Anyone here make Green Tea???

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

On our last trip to our "other" home, I was strolling through the Japan Pavilion, and I stumbled upon the green teas. I had never really given any real thought to it really. I knew that I LOOOOOOOVED the green tea at Teppen Edo, and Tokyo Dining as well, but it never really occurred to me that it was something I could actually make myself at home. So I bought a bag of the tea with nuts. $6.25 is a bargain for any souvenir you get at WDW that you enjoy for more than a few minutes! I didn't want to fork out $42 for a tea pouring thing/cup/set/whatever they call it, so I went home and after a little searching I found one for $5.00 at World Market.
Its actually a heck of a deal. It has the giant tea cup, the "pourer", and a metal strainer. (As you can see; I'm no tea expert!) It was regular price of $8, and I snagged up 4 of them for $5 each! One for me, and 3 I gave away as Christmas presents.
The problem is even after reading the instructions (which made NO sense at all) and after looking it all up on the internet, I STILL don't know what I am doing!!!
So I'm hoping to get some input. Don't get me wrong... it usually tastes good, but I do it differently each time, and it tastes different each time, and I don't know if what I'm drinking is good tea, or just better than bitter water.
So lets discuss it.

• How do YOU make green tea?
• What are the benefits of green tea?
• What is the WRONG way to make green tea?
• Which ones do you like best?
• Do the more expensive teas taste better?

BTW, the tea sets were a HUGE HIT for everyone that got them! They were one of the best $5 gifts I have found yet actually. I picked up 3 bags of Chinese tea at a local oriental grocery store for .57 cents a box, and wrapped them up separate. The tea & pot were a bigger hit than some of the more expensive gifts.

 

[WDWBarb]

• How do YOU make green tea?
• What are the benefits of green tea?
• What is the WRONG way to make green tea?
• Which ones do you like best?
• Do the more expensive teas taste better?

I do love green tea (or almost any tea, really!). But maybe I'm just uneducated because I take the tea bag and steep it in the cup I use water that is just below the boiling point but otherwise, I make it same way that I make all teas!

As far as the benefits, we've all heard about the antioxidants in green tea. Good for ya!

I don't know the wrong way because I also apparently don't know the right way

And as far as those I like best, I'm so not exotic when it comes to tea. I got hooked on Twinings tea when I worked at WDW many years ago and that's what I stick to - even for green/white teas.

 

[bgirldeb]

I do love green tea (or almost any tea, really!). But maybe I'm just uneducated because I take the tea bag and steep it in the cup I use water that is just below the boiling point but otherwise, I make it same way that I make all teas!

Me too!

 

[travelbug]

I do love green tea (or almost any tea, really!). But maybe I'm just uneducated because I take the tea bag and steep it in the cup.

Same here. There are different flavors of green teas that I've tried too, but I tend to just like the plain green tea the best. I know it's not quite the same, but I also discovered that Crystal Light makes a raspberry green tea too. It's really good!

 

[JESW]

I make iced tea a lot and this is what I use:

http://about.pricegrabber.com/searc...ee%20iced%20tea%20maker&mode=about_coffeetea&

And for hot tea I just use the bags.

Jill

 

[3jsmommy]

I used to work in a japanese restaurant & our green tea was a very finely ground almost a powder. We only used about 1 tbl. spoon for a pot of tea. We did not steep it, we placed the mesh strainer with the tea leaves in it over the pot & poured the water through it into the pot.

I have also made green tea at home, but it was a larger tea leaf & I used a strainer that sat in the tea pot to steep the tea, I left it in for a couple of minutes. I am pretty sure that tea was a green-oolong mix though.
Straight green tea should be totally green and not brown, if it's fresh anyway.
If you post a link to your strainer I could try to help.

 

[tiggger1]

check out uptontea.com they sell loose leaf tea and they are really good. They also have all the supplies you would need

 

[TLHB70]

I make my own green tea; I love it. I prefer to use the Teavana tea, but I cannot always make it to the store to get it so I also use the other brands when I have to. Teavana sells the "perfect tea maker" and it is great! That is what I use. Since Teavana is loose leaf tea, and not in a bag, the tea maker is the only way that I can make it. I put the leaves in their cup/pitcher, and then I pour boiling water on it. The tea container always gives me a recommended time, but I typically steep it a little longer......about 10 to 12 minutes. After that, I place the cup/pitcher on top of my drinking cup or mug, and when the rim of my cup touches the bottom of the pitcher, it triggers a release. The liquid tea falls into my cup, and the leaves remain in the first pitcher/cup. I have trouble explaining it, but here is the link with a picture for you to see: http://www.teavana.com/Loose-Leaf-Teas/Perfect-Tea-Accessories/Teavana-Perfect-Tea-Maker-16oz.axd
It is a wonderful thing! I do not have to worry about straining because this strains for me.

I also love to buy the Ito En green tea in a bottle. It is yummy too!
http://www.itoen.com/

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

I do love green tea (or almost any tea, really!). But maybe I'm just uneducated because I take the tea bag and steep it in the cup I use water that is just below the boiling point but otherwise, I make it same way that I make all teas!

I've tried just about every possible flavor of bagged tea, from Celestial Seasonings flavored teas (fruits, morning, evening, etc) to Earl Gray. I've tried pretty much all of them. We have a local discount freight store that sells the regularly $3.50 a box teas for around a buck or two. So I buy one of each every time they arrive. Don't get me wrong... I like those too, but that's not what I was referring to.
I'm talking about teas that are in a bag and you spoon the amount you want into a little tea pot. (Like this! http://www.worldmarket.com/TeaforOn...e+matchallpartial/Ntk/Def/N/0/Nty/1/index.pro ) The top piece lifts off, and there is a really nice metal strainer under it. One thing I don't quite understand is if you put the tea in the strainer, and pour the water through, is the water supposed to steep with the tea IN it??? The strainer is still above the water level after you add the water. Theres also little holes in the tea pot, and it holds the tea leaves back. So maybe I shouldn't use the strainer at all?

 

[WDWBarb]

I've tried just about every possible flavor of bagged tea, from Celestial Seasonings flavored teas (fruits, morning, evening, etc) to Earl Gray. I've tried pretty much all of them. We have a local discount freight store that sells the regularly $3.50 a box teas for around a buck or two. So I buy one of each every time they arrive. Don't get me wrong... I like those too, but that's not what I was referring to.
I'm talking about teas that are in a bag and you spoon the amount you want into a little tea pot. (Like this! http://www.worldmarket.com/TeaforOn...e+matchallpartial/Ntk/Def/N/0/Nty/1/index.pro ) The top piece lifts off, and there is a really nice metal strainer under it. One thing I don't quite understand is if you put the tea in the strainer, and pour the water through, is the water supposed to steep with the tea IN it??? The strainer is still above the water level after you add the water. Theres also little holes in the tea pot, and it holds the tea leaves back. So maybe I shouldn't use the strainer at all?

I so it's basically loose-leaf tea? If the strainer isn't under water-level then I can't imagine what that's for because almost all teas need to steep to some extent. I'm guessing that the tea actually goes into the pot in that case - and steeps that way.

I gotta check one of these things out! I have some loose teas that DH bought for me and he got these disposable little bags that you put them in to steep them in the individual cup. But that tea-for-one pot looks really cool!

 

[LanaJayne]

I've tried just about every possible flavor of bagged tea, from Celestial Seasonings flavored teas (fruits, morning, evening, etc) to Earl Gray. I've tried pretty much all of them. We have a local discount freight store that sells the regularly $3.50 a box teas for around a buck or two. So I buy one of each every time they arrive. Don't get me wrong... I like those too, but that's not what I was referring to.
I'm talking about teas that are in a bag and you spoon the amount you want into a little tea pot. (Like this! http://www.worldmarket.com/TeaforOn...e+matchallpartial/Ntk/Def/N/0/Nty/1/index.pro ) The top piece lifts off, and there is a really nice metal strainer under it. One thing I don't quite understand is if you put the tea in the strainer, and pour the water through, is the water supposed to steep with the tea IN it??? The strainer is still above the water level after you add the water. Theres also little holes in the tea pot, and it holds the tea leaves back. So maybe I shouldn't use the strainer at all?

Is it possible to put the leaves in the pot with the water, then the strainer will work when you pour out the tea into your cup? The leaves should be in the water. I've put loose leaf tea into a teapot, without a strainer and then put a small strainer on my cup to catch any leaves when I pour it from the teapot into my cup.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I make a lot of loose leaf tea, I have a strainer that fits in my mugs, after the tea has steeped you pull the strainer out. I got it from www . Harneytea . Com

They also sell a variety of teas and you can order samples. I prefer black teas to green, but have tried a few of the greens. Some were good, some tasted like grass clippings.

 

[SelfEmployedDebtFree]

Is it possible to put the leaves in the pot with the water, then the strainer will work when you pour out the tea into your cup? The leaves should be in the water. I've put loose leaf tea into a teapot, without a strainer and then put a small strainer on my cup to catch any leaves when I pour it from the teapot into my cup.

That would make sense. That thought went through my head last night when I made some. I'm guessing you just hold the strainer out under the spout to catch any excess leaves. If Chinese cups are smaller (I think they are) then this strainer might fit onto a small cup as well so you don't have to hold it.
So one show I was watching showed a guy pouring the tea back and forth from one cup to another repeatedly. Anyone know what that's all about?