Tea... Good, Bad or otherwise

Keliandra

Loose tea is very hard to cold brew. Personally, I drink a couple quarts of plain iced tea myself daily. Sometimes black, sometimes green, sometimes white. Always after 3 pm tho I switch to decaf. Green tea has almost no calories, just like black or white. What you are seeing are the sugared things.

You might try one of those electric kettles for your desk if allowed.

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blbst36

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

Are any of the teas you drink cold brew?

No - Cold Brew doesn't get as strong as I like it. I make hot tea at work with the hot water spigot on the coffee maker. I let it brew, take out the leaves/bags and put it in the fridge for the next day.

Another option is to brew it at home and bring it in daily. Just make sure you have a container that doesn't leak!

jrlarsonus

Hey! I'm a big tea drinker and have done a lot of looking into how to make different kinds of teas. Here are a couple bits of advice that I wish I'd known earlier:

• Do not buy pre-made tea. It's gross and full of who knows what. At the least it has caramel coloring.
• Green and black tea shouldn't have but single-digit calories. It's just water that's had leaves steeped in it. You only get calories when you start adding things like milk, sugar, etc.
• If you make cold tea the same way you make hot tea, you're going to be buzzing for sure. Generally, I make hot brewed iced tea at a 50/50 ratio. I brew the tea in 4 cups of water, then add 4 more cups when it's done brewing. The box will give you a guideline to start with.
• Most tea bags are pretty nasty, but you might find some you enjoy. If you like strong black tea, try Red Rose. It's cheap and fairly easy to find. If you like something a little lighter, try Typhoo, which I usually see in the international/British section of the grocery store.
• Iced tea bags (or at least Lipton) are pretty good, unlike hot tea bags. There are several brands you can try, though. Cold-brewed tends to be lighter while hot-brewed is stronger.
• Don't overlook herbal teas! There are a huge variety, many of which have no actual tea in them. They can be naturally non-caffeinated, too. You can find them to suit any mood and any time of year.
• If you have a local tea shop, they're a great place to go for lots of variety and advice. People who work places like that LOVE tea and can make suggestions.
  
  

JenSD6

My husband drinks up the cold-brewed tea as fast as I can make it. I have a 36 oz steeper from David's Tea that I put loose tea with cold water into, then let sit overnight (or all day at work) in the fridge.

jgnatca

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

Green Tea has a lot of calories in it though, doesn't it? I used to love Green Tea but now everything I find isn't low calorie and I refuse to do the "diet" Green Teas.

What? Green tea has just as many calories as black tea. Where do you get your green tea from? 7-11?

StopherJJMFP

I love this! I have so much to look forward to now!

Can I ask everyone their favorite flavors/brands? or Cold/hot tea?

Keliandra

My current fav is Lipton Green Tea with Orange Passionfruit & Jasmine flavours

Velum_cado

What's wrong with tea? It's just water that's had a tea bag sitting in it for a while.

StopherJJMFP

Keliandra wrote: »

My current fav is Lipton Green Tea with Orange Passionfruit & Jasmine flavours

That sounds absolutely AMAZING! I can't wait to start mixing and matching to see what I like best!

jessicapk

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

jessicapk wrote: »

If you're drinking that much, try green tea. It has amazing health benefits but not at the quantities that most people drink it (I have a cup a day and that's usually it). You might be ingesting enough to benefit from them. And, aside from caffeine and staining of your teeth, there are really no downsides.

Green Tea has a lot of calories in it though, doesn't it? I used to love Green Tea but now everything I find isn't low calorie and I refuse to do the "diet" Green Teas.

If you make green tea and don't sweeten it, there are no calories. I use Truvia in small quantities for mine but can drink it plain, too. The OP said she drinks plain tea so it'd be a perfect fit.

Psysix

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

You guys rock! This is why I love this site!

Thankfully(or not depending on the day) caffeine has little to no effect on me at all. I don't know if caffeine is actually bad for you? I guess in too large of quantities maybe?

I've heard of antioxidants, but what are flavonoids?

I've tried warm teas, and others but iced tea is about the only thing that seems to be able to replace soda for me in terms of satisfying flavor.

You said before that you used to drink a lot of soda. One can build up a tolerance to caffeine over time so if you used to drink a lot of soda, the caffeine in tea is not likely to affect you much if you cut out soda. Green tea is really healthy too, especially as a matcha (powdered form you just mix in water.)

I love tea. I have over 30 kinds of loose leaf in my kitchen right now (and maybe five type of bagged teas for when I'm lazy.) Generally, the loose leaf does taste better. If you have a Teavana in your area, you can sample some loose leaf teas there. They're lovely. Though careful about which ones because they sometimes put sugar in the brewed samples. You can buy some nice loose leaf teas there and make them yourself though. They have a lot of flavor even without sugar. Some I think sugar would really ruin the flavor.

bhealthy1516

I love tea, I am a mixer, I take a regular teabag, a green tea bag, and an herbal flavored one. I like to mix them. You can seep them hot then refrigerate. I also like crystal lite. But I also love plain water. You can leave a case of the individual bottles in your car, and they are nice and cold for now, till it gets warmer. Then you can put a couple of bottles in a bag with your name on it in the fridge.

jgnatca

I leap tall buildings for a good Chai tea. I think your cold steeped black tea would be marvelously improved with a little lemon. And you must re-discover green tea now that you know it is low/no calorie.

kmccann357

Love tea, tea is love, tea is life.

Francl27

I don't know what's wrong with me but if I'm having tea alone, I end up ravenous. So it's either after a meal or with a snack, pretty much. Otherwise, coffee and water.

dinobomp

I, too, love tea. I NEVER drink coffee! My fave right now is P G Tips, and you can buy it at Walmart! I also love Typhoo, both those are very smooth and not bitter at all. If you like flavor, you might try "True Lemon", crystallized lemon! All natural, and very good. There is also "True Orange", and grapefruit & Lime. Check it out on Amazon. You can get a shaker, packets, etc. They are great for cooking, too! It's the only lemon besides the real thing that I can stand in my tea. I'm trying to adapt to tea without sugar. I love tea, hot or iced, with lemon and sugar. Aaaaaaah, heaven! I think you would enjoy the loose tea too. Just be sure to get a tea ball or other gadget to strain it. They have a wide selection, also at Amazon.com.
It's nice to hear of folks enjoying tea. It's a great beverage!

jgnatca

Get yourself one of these. A tea press.

Your world is your oyster.

Need2Exerc1se

A calorie free drink that has antioxidants. Sounds like a win-win to me.

dubird

I do iced tea with Equal. At home, I make decaffinated tea since my doc told me to cut back on caffine. Never had any negitive issues and it keeps me hydrated.

azulvioleta6

jrlarsonus wrote: »

Hey! I'm a big tea drinker and have done a lot of looking into how to make different kinds of teas. Here are a couple bits of advice that I wish I'd known earlier:

• Do not buy pre-made tea. It's gross and full of who knows what. At the least it has caramel coloring.
• Green and black tea shouldn't have but single-digit calories. It's just water that's had leaves steeped in it. You only get calories when you start adding things like milk, sugar, etc.
• If you make cold tea the same way you make hot tea, you're going to be buzzing for sure. Generally, I make hot brewed iced tea at a 50/50 ratio. I brew the tea in 4 cups of water, then add 4 more cups when it's done brewing. The box will give you a guideline to start with.
• Most tea bags are pretty nasty, but you might find some you enjoy. If you like strong black tea, try Red Rose. It's cheap and fairly easy to find. If you like something a little lighter, try Typhoo, which I usually see in the international/British section of the grocery store.
• Iced tea bags (or at least Lipton) are pretty good, unlike hot tea bags. There are several brands you can try, though. Cold-brewed tends to be lighter while hot-brewed is stronger.
• Don't overlook herbal teas! There are a huge variety, many of which have no actual tea in them. They can be naturally non-caffeinated, too. You can find them to suit any mood and any time of year.
• If you have a local tea shop, they're a great place to go for lots of variety and advice. People who work places like that LOVE tea and can make suggestions.
  
  

Hear hear!

I agree with all of this, except I would argue that "Lipton" and "good" do not belong together in the same sentence. I can't even swallow that stuff--it's so horrid.

In the US, Tazo is a brand of bagged tea that has decent quality blacks, greens and tisanes. Harney & Sons is also good, especially for blacks. I love their Paris blend. I like Yogi Tea for greens. My favorite loose-leaf teas are from The Tao of Tea and from a place called Mountain Rose Herbs--those are available in bulk in health food stores around the country.

wonko221

i was having a lot of trouble incorporating water into my diet. I transitioned from regular sodas to unsweet tea (with sweet&low), and would easily drink 1/2 gallon per day.

Couldn't stand my home tap water; there was always a slightly metallic/mineral taste. When i turned the same water into tea, it was perfectly fine.

On a whim, i bought one of those pitchers with a built-in filter. I have now stopped drinking tea at home, and easily drink 64 ounces of water throughout the day. I find that i actually like, and crave, water now, even though it isn't flavored.

The pitcher cost about 15 bucks at a local drug store. I need to change the filter out every two months, for about 15 bucks each. it's a little more expensive than buying tea bags and sweetener, but i'm no longer worried about caffeine or kidney stones (i've heard excessive tea can lead to kidney stones; don't know if it's true).

bainsworth1a

i have given up soda and coffee and i sometimes want something that tastes like something rather than just water. I have started drinking flavored tea zero calories and no sweetener i count it as my water.
I have not had any issues doing this.
Good luck and enjoy your tea

dubird

I use Lipton because it's handy, plus, decaffinated. Teavana has some good black tea blends, but is less handy for me. I have no idea if they have decaffinated blends, might have to look into that. But as long as it's not Luzianne, I'm ok with it.

I personally can't stand the taste of water. No matter the source, I can still taste the minerals and stuff they use to decontaminate it. We've been discussing an RO system, but gotta wait on other things for the house first.

LuckyStar813

My favorite tea is Rooibos which is an herbal tea from africa. Caffeine free. It's a red tea that has a ton of antioxidants and sweet flavor. It's included a lot of tea blends and my favorite is Red Chai or Vanilla Red. You can drink it plain or with cream and sugar. It's wonderful iced.
http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/rooibos-tea

Some tea brands are Yogi Tea, Celestial Seasonings, Tazo and Good Earth.

CaliforniaRower

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

Okay, so I know water is best. I've tried unsuccessfully to drink the required amount of water a day. Some days I could do it, others I'd fail miserably and fall back into a soda or energy drink.

I have almost all but cut soda out of my diet(minus the occasional splurge here or there but compared to the 2+ a day).

So my question is, does anyone know of any negatives to tea? I'm talking unsweetened iced tea, nothing fancy just water with tea bags to give it a little boost.

With tea, I can drink 64oz.+ a day. Is there too much of a good thing?

Just curious for peoples thoughts and experiences.

I drink as much iced tea as I'd like before 4 PM. I probably have 6 oz total 3-4 days a week. If I drink it after 4 PM, it affects my sleep...and I go to bed at 11 PM! Weird, but invariable. I think as long as you ALSO drink plenty of water, you'll be fine.

CaliforniaRower

StopherJJMFP wrote: »

ebbie023 wrote: »

I'm a huge unsweetened iced tea drinker. For the most part, I just use lipton tea bags. I put 3 bags in a 2 qt. bottle with cold water and let it "brew" overnight in the fridge. If you like it stronger, add another tea bag or experiment with flavored tea bags. I like the 2 lipton + 1 peppermint combo, myself. Much less expensive than buying it every morning.

Do you know if there is any truth to the cold brew vs. regular iced tea bags. Lipton sells "special" cold brew bags which cost more...

Just for the record, I'm an iced tea nut. I find that 3 bags from the plain (yellow box) Lipton tea + 3 Bigelow French Vanilla (Ralph's in CA, or on Amazon); steeped in a full pot of boiling water for precisely 6 minutes - tastes great. Every one of my guests asks me if I put sugar in it, because the vanilla tricks the brain. And no, I would never pay more for the "iced tea" - it's the same leaves. It has to do with how long you steep it. Always start with boiling water, of course.

gallada

I know I may be in the minority, but I personally like the Lipton Green Tea bags (unflavored). They're reasonably priced and I like the green tea health benefits. I brew it a quart at a time and pour it over ice. I'll squeeze in a whole lemon and add a shot of honey. It doesn't really sweeten it, but it does mellow out the natural bitterness. Yes the Lipton does have a little bitterness if you brew it strong, but I actually like this. I'll fill a 24 oz. thermos and sip it through the day. I fill in the rest with water.

pollypocket1021

The only negative that comes to mind is that tea can block the absorption of folic acid in the stomach. It has been linked to birth defects in multiple Chinese studies. You don't look particularly pregnant, so carry on.