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Caffeine and work go together like whipped cream and bourbon. But when it comes to the office break room, coffee is king. If tea can be found, it’s often cheap bags, bought in bulk and presented in a multitiered storage rack. You know what we’re talking about.
A while back we posted a thread on Chowhound to see if tea-drinking workers had different solutions. We found that many offices are indeed filled with rebels stashing loose-leaf oolong behind expense reports and stealthily cleaning out infusers when everyone’s gone to lunch. Although some were into quality tea bags, most preferred loose-leaf varieties and had tips on how to prepare them. Below are a few popular methods suggested by Chowhounds. (And our tea expert, James Norwood Pratt, has some ideas of his own.)
| Username: geg5150 Tip: Use a bombilla straw Price: $8.19 | Username: serpah Tip: Try a tea stick Price: $18 |
Username: pinstripeprincess Tip: Get a sphere infuser Price: $2.95 |
Username: DarkRose Tip: Use an insulated mug Price: $24.86 |
Username: socalqtpi Tip: Use a Cocoa- Latte Express pot Price: $19.26 |
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| Though bombilla straws are traditionally used with the South American tealike drink yerba mate, they’re a decent solution for tea as well. The straw has a filter built right into the base, so as long as you’re OK with not looking dainty while taking tea, sip away. However, bombillas are metal, which conducts heat, so they can get hot in boiling water. Let your tea cool a little first (but be careful not to oversteep). | The Gamila Teastick is a compact device that steeps one serving of tea. The leaves go in a slide-out compartment. It has a useful hook, so it can rest in your mug. The only issue is that it’s difficult to clean out. | Cheap and ubiquitous, sphere infusers, a.k.a. tea infuser balls, are an adequate solution for loose leaf. But because they tend to retain water, lifting them out of the cup can be a somewhat messy operation. Also, the opposite end of the wire chain lacks a good anchor, so you might have to fish it out. Try to get an infuser with a handle. | Take tea to meetings or home on the train with this insulated travel mug. But be aware that the thin metal lip of the mug isn’t terribly easy to drink from. | The Cocoa-Latte Express is one of many quality electric kettles that allow you to make tea without leaving your desk. It heats directly in the mug, and it’s quick. Downfalls are that it’s not quiet and you can’t turn off the frother. We also like this Bodum model for heating water. |
Additional Tips:
1. Store your tea in an airtight container. You can buy one specially made for tea bags or loose leaf, but any airtight storage device will work.
2. Keep only a couple of varieties of loose-leaf tea at your desk at a time. That way, you’ll be more likely to use them before they get stale.
3. Help prevent tea sprawl by clearing a spot inside your desk just for your tea equipment.
4. Don’t leave used tea bags, wet loose leaf, or tea devices resting on tissue or important documents.
5. Deep-clean your mug and tea-making gear. The mineral deposits on dirty items will alter the flavor.
6. Keep an extra mug and some good tea biscuits around in case a coworker is feeling down.
7. If people are conversing at the coffee station, saunter over with your tea. The last thing you want to do is come off as elitist. Even if you are drinking something supremely better.
Watch the tea tools in action:
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This is one of the most enjoyable videos I've seen at CHOW so far. Quick and well done. Awesome job guys!
I use the adagio brewer at home -- which I love -- have a small cup size infuser at work
sonja
Fabulous!
Can someone please explain to me why the Bombilla has jewels on it?
The rings around the bombilla function as a sort of radiator, they help cooling down the mate so you don't burn your lips. Some bombillas have one, two or three rings along the straw. Now, the jewels are for pure decorative effect, I think.
Wow. I'm a die-hard tea drinker and I've been told, numerous times, by other tea-snobs and tea-shop dudes alike, that any kind of tea-leaf "trapping" device - that is, any apparatus that holds the tea leaves totally captive like a ball - is the WORST WORST WORST thing to use. I've witnessed the super elitist tea freaks really turn their noses up at these devices, preferring to use an open mesh strainer that sits inside a cup, that allows the leaves to expand and release to their heart's content, or a real tea pot that allows the leaves and water to mingle freely, then get poured through a strainer attached to the spout.
*scratches head*
i highly recommend this product from teavana -
http://www.teavana.com/Teavana+Perfec...
my favorite thing about this product: absolutely NO leafy bits end up in your tea! you simply set the maker on top of your tea cup/mug etc... and it drains directly into your mug.
go purchase immediately!!
That "cocoa-latte express" is pretty cool: when you're not making tea it can serve as a mini one-sock-at-a-time washing machine.
Great video - drop coffee - have some tea ..
Uh oh... should I feel guilty that I really like Lipton teabag tea, especially with a squeeze of lemon?
I LOVE the large "tea filters" (Finum brand) that Adagio sells. They are really big and give the leaves plenty of elbow room. Very convenient. You can buy them other places online, but Adagio seems to have the best price around...$3 for a box of 100 I think.
I just use one of those cute little Bee House teapots with the mesh strainer inside -- you can remove it when you're done infusing so as not to make it way too strong by letting the leaves sit in there forever while you're enjoying a cup. Works for me, and I've been drinking tea practically since I was born.
And I agree with Mellu's comment about not using those tea balls!
I use a strainer (cylindrical perforated metal with a wire handle) from Forlife that comes with a nice little ceramic dish to put the strainer in when you're done infusing. Lets the tea leaves expand and lets you re-use your tea leaves for that sometimes-optimal second steeping.
I keep about 8 types of tea and tisane in the office in metal containers and refill them at home when I run out of any one type.
Serpa, I bought a tea stick and not only do i think it's REALLY cool, I ordered it on Saturday and got it on Monday! Woohoo!
I use a Piao I cylindrical teapot. They're specifically made for loose tea, multiple infusions of better leaves, produce a superior infusion, and are cheaper if you know where to buy them.
After years of drinking crap tea at my desk, I finally broke down and bought a mini-teapot with built-in metal strainer, along with a lightning-fast electric kettle. To complete my bliss, I ordered some gorgeous loose-leaf teas from SerendipiTEA. Now I actually look forward to my mornings at the office!
I'll be adding some of these to my "want" and "to give list this season!
love this video (and the soundtrack!) - a piece of art. . . it certainly makes those green straws and paper cups look even more dowdy than before.
The big Teavana teamaker is awesome if you want to make a whole pot my only complaint is that you have to be careful how fast your pour from the pot or it will drip...
I have to point out that the title of the article is perpetuating the incorrect idea that "high tea" is the name of the British mid-afternoon ritual of tea and dainty finger snacks. "Afternoon tea" is the correct term for this. And "high tea" is something else altogether -- a quick meal taken in the early evening by blue collar or farm workers (traditionally). It was often eaten quickly, standing at a high table in a pub -- hence the name "high tea". In contrast, "afternoon tea" is sometimes referred to as "low tea" because it's taken at a more civilized low table with chairs. Please, Chow folks, help us keep the terms straight!
TorontoJo, you took the words right out of my mouth. I was about to say the same thing. Afternoon Tea is not the same as High Tea.
I agree with wasabigelatine. I love my beehouse teapots. Do any of you have any solutions to the "microwave" water situation. It is my only way of heating water at work and I know that it alters the tea.
i just noticed i was quoted on this....
i do sometimes use a ball and i never fill it up completely, most times only half way. additionally, mine has a little hook on the end and i found the most effective way to steep without loosing the string is to actually loop it around the mug handle and hook it back unto itself.
but, my preferred method is actually a bodum. i have a small 3 cup coffee version that i'll use for tea instead and it's perfect. definitely no tea leaves and pretty much all the space it can ever want to meander and steep. there's a hot water spigot on the coffee machine and cleaning is just a matter of a quick dumping out or rinse.
loose leaf, high quality tea is well, well worth it. you can get 1 to 2 oz. of high, high quality tea for $2 -$3. ($1.50 at teacup in seattle). Some teas are more, but an oz goes a long way. w/ "re-steeps" (2-3 per serving) = loose leaf tea winner.
loose leaf, high quality tea is well, well worth it. you can get 1 to 2 oz. of high, high quality tea for $2 -$3. ($1.50 at teacup in seattle). Some teas are more, but an oz goes a long way. w/ "re-steeps" (2-3 per serving) = loose leaf tea winner.
loose leaf, high quality tea is well, well worth it. you can get 1 to 2 oz. of high, high quality tea for $2 -$3. ($1.50 at teacup in seattle). Some teas are more, but an oz goes a long way. w/ "re-steeps" (2-3 per serving) = loose leaf tea winner.
loose leaf, high quality tea is well, well worth it. you can get 1 to 2 oz. of high, high quality tea for $2 -$3. ($1.50 at teacup in seattle). Some teas are more, but an oz goes a long way. w/ "re-steeps" (2-3 per serving) = loose leaf tea winner.