the best at asian grociery stores and shops. loose only
bag tea isn't tea,,,its teadust, appairently swept from the floor where they package real tea.

This reminds me of a story I heard when I was working with an oil exploration crew in the early 70's. One of the guys on the crew had been on an exploration ship near Ceylon. He went to the island and visited a tea plantation where they showed him the sorting shed. "Here's the finest leaves... we send those to India. The second grade leaves...we send them to England. The leftovers? They go to Liptons!"