OP here. I did the thing. Loose tea. Warmed the pot. No milk this time and touch of sugar. Wasn't strong enough. Next mission. Go get FRESH loose tea. Probably something Irish Breakfast or Barry's.

Also, I have learned that I do drink coffee after it gets cold. I have become accustomed. But my tea goes cold so quick and it's over. I guess I have too many distractions in the AM and I need to just DRINK THE TEA while it is hot.

wish me luck. When it is good, it is so good, right?

Anonymous wrote:A perfect cup of Earl Gray is the way to go! Steaming hot with a wee bit of hot milk.

Hot milk makes tea taste different. I don't recommend it as a starting point.

I also prefer Harney and get their loose leaf teas. For strong tea you want a Yorkshire gold or a loose leaf breakfast style tea. So many other good points in PPs - the milk and sugar are personal preference same as with coffee. I like my tea without usually but once in a while add milk and/or sugar.

I always pour freshly boiled water (actually boiling, not just hot) over my loose tea leaves and I steep these types of teas no more than 4 minutes. I’m not sure how that leaves tea not hot enough so I suspect you may have steeped it far too long.

All that said, it may be you just don’t like tea. I do, but son’t drink coffee at all. It happens.

A perfect cup of Earl Gray is the way to go! Steaming hot with a wee bit of hot milk.

My go to tea is Tapal Danedar, you can find it in any Indian grocery store. Don’t steep too long as it’s pretty strong.

Bewleys or Lifeboat Tea make an excellent English Breakfast-style. And tea does lose its potency! Old tea will not be as bold.

Anonymous wrote:Use an electric kettle and heat it to a little less than boiling - 195F. Steep for 4-5 min. No need for milk- maybe a little honey.

I also recommend Harney. The English breakfast, peach ginger, chamomile, citron green tea are all very good. Target should have at least a couple of those options.

Less than boiling for green tea. Full rolling boil for black.

Use an electric kettle and heat it to a little less than boiling - 195F. Steep for 4-5 min. No need for milk- maybe a little honey.

I also recommend Harney. The English breakfast, peach ginger, chamomile, citron green tea are all very good. Target should have at least a couple of those options.

Assam tea is my go-to when I want a bracing cup. I get mine in India, but Harney & sons is good too.

I take my morning tea "builders" (double strength, cream and usually sugar), so for that, it's double Yorkshire Gold.

For afternoon or "rainy day with a book" tea, I love a London fog, which is basically an earl grey latte. I do mine with soy, but that's me. The best is Mem Tea: https://memteaimports.com/products/earl-grey-de-la-creme

If you're looking for a richer tea, go with pu-erh: https://memteaimports.com/products/shu-pu-erh-looseleaf I've found them to be almost creamy, even without milk/cream.

Anonymous wrote:I second Harney & Sons. I love their hot cinnamon. They carry it at Target

I can't drink it but I give them credit for it actually being hot cinnamon. That stuff is strong!

I second Harney & Sons. I love their hot cinnamon. They carry it at Target

For me, adding a little bit of sugar to black tea takes away the bitterness and brings out the flavor of the tea. I don't usually add milk, although I find English breakfast tea to be unpleasant without it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the best tea, used loose leaf, not teabags.

Use a teapot.

Warm it first with some boiling water, then pour out.

Add 4 or 5 teaspoons of loose leaf tea. Twinings is good, I like Ceylon Orange Pekoe or English Breakfast.

Add boiling water to almost fill.

Put on a tea cosy if you have one and leave to steep for 4 minutes.

Add milk to your cup and pour tea.

Should have added of course that you use a strainer when pouring the tea.

Please don't drink Liptons. And please don't "experiment" with flavoured teas.

Ugh, I can't stand a tea snob. People should drink what they enjoy.

Okay, but if you need a bunch of “flavors” to distract from the actual flavor of tea (or coffee), then maybe you don’t really like tea or coffee. And that’s okay!

But they like the flavor of flavored tea.

Earl Gray is a flavored tea (in that it's a blend with non-tea). Milk and sugar are both flavors. Green tea is just tea harvested differently to change the flavor. If you want to add hibiscus to your green tea to change the flavor further, I don't see the problem.

Try Harney & Sons. I like the Irish Breakfast, but the website will steer you toward the qualities you're looking for.

Loose tea steeped for four minutes in a prewarmed pot. I add whole milk, but maybe you'd like it better straight.

As far as "not hot enough," I'm stumped. You're drinking a liquid made with boiling water. The water has only had four minutes in a warmed pot -- how is that not hot enough? Are you adding too much milk?