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Bargain tea this morning
By Culinary Cowboy | October 30, 2007
Imagine my surprise when I discovered a box of loose tea on the shelves among the many boxes of tea bags being offered.
Even more surprising was that it was Lipton.
Normally, when I find loose tea it is Twinnig’s tea. I am talking about regular supermarket shopping, mind you. This was at Wal-Mart, which featured loose Lipton, but bagged Twinnig’s.
Loose tea made a bit of a comeback with tea makers, akin to coffee makers. However, those do not seem to have taken off, and one has trouble finding the loose stuff.
So, what’s the big deal?
Well, a tea purist might tell you that the loose tea provides a much fuller flavor, as the leaves are not confined and get better immersion. You also have the ability to vary the amount, so you can make your tea as strong or as weak as you want.
All of that is important. However, one of the main reasons you might want to look for loose rather tea, rather than tea bags, is the price. Loose tea is about half the price, sometimes even less.
Yes, it takes a little – emphasize little – bit more work. You can just dump a teaspoon in loose (just have a strainer handy). Or you can use an infuser, such as the one shown here.
Finally, don’t forget to preheat the pot. Some hot water will warm the pot so the pot temperature doesn’t cool the water and it gets to the tea leaves piping hot.
Topics: Bargains, Beverages, Tea | No Comments »