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Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

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Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#131

Post by scottmcf »

smacktoward wrote: post #118
travisporter wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s funny! In Guatemala it’s the opposite for coffee. They sell the fancy stuff to McDonald’s and drink the lower quality coffee locally. Still pretty good imho

In Robert Sabbag's excellent book about marijuana smuggling in the 1960s and '70s, Smokescreen ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1841953792/ref=dbs_a_def_r... , published in the US as Loaded: A Misadventure on the Marijuana Trail ), much of the story revolves around the same being true of pot. The smuggler at the center of the story discovers that his Colombian suppliers are routinely packing all different strains…

Very clear lesson on the value of knowing your customer, there!

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#132

Post by mumblemumble »

brokenkebab wrote: post #91
roboys wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My buddy used to work for Lipton. He explained that they use the cheapest grade of tea (dust) available. Also many tea companies mix non-tea additives (fillers) to their tea bags. After hearing this I decided, if it's not full loose leaf, I don't drink it. We found that companies like Elephant Chateau ( http://elephantchateau.com ) deliver the 3 highest grades of tea direct from Ceylon mountain estates with the optio…

To be fair, bagged tea exists because there are lots of buyers who only want quick refreshing non-coffee caffeine, and don't care for taste that much. Or sometimes they just want a background for those 100 g. of sugar you mentioned. Tea dust is a perfect match for this market, because it releases everything it holds to water immediately, while whole leaves may require some patience, and proper procedure.

FWIW, I'm personally fond of tea dust for cold brew, too. This summer I've been very much enjoying gyokuro dust steeped overnight in the fridge as my morning beverage. Not only is it less expensive than the whole leaf stuff (essentially free vs. some of the most expensive tea I own), but I think that works better with that brewing method, too.

Probably the main reason I don't use Lipton instead of the good stuff when I'm making cold brew is that I dislike all the packaging waste. Between the brewing method and the serving temperature, I don't necessarily find the taste alone to be enough better to justify the higher price.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#134

Post by fitzroy »

shanecleveland wrote: post #121

I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?

I love Mariage Frères, Eros. Also their Marco Polo and Earl Grey.

I'm curious to try some others mentioned in the comments.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#135

Post by NeedMoreTea »

joshvm wrote: post #127
smn1234 wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ever tried T2?

We've been using Tea Pigs which is pretty good (and about half the price of T2). Not sure I could taste the difference at that price point, but we have a T2 locally.

Good Grief T2 are pricey!

Try these guys: https://www.johnwatt.co.uk Great selection, coffees too. Online ordering seems to cover the main European nations.

We have a shop nearby, so can't comment on delivery etc.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#136

Post by meristem »

NeedMoreTea wrote: post #77
patejam wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can usually find Twinings anywhere where I am in the US. How would you rate them?

Not nearly enough tea in their tea bags. Here they were the first to reduce the weight of packs, and it hurt their blends. Hotels seem to like Twinings for some reason. Find a way to sneak an extra tea bag into the mug or pot. ;) Their loose leaf are decent enough blends, but increasingly uncommon here.

Two bags of Twinings per cup, and off you go.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#137

Post by meristem »

The other problem, in the US at least, is that many coffee shops and restaurants are sellers of a popular brand of tea that comes with plastic mesh bags (Might Leaf) yet have not thought through/do not understand (/do not care?) they are mixing compostable matter with non-compostable matter. The results are tea in the trash or plastic in compostables.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#138

Post by teddyh »

Tomte wrote: post #105
semi-extrinsic wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For those wanting to buy one, it's sold by IKEA as the Idealisk tea infuser, $1.99. Also available in lots of other stores, I guess. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/idealisk-tea-infuser-stainless-...

Other price extreme: Vorwerk (of Thermomix fame) is selling a loose tea machine: https://temial.vorwerk.de/ Only 600 Euros!

Wow, that thing has GPL’ed code in it. Who says GPL code is anathema for business?

Personally, I prefer my tea makers without Apache in them; I recently got the Breville BTM800XL (a.k.a. Sage The Tea Maker™), and it is very nice, in that it is fully automated.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#139

Post by jonathannorris »

shanecleveland wrote: post #121

I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?

Sloane Tea is great: https://sloanetea.com

They use biodegradeable corn starch based tea bags.

Re: Some tea bags may shed billions of microplastics per cup

#140

Post by shanecleveland »

binarypaean wrote: post #129
shanecleveland wrote: post #121

I drink tea over coffee (for digestive reasons), and I assume I am missing out on really good tea. Any readily-available loose-leaf tea recommendations?

[Rishi Teas]( https://www.rishi-tea.com/ ) imports a rainbow of top-shelf teas and herbal infusions I really like. I mostly drink [Jasmine Pearl]( https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/jasmine-pearl-green-tea/lo... ) or [Matcha Gyokuro]( https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/matcha-gyokuro-japanese-gr... ). If I want a no-caff drink instead, something based on [Rooibos]( https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/ginger-lime-rooibos-…

Definitely into the black, caffeinated teas. Thanks!
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