# Your On Board Tea Fix.



## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

Minnewaska said:


> ...
> I was going to quote Donna above, but her post seems to have been deleted. I swore she wrote that all coffee tastes better aboard. Most everything does.


Eh? Me Donna? If anything I posted was deleted I didn't do it.

Tea drinker here but I make the coffee on board and anyone who drinks it gets what they get. I do buy good quality whole beans, grind them either with a manual grinder away from the slip or with a good burr grinder when in a slip in an effort to have guests focus on the work I did to get them that cup and not on the taste should I muck it up. 

I did have a few moments of anxiety after reading one of the other coffee threads and coming away from it feeling that using a percolator was akin to poisoning anyone who drank my coffee.

(This post was copied from the Coffee thread. That is why it appears out of synch. It's not just that Donna herself is a bit whacky.) tdw.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*

Ah me .... the meaning of life would be so much easier to resolve.

Problem is we all have different tastes in coffee. You will never convince me that the appalling muck you get out of one of those drip thingys is drinkable nor the pathetically weak sludge that emerges from an old fashioned percolator. Those who like the preceding will otoh find Italian espresso strength totally unappealing.

By choice for me there is only one method and that is a proper espresso machine with beans freshly ground to exactly the level of fineness to produce a perfect result. To be honest I have never achieved that at home with our better than basic home machine, albeit not commercial quality. So we buy preground coffee (specific brand and quality, vacuum packed) because we get a preferred result when compared to grinding our own beans.

Unfortunately espresso machines chew up a lot of juice and unless you have mains voltage available they are simply impractical on board. (Sod using inverter, nor am I going to crank up a generator simply to make a cup of coffee.)

However, those Bialetti type machines produce an acceptable result. Much better than drip or perc and for mine better than plunger. Ours on board is stainless not aluminium.

As for milk. I use full cream or nothing. The day has not dawned when you can force me to drink anything with Carnation in it, same goes goes for powdered.

btw .. Donna mentioned tea .... doesn't seem to have the same interest level as coffee yet we, as a species, drink an awful lot of the stuff. Interestingly enough most of that is made from tea bags. Unbelievable.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



tdw said:


> ...
> btw .. Donna mentioned tea .... doesn't seem to have the same interest level as coffee yet we, as a species, drink an awful lot of the stuff. Interestingly enough most of that is made from tea bags. Unbelievable.


No tea bags for me. Loose leaf and a proper tea pot.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



DRFerron said:


> No tea bags for me. Loose leaf and a proper tea pot.


Ahh.. but do you warm the pot first? That's the real test of properly made British tea.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



MedSailor said:


> Ahh.. but do you warm the pot first? That's the real test of properly made British tea.


Why of course! I even have a number of tea cozies.

When we travel where I can't brew my own I take my tea in a small canister and have open bags so all I have to do is ask for a tea cup and hot water. Better than the tea bags in the restaurants no matter what brand they use.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



DRFerron said:


> Why of course! I even have a number of tea cozies.
> 
> When we travel where I can't brew my own I take my tea in a small canister and have open bags so all I have to do is ask for a tea cup and hot water. Better than the tea bags in the restaurants no matter what brand they use.


ah yes all very well and good ... so we've used decent tea, warmed the pot, let it brew for no less than three minutes, not more than four, spun the pot three times in both directions, maybe we've even warmed the cup or mug but the biggie remains unanswered.

Milk before or after the tea ?

ps - what's an "open bag" ?


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



tdw said:


> ...
> 
> Milk before or after the tea ?


OHFORCRYINGOUTLOUD.

It depends. Some tea I don't use milk. For the others I've tried both and taste no difference. I put it in after because I can more easily judge how much to use. I end up adding too much milk if I don't have the tea in the cup first.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



tdw said:


> ...
> 
> ps - what's an "open bag" ?


http://uptontea.com/store/item.asp?...s&category=Filters&sortMethod=0&categoryID=80


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

*Re: Your Onboard Coffee Fix*



DRFerron said:


> OHFORCRYINGOUTLOUD.
> 
> It depends. Some tea I don't use milk. For the others I've tried both and taste no difference. I put it in after because I can more easily judge how much to use. I end up adding too much milk if I don't have the tea in the cup first.


bwahaha .... :devil


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

OK, the tea drinkers appear to have hijacked the coffee thread so lets start a new one and move the tea posts over here.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I guess just like the coffee drinkers I do like my morning cup in the cockpit weather permitting. If we're in the marina I have a folding table that I put in the cockpit and set up my tea pot, read the paper or a book. Sigh.

The tea I drink most often on the boat is Darjeeling because I don't put milk in it. And I have several types so I can switch depending on mood and weather.

I'm odd.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Sorry, that previous post was supposed to be the thread starter but I've obviously done something wrong.

Nonetheless to more pressing matters ....

Open Bags, I see. A do it yourself tea bag. Interesting. We have a couple of these, both at home and on board. Good for just one cup.










(the metal gizmo not the plastic thing.)

As for milk .... I am most assuredly milk last, and I do think I can tell the difference. The Wombette found this out to her cost. It is also a good idea to be stirring the tea while your drizzle in the milk.

Btw , the very best best tea you will ever drink is made in a "billy" over an open fire. When the water boils you throw in the tea and stir with a gum (eucalypt) tree twig. Then you take the "billy' and twirl it around, a'la rock star with microphone, three or four times. Magic.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

DRFerron said:


> I guess just like the coffee drinkers I do like my morning cup in the cockpit weather permitting. If we're in the marina I have a folding table that I put in the cockpit and set up my tea pot, read the paper or a book. Sigh.
> 
> The tea I drink most often on the boat is Darjeeling because I don't put milk in it. And I have several types so I can switch depending on mood and weather.
> 
> I'm odd.


Black Darjeeling is nice. Havn't drunk it for a long time though. I must remember that. On board I absolutely adore getting up before dawn, making a pot of tea and out into the cockpit to watch the day come alive. With the possible exception of watching a full moon rise there is no better time of day.

Add a couple of Butter Nut Cookies or a piece of toast with some wonderful French mixed berry jam we always have around and we are beating on the gates of Nirvanna.

Then I go back to bed. :laugh


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

I have numerous tea balls and strainers. I only use the bags when away from home/boat.

You're pulling my leg with the billy twirling and gum tree twig. Stop it.

Sir Robin says the very best tea/coffee is made from rainwater captured in the open ocean.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

DRFerron said:


> I have numerous tea balls and strainers. I only use the bags when away from home/boat.
> 
> You're pulling my leg with the billy twirling and gum tree twig. Stop it.
> 
> Sir Robin says the very best tea/coffee is made from rainwater captured in the open ocean.


Nope. :|

Billy Tea : Australian Bushroots ? Stories from the Aussie Bush

Of course the water should come from a running stream which is probably as close as one can get to fresh rainwater.

Of course the whirl is pretty much for effect but its fun to do and I've never spilt a drop.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

tdw said:


> Billy Tea : Australian Bushroots ? Stories from the Aussie Bush
> 
> Of course the water should come from a running stream which is probably as close as one can get to fresh rainwater.


Weell.. perhaps fresh rainwater strained through eucalyptus bark mulch ..for a bit of added "zing". 

FWIW, and for as long as I can remember, "Boat Tea" has always been like "Boat Coffee": you get it how it comes out of the galley and if you don't like it like that, well go without!! (and that's probably why I don't have a problem drinking 'Blend 43' with varying amounts of milk and sugar.. until recently, "boat coffee" is all I've ever known.)


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## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

Not sure what Donna and TDW are talking about....this is proper tea!










Throw a couple of family size Lipton teabags in a big glass pickle jar, add a bunch of sugar, let it sit for a couple of hours in the sun to get good, then add ice, a bit of lemon and a few mint leaves.

Hush yo mouth!

(edit: best served in a pre-chilled mason jar, but regular old paper cups will do just fine also)


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## Stu Jackson (Jul 28, 2001)

TEA?

Isn't that the stuff one dumps into Boston Hahbah?


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

bigdogandy said:


> Not sure what Donna and TDW are talking about....this is proper tea!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## rnixon (May 7, 2013)

bigdogandy said:


> Throw a couple of family size Lipton teabags in a big glass pickle jar, add a bunch of sugar, let it sit for a couple of hours in the sun to get good, then add ice, a bit of lemon and a few mint leaves.


Sorry, but being British I really have to take issue with that! I assume you mean that Lipton Yellow stuff, which I *hate*. Adding sugar and lemon (etc) isn't going to improve it, IMO.

PG Tips for me.


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## bigdogandy (Jun 21, 2008)

tdw said:


>












:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:laugh:


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

I'm quite content using tea bags. Bigelow Cinnamon Stick and Twinnings English and Irish Breakfast. I've tried loose tea and don't find it worth the bother, especially on a boat.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

PBzeer said:


> I'm quite content using tea bags. Bigelow Cinnamon Stick and Twinnings English and Irish Breakfast. I've tried loose tea and don't find it worth the bother, especially on a boat.


..and the Twinings selection now come in individual sealed tinfoil packets which are great at keeping the tea dry and fresh whilst stored below. For that reason, that's all we keep on board.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

I'm afraid it is simply a matter of how I like my tea. OK fine if I am on someone elses boat I'll drink what I'm given or more likely nothing at all but on my boat tea will be made in a pot, the way I like my tea made. Unlike coffee good tea does not require a power hungry electrical appliance so I'm afraid there is no excuse for second best. 

Cannot be bothered ? Why bother making it at all ? I drink tea because I like a nice cup of tea. What point is served if I drink something that is somewhere approaching a cup of tea but doesn't quite get there ? What is the point ? If I want to drink luke warm milky water then I'll do just that ... mind you I'd rather not. 

OK, I can vaguely accept that if you are in some out of the way location then provisioning might be something of a compromise but not when one is close to a major population area.


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## desert rat (Feb 14, 2013)

Be very glad you have never encountered a lovely Celonese Li Chi black. It can be very
addictive and hard to find. I can endure Oolong or even green tea and orange piko makes a fine ice tea, but black tea has a real caffine kick. 
Is there such great variety of flavor in coffee?


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## sulli (Mar 9, 2013)

I buy my loose tea from Hackberrytea.com, they have .a huge selection to choose from


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## Erindipity (Nov 29, 2014)

Stu Jackson said:


> TEA?
> 
> Isn't that the stuff one dumps into Boston Hahbah?


There is that aspect to it; I never quite got what Mohawk Indians had against Tea...










I've mentioned before that my preference is loose Peet's English Breakfast Tea. The tins can later find other uses down below.










Just for kicks, I picked up a box of Red Rose teabags, in case Sister decides to have a cuppa. It actually isn't all that good, but Sister has been collecting the little pottery Figurines for some four decades; she has quite the collection.
She just added the Seahorse to it:










I should mention the 2 pint Swan Kettle again; it's a rare US version with the 1KW, 120V heater element and cord. It came with a matching plated Tea Caddy and Tea Ball. $5 at the Blue Pelican in Alameda. There wasn't a trace of Scale in it; I doubt that it had ever been used. It looks just like this one:










I brew in the Thermos; the Tea Ball is sized just right for an Imperial Pint.
I don't as yet have a Ship's Teapot. There actually were ones designed for use at Sea- The Cube Teapot. They had no spout- one poured from a corner, they were unlikely to tip over when heeled, and the Teapots could be stacked:










One thing that is unknown here in the States are Teasmades. One poured water into the reservoir, set the Timer, and put loose Tea or Teabags in the enclosed Teapot. They were not meant for Kitchens, but for placing by the Bed, where they doubled as an Alarm Clock:










On the Swan Webpage, they recently announced that a 120V/60Hz version for the North American market is coming soon.

Lastly, Trivets.
They serve two purposes- they prevent a hot Kettle or Teapot from marring fine Woodwork, and they act as a sort of insulator for the bottom. I like this one; it looks like a nice mid-morning Nautical project, as long as synthetic rope isn't involved:










And that's it for now, for me, on the subject of Tea.

¬erindipity


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## PBzeer (Nov 11, 2002)

> Cannot be bothered ? Why bother making it at all ?


Not a question of can't be, simply a matter of I don't find it worth the bother (as I said). As with most things in life, everyone has different preferences. Much like the various "real sailor" threads, I see no point in denigrating others for having different preferences than mine, nor implying that mine are somehow superior to others. Just as I sail the way that suits me, I make my tea the way that suits me. My enjoyment in life is what pleases me, not what pleases others.


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## Ulladh (Jul 12, 2007)

PG Tips, Typhoo or my favorite Punjana. Strong dark teas that do not get bitter.

On the boat, tea bag in a pre-warmed steel thermos with actively boiling water.

At home loose leaf or bag in a pre-warmed steel teapot with actively boiling water and a tea cozy.

I either get my tea when relatives visit or a rare find of imported PG Tips from the UK at a supermarket.

With or without milk, no sugar or lemon.

Boat coffee? Guests bring their own.


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## mstern (May 26, 2002)

I'm going to throw in a plug for Barry's Irish Tea. Strong without getting bitter. I also keep Twining's English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast around, both regular and decaf. And bags only. Like PB, I've found the loose tea isn't so much better that it's worth it for me.

Best I ever had? Easy: the Harrod's English Breakfast I got when I was in London a couple of years ago. I bought two boxes home with me, and savored every cup.

And Lipton's. I like it. Not as much as Twinings or Barry's, but I like it. And after reading the recent bio on Sir Thomas, I think I understand why its so much less expensive than the Twinings and Barry's of the world; its not lower quality of tea, its that Lipton is one of the few tea producers that owns its own tea plantations, processing plants and distribution systems.


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## rnixon (May 7, 2013)

Ulladh said:


> rare find of imported PG Tips from the UK at a supermarket.


Readily available on Amazon.


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## MedSailor (Mar 30, 2008)

bigdogandy said:


> Not sure what Donna and TDW are talking about....this is proper tea!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Maybe if it were half burbon....


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

mstern said:


> ...
> And Lipton's. I like it. Not as much as Twinings or Barry's, but I like it. ...


Liptons (used to at least) marketed a different tea in England than in the U.S. Much like some beer and wine, we get something different on this side of the Atlantic. Guinness just started sending the same beer they sell in English pubs, after not doing so since before prohibition. In the U.S. it is labeled Guiness F.E.S. Foreign Extra Stout


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Always thought that Twinings English Breakfast was overrated but the Irish Breakfast and Orange Pekoe were pretty good. Yes to Liptons. Just bog standard tea but it has decent flavour and grunt. Madura from Australia makes a good brew.

Oh yes, happily drink Chinese tea but that can only be straight.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

tdw said:


> Always thought that Twinings English Breakfast was overrated but the Irish Breakfast and Orange Pekoe were pretty good. Yes to Liptons. Just bog standard tea but it has decent flavour and grunt. Madura from Australia makes a good brew.
> 
> Oh yes, happily drink Chinese tea but that can only be straight.


I prefer Nerada  myself.. it's grown in North Queensland. :grin


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