What is in your cup?

[Iridal]

Okay guys, I need help! I've been drinking coffee nearly every morning on the train, which is becoming a really expensive habit. So I decided it's time to buy a decent travel mug. I have one of those Brugo mugs, but it doesn't keep my coffee warm for very long, and it usually spills any leftover in my bag

So I need something spill-free, that I can put in my back while I'm cycling to the station without worry. Does anyone here have a recommendation?

[astra]

I bought thermos for my better 2/3s. She is quite happy with it.

[astra]

Cuppa #7
Pi Lo Chun "Green Snail Spring"

[ProfCrash]

Make sure you pick up something double walled. That will help the coffee stay warm. I use a double walled thermos that I bought at REI for backpacking. I actually need to carry a seperate cup for drinking my tea because the water stays really warm in the thermos.

2 pots of Lapsang Sourchong. Finishing a pot of Japan Sencha extra fine.

[astra]

Cuppa #8
Bi Lo Chun [Also known as Jade Spiral or Snail Spring]
The last cup of NBTea's sample. It looks quite different from Tea House Emporium's Pi Lo Chun "Green Snail Spring". Also it doesn't taste as good.

Chinese tea experts regard it very highly. Zhen Jun (1857 to 1918 A.D.), author of tea encyclopedia Cha Shuo, ranked it first among Chinese green tea. Longjing tea came second, Liu An Gua Pian came third.

I even ordered second sample in order to give it another chance but it failed to impress me. However, ea House Emporium's Pi Lo Chun "Green Snail Spring" is really good. It is at the top 3 of Chinese green teas along with Dragonwell. The third position is vacant at the moment.

[astra]

I received today a newsletter from New Mexico Tea Company where I have ordered strainer.
Maybe somebody who likes iced tea might find the following info useful, I don't know anything about it, so ...

85% of all tea in the United States is iced. To celebrate this fact, June is National Iced Tea Month. While it's possible that tea was served cold at some point throughout history, it did not come onto the world stage until the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

Making your own iced tea is both economical and healthier than buying ready-made bottled tea. There are three common ways to make iced tea.

1) Hot water method: For 1 gallon of iced tea, bring half a gallon of filtered water to boil in a pot. Turn off heat, and add 3 tablespoons (1 oz of tea), let steep for 4-5 minutes (7-10 for rooibos and other herbals). Strain the tea into the other half gallon of cool water and refrigerate. If you want to serve immediately, you can pour the concentrate over ice to cool and dilute, then pour over ice again.

2) Sun tea: use a glass container and add 1 teaspoon of loose tea of each cup of water directly into the jug. Then set in the sun for a few hours, tasting occasionally to get the desired strength.

3) Cold brew: The slow cold-water-steeping method extracts natural sweetness and flavor from the tea leaf. It lessens the bitterness and tangy-ness produced by tannic acid so your tea tastes smooth and mild. Add 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of cold water and put in the refrigerator. When the water is chilled, your tea will be ready! The Mist Iced Tea Cold Brew system allows for easy preparation and serving.

[Stitchawl]

Just got home from Illinois, lock the front door, oh boy!
Got to sit down, take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in, pretty soon I'm singing,

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

There's a giant doing cartwheels,
A statue wearing high heels.
Look at all the happy creatures dancing on the lawn.
A dinosaur Victrola listening to Buck Owens.

Doo, doo, doo, Looking out my back door.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqZhM75aGMg )

Still raining so I'm still sitting looking out my back door too... well, actually I'm looking out over the veranda because we only have one door and it's in the front. But that looks over a bamboo forest so it's kinda pretty too so sometimes it gets difficult trying to decide if I should look out the front or look out the back... Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Easy to decide about tea though. Black and hot. Today is China Black to go with my breakfast.

Originally Posted by Iridal

Okay guys, I need help! I've been drinking coffee nearly every morning on the train, which is becoming a really expensive habit. So I decided it's time to buy a decent travel mug.

Or switch to tea, which is 1/5 the price of coffee, pound for pound! Of course, then you still need a decent travel mug...

Originally Posted by astra

I bought thermos for my better 2/3s. She is quite happy with it.

This is the norm here in Japan. Every school kid carries one, but usually in a small size. Even my wife has one that hold just one cup full.

Originally Posted by astra

Cuppa #8
Bi Lo Chun [Also known as Jade Spiral or Snail Spring]
The last cup of NBTea's sample. It looks quite different from Tea House Emporium's Pi Lo Chun "Green Snail Spring". Also it doesn't taste as good.

Except for Georgian Old Gentleman, I don't see how NBT stays in business. That's the only one of their teas that has good flavor.

The Yunnan China Black that I get from McNultey's Tea and Coffee in NYC really is one of the all time great black teas. It's been a regular of mine for many, many years. I'm beginning to wonder if their China Keemun might just be the same as the unbranded stuff I've been getting at the Chinese Import shop. I think the next time I order from McNultey's I'll include a bag of their Keemun. I've had it before and remember enjoying it, but it's been many years since... Certainly worth a try!

Stitchawl

[Iridal]

Originally Posted by astra

I bought thermos for my better 2/3s. She is quite happy with it.

That looks like it would keep any liquid hot for quite some time, but I'd rather not buy a thermos. I can't sip from a thermos while standing on the platform waiting for the train.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Or switch to tea, which is 1/5 the price of coffee, pound for pound! Of course, then you still need a decent travel mug...

It's an expensive habit because I usually buy a coffee at ATM Coffee, which cost me 2,85€ every day. That's ... about 15€ a week I'll probably buy one of those breakfast teas you guys drink and have a cup of tea in the morning sometimes

I've been searching for travel mugs on the interwebs, and eventually found this one:


It's a porcelain travel mug with a dubble wall and a silicone cover. I've never had a porcelain travel mug before, maybe it will be better than all the metalic ones I've bought and then discarded because they were no good at all. This one got some good reviews. And it's also unbelievably 'funky' They shipped it today, so it should arrive sometime next week. If it's really good I'll order another one (but different design of course) just for tea!

In my cup: Japanese cherry after breakfast.

[astra]

Originally Posted by Iridal

but I'd rather not buy a thermos. I can't sip from a thermos while standing on the platform waiting for the train.

I see. Don't know how helpful it is but you don't have to unplug the cork to fill a cup. So, you might be able to fill a cup (thermos's cup that is), put the thermos back into your backpack and sip the drink while waiting... just a food thought



Cuppa #2
Assam Mangalam

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by orlok

Not this version.

Ah !


Black Coffee; and good morning all !

[desertblues]

Still on sabatical; editing photo's and traveljournal Iran, thinking about my research.

In my cup: cold Arabica-coffee

[captkjaneway]

Had a nice little lunch with several cups of cha.....iron buddha and pu-erh lovely!

[astra]

Water in a flask followed by white yoghurt for brunch.

[Iridal]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Still on sabatical; editing photo's and traveljournal Iran, thinking about my research.

In my cup: cold Arabica-coffee

Hi Desertblues, it's good to hear from you

I've decided to use up all the teabags in my cupboard before buying more tea. So I've just made a pot of Strawberry tea. It should last me the rest of the day.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Still on sabatical; editing photo's and traveljournal Iran, thinking about my research.

In my cup: cold Arabica-coffee

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