What is in your cup?

[ProfCrash]

Tea on tap is awesome.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Nifty. I dunno why but I always assumed Chop Sticks were some tourist trap thing, and not for real. I guess I need to get out more! LOL

Tea on tap?

Nope. Quite real. In Japan, you are always served disposable chopsticks, even in very good restaurants. They use very high quality disposables compared with the real cheap sort given away at convenience stores. The ones in this picture are typical of family restaurants/noodle shops/conveyor belt sushi counters. But in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, etc., you rarely see disposable chopsticks. There will be the same sort of container on the tables, but with plastic reusable chopsticks... except in the very best restaurants, which will use the disposable ones!

As for the tea taps... tea is free in just about all restaurants in Japan. Lunch counters and sushi shops have these taps so you don't even have to ask. Some shops have the tea already prepared inside while other shops have tea bags and powdered tea on the counter and the taps only produce hot water. Unfortunately for me, they NEVER have black tea...

...but I am, right now! Black and hot, Ceylon Dimbulla! Tasty!

Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Busy, busy morning! Finally able to kick back and relax with cup of East India Company's "Assam" tea!

I had a Prof in an advanced Bio class in college who told us that the only really safe way was to feed one to your younger brother...


Stitchawl

Pretty funny!

re: Tea on Tap -- I love the concept. Now, if we could have that with a nice Keemun, please?

Getting ready for a couple of days on my own. DW is headed down to the States for a couple of days while I stay home and take care of the livestock. AND it's a holiday weekend, with good weather leading up to it. This town will be packed with tourists. I think I'll hunker down and hide out with a good book.

Peet's Major Dickason's in my mug. Of course.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by CRussel

re: Tea on Tap -- I love the concept. Now, if we could have that with a nice Keemun, please?

In a way, I sort of do have... Not just Keemun, but all my teas.
We always have hot water available 24/7 in a



Ours is a four liter model, with multiple temperature settings. Between the two of us we usually go through a full tank each day. It only takes about 15 minutes to bring 4 liters to a full boil, then backs off to the temp we have set and holds there. When I want a cup of tea, I grab one of my pre-filled tea bags, push a button, and voila!

Now I'm wondering if I should make something like that to dispense my Bombay Sapphire, rum and tequila. But as I only drink one glass per night, rather than3-4 liters, it might be a bit of overkill. I'm having some tequila right now, and as it's just about done, so am I!
'nite'all!

Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

In a way, I sort of do have... Not just Keemun, but all my teas.
We always have hot water available 24/7 in a



Ours is a four liter model, with multiple temperature settings. Between the two of us we usually go through a full tank each day. It only takes about 15 minutes to bring 4 liters to a full boil, then backs off to the temp we have set and holds there. When I want a cup of tea, I grab one of my pre-filled tea bags, push a button, and voila!

Stitchawl

LUST! I must have one! Checking Amazon right now.

OK, yes, perfect. Now WHY didn't I know about this two days ago, I could have had my DW pick it up while she is down there. Darn. Well, definitely for the next trip!

Peet's Major Dickason's.

[CRussel]

And, using head for brains instead of tuque rack, checked Amazon.ca and yes, they have, they ship, and it will be here the end of next week! (Would have been quicker, but this is a holiday weekend here.)

Thanks, Stitchawl, this is just what I've been looking for. (I went with the stainless, vacuum bottle, 4L version, as being more energy efficient in the long run, though a bit more money now.)

Celebrating with a bit of Sencha.

[orlok]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

We always have hot water available 24/7...

We use one of these:



Similar principle, except it boils a cup's worth at a time, in about 15 to 20 seconds. This means it doesn't have to stay on the boil all day long. We'll never go back to an ordinary kettle again.

Red wine in my glass right now, though. It doesn't dispense that, unfortunately.

[ProfCrash]

I have one. I prefer my Cuisinart kettle though. It takes no time to heat the water to the exact tmepaerature that you need. The massive thing is great if you drink a lot of one tea, for example black tea. If you are someone like myself who cycles through teas that use different temperatures than the Cuisinart Kettle is a better bet. You have 6 different temperature settings to cycle through and it takes less than 5 minutes to get the water to the right temperature.

Just my recommendation.

Lucas likes chocolate milkshakes and chicken sandwhiches for lunch. He is currently working out a gymnastics routine for the summer games.

[CRussel]

We have a kettle, but not one that's temperature controlled. And since I mostly drink black teas, setting this at it's hottest setting is fine. And it's easy enough to cool down to 190 or so for green teas that do better there. But really, this will be nearly perfect and it appears fairly efficient with the vacuum bottle. Right now when I'm at home, it's down a flight of stairs, refill the kettle (somehow, it's always low), heat the water (we're passing 5 minutes now, coming up on 10), and then wait for the tea to steep and back up the stairs. Too long, too many stairs, and too disruptive. This will get around virtually all of that, especially if I bring it up into my office - the 4L capacity will hold me for the whole day. (The only good water is downstairs where the reverse osmosis unit is.)

[ProfCrash]

Then go for the hot water dispenser. I might find myself using it more in a few months when Lucas is born and I am dealing with sleep deprivation...

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Then go for the hot water dispenser. I might find myself using it more in a few months when Lucas is born and I am dealing with sleep deprivation...

Yes, I suspect you may.

I may be wrong, but this appears to fill a void and solve a problem that I've been trying find a reasonable workaround to for a while. I really want to have no reason to drink Diet Coke on a daily basis, and that means having a workable tea solution, I think, since I'm just not a big water drinker.

Once I got the filter insert and Peet's mug, I was able to use those plus the instant hot water dispenser to go completely away from the Diet Coke when I am on the Microsoft campus, so I know this could work.

The major problem left? If I drink too much tea, I _crash_ in the evening when the caffeine wears off. Oh, well, as long as it doesn't interfere with sleep, I really don't care.

Finished the Sensha, moved to Lung Ching Dragonwell. No question, I prefer China Greens, but the Sensha grows on me. Just have to be really careful to keep the water temperature down around 180 or so.

[SandyHarper]

I just finished chai lotte.

[CRussel]

Okayti Estate First Flush Darjeeling

[Stitchawl]

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high

If I had a day that I could give you
I’d give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I’d sing a song to make you feel this way

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AbxQ2Q4HeU )

Good morning, all. Another lovely day for a ride in the mountains! Tea first... Yorkshire tea, and a bowl of muesli, then it's out in the sunshine!

Originally Posted by CRussel

LUST! I must have one! Checking Amazon right now.

OK, yes, perfect. Now WHY didn't I know about this two days ago,

These things are ubiquitous here, seen in EVERY home, office, and even in every single convenience store (for adding hot water to instant noodles.) There are cheap models that have a manual pump, fancy models that can be set to deliver a specific amount of water at a single button press, and of course, all sizes, colors, and designs. In fact, you really have to look around to even find a stove-top kettle these days!


Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

These things are ubiquitous here, seen in EVERY home, office, and even in every single convenience store (for adding hot water to instant noodles.) There are cheap models that have a manual pump, fancy models that can be set to deliver a specific amount of water at a single button press, and of course, all sizes, colors, and designs. In fact, you really have to look around to even find a stove-top kettle these days!


Stitchawl

They are far from ubiquitous here, though I have a strong suspicion that once we have one, we won't know how we lived without. Sort of like rice cookers were 30 or 35 years ago when I got my first. Everyone thought I was nuts. Now, just about everyone has one. And when I think about how primative that first one was, compared with now...

Now, time for a glass of that La Frenz Sauvignon Blanc we got in yesterday.