Tea Bags

[theplayingmantis]

gregch said:

DaveyBoyWonder said:

You absolute monster

Sad to report, but it may be you who's the monster!

Putting the milk in last de-natures the molecules in the milk causing the resulting tea to taste weird. Putting milk in first avoids that, because the milk is brought up to the temperature more gradually. This was explained to me in some detail by an esteemed biochemist.

It's often said that the fashion for putting the milk in last was put about by the "considerably richer than you" types of the day to show off, because their fancy porcelain cups could cope with boiling water in a way that the eathernware tat used by their inferiors could not. I suspect that might not be true, not least because the few genuinely posh people I know do tend to put the milk in first, like normal people - whereas putting the milk in last seems to be *mostly* practiced by aspirational Sally Webster types.


Back on topic: Clipper tea bags (the ones in the black and orange box) are best IMO, for regular builders tea.

Everyone has the prettiest wife...!

[Mobile Chicane]

Nope.

Milk went in first since tea was originally served in delicate porcelain cups which could shatter when hot liquid was poured straight in.

[dickymint]

Mobile Chicane said:

Nope.

Milk went in first since tea was originally served in delicate porcelain cups which could shatter when hot liquid was poured straight in.

Hence why people 'warm the pot' first to negate thermal shock. Earthenware is much more resistant to thermal shock than Porcelain.

But milk first is an absolute

[Mr Pointy]

gregch said:

Putting the milk in last de-natures the molecules in the milk causing the resulting tea to taste weird. Putting milk in first avoids that, because the milk is brought up to the temperature more gradually. This was explained to me in some detail by an esteemed biochemist.

That's nonsense. Pouring boiling tea onto cold milk is exactly the same thermal shock as pouring cold milk into boiling tea.

[otolith]

It doesn't matter, so long as it goes in after the tea is brewed. So not first if you brew it in the cup, do whatever if you make it in a pot.

[Cotty]

Mobile Chicane said:

Nope.

Milk went in first since tea was originally served in delicate porcelain cups which could shatter when hot liquid was poured straight in.

I agree. But to pour the hot tea into the cup implies that the tea was brewed first without the milk i.e. in a pot. The tea then being intoduced to the milk after it has brewed.

All these milk first people, name me one time that people pour milk into a teapot then add tea and hot water.

[Cotty]

gregch said:

Putting the milk in last de-natures the molecules in the milk causing the resulting tea to taste weird. Putting milk in first avoids that, because the milk is brought up to the temperature more gradually. This was explained to me in some detail by an esteemed biochemist.

I assume they failed. How is milk, tea then boiling water bringing the temperature of the milk up more gradually. Surely brewing the tea for a minute or two would reduce the temperature prior to adding the milk.

Edited by Cotty on Tuesday 21st May 15:43

[gregch]

Woah! I've obviously inadvertantly riled the massed eminent physicists of PH when I thought I was doing lighthearted fun! I won't attempt that again!

I would just respectfully point out that adding cold milk to boiling water is *not* the same as adding boiling water to cold milk. If I can try to explain it: when you're adding boiling (or, for the 'brewing' pedants, 'very hot') water to cold milk, the mix of the liquid starts out mostly cold. But when you're adding cold milk to 'very hot' water (or tea), the mix of the liquid starts out very hot. So it sort of made sense to me.

Not sure what you mean by 'failed', Cotty, but essentially, very much 'no' (though to be fair I have no idea if she's actually right about this, as I have no relevant education or qualifications whatsoever).

I'll crawl back into my hidey-place now as I'm a bit scared now and this is not a hill I want to die on!!!

Enjoy your tea however you like it, you monsters!!!

[Cotty]

gregch said:

I would just respectfully point out that adding cold milk to boiling water is *not* the same as adding boiling water to cold milk.

If someone has brewed the tea first then the liquid is no longer at boiling point when the milk is added. Am I wrong or do you see water boiling in a mug that has no heat source?

gregch said:

If I can try to explain it: when you're adding boiling (or, for the 'brewing' pedants, 'very hot') water to cold milk, the mix of the liquid starts out mostly cold. But when you're adding cold milk to 'very hot' water (or tea), the mix of the liquid starts out very hot. So it sort of made sense to me.

Thats the same thing.

[gregch]

Cotty said:

Thats the same thing.

OK then.

[otolith]

I can see the physics of why gradually pouring cold liquid into hot liquid exposes the cold liquid to more heat than gradually pouring hot liquid into cold. I'm sceptical that it makes any discernible difference though, given rapid pouring and turbulence.

[The Gauge]

Which came first, the Hobnob or tea leaves?

[FiF]

Twining Assam for us. Never pay the full price. Wait till on offer, stock up.

As a backup Tesco Finest Assam, almost there, and cheaper.

We did have a spell trying Twinings Breakfast but found it had a tendency to have an almost over stewed taste.

Agree on storage, open foil bag, store in airtight container, eg Kilner jar or similar.

[Mr Pointy]

CoolHands said:

I only drink thompsons

I saw these in Morrisons & picked up a pack, but sad to say I'm not too impressed. Back to Sainsbury's Red Label for me.