I don't know about anti-oxidants, but I personally never squeeze tea bags because it makes tea bitter.

"I wonder why? "

I'll guess they say that so that the bag doesn't break open, which would lead many customers to complain about it. If you want to get more from tea of the ingredients with alleged health benefits, avoid the mass market brands and buy loose tea from good sources.

I squeezed & it didn't break open, nor did it taste bitter. I will see if the taste is different by not squeezing.

I don't know of any local places selling loose tea, Snidely, but I might look. Is it generally more expensive than bagged tea?

I use Lipton regular tea bags every a.m. (& always squeeze, LOL). When I mentioned Lipton bags to a fellow American traveler on our trip to Ireland last summer, he responded with "You're telling on yourself." I inferred from that he was implying I was inexperienced(?)...gauche(?) Whatever...

To a tea drinker, Lipton is so basic and tasteless (as in lack of a great taste).
Kinda like saying you drive an Aveo to a Jaguar enthusiast.

I suspected as much, LuAnn. But I was used to the taste....

However...

I noticed a new box of Lipton bags has new packaging. They used to be individually packaged bags, now a box of 100 has 4 foil packages with the teabags loose in each of the 4. I was thinking that the flavor had diminished...maybe less tea in each bag??? BUT... we also just had a water softener installed, so our water tastes differently now. Sooo... I don't know if it is a tea change, or due to the water flavor changing? Or, maybe my tastebuds have become more discerning?? ;-)

I think I will look for loose tea & upgrade to a Jaguar...perhaps. LOL

Bee, the water softener uses salt, doesn't it? That alone makes things taste differently. You might try finding Lipton loose tea. It tastes better than the bags do. And even that is not as good as tea from the American Tea Co. in S. Carolina. They have green tea also. I don't care for green tea in any form, but theirs was ok. DH liked it, so it has to be good! They do mail order, too. I was told that the tea bags contain the "sweepings" , or leftovers from the loose tea after packaging. I know I find that there is a lot more flavor in loose tea than in bags.

I've read that you shouldn't squeeze the tea bag because it releases tannic acid into your tea which might make it taste a bitter. However if you've always done it and haven't found it bitter then there's no reason why you shouldn't continue.

DH and I used to buy Tetley tea bags but either our taste has changed or Tetley has because it just doesn't seem as flavorful. DH now drinks Stash double bergamot and I now use 2 Tetley tea bags when I want a fuller, richer mug of tea.

I seldom use a tea bag. They were invented to make a *fast* cup of tea. I make a pot of tea with loose tea (in a tea ball) and freshly boiled water. It steeps for 3-5 minutes. I order several tins at a time from Twining --less expensive than at a grocery and no tax. No shipping costs if you order several tins. (An unopened tin will keep for a long time.)

We like Lady Grey and Prince of Wales.

Back when I drank coffee I would put two sugars (cubes of course) in my cup. Now, since I have a cold, and take my Japanese wellness oil aka, Japanesisches Heilpflanzenoil I would like to put in on sugar cubes like I used to, but could not find any... :(

about tea, I like loose leaf, and brew it like it was mentioned above.... but I don't put any sugar in my tea.

Moni

I am a tea-aholic. Don't drink coffee; don't like it; never have. I buy the 100 bag size Lipton, and I noticed the new package right away, and also the admonition re squeezing the bag, and the 4 gold bricks, and the way each bag is not in it's little packet now. Yikes, why can't they leave well enough alone? (Not just Lipton, but many others who come out with "new and improved.")

I have a box of 70 tea bags from the company tami-ohio mentioned that was given to me probably 35 years ago, by a friend who lives in Summerville, SC. I didn't care for it, so I still have most of it. It was called American Classical Tea at that time, and notes on the box that it is The Only Tea Grown In America. Many people are surprised to learn that any tea is grown in America. I think most of us each find a favorite whatever and stay with it.

I used to write about some of the events in my life, and if you care to hang in here for a minute, you can read one of mine.....Yep, it is about tea, written probably 20 years ago.

HOW I ACQUIRED MY DRINKING HABIT

"I'm a little teapot, short and stout.
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When I get all steamed up,
I will shout, 'Tip me over, pour me out.'"

The teapot: My home is a shelf in the dark cupboard. I sit here and wait. There is another teapot on the counter top. It is rather plain and is used every day. I wait for a special time. When my mistress comes for me, I know she is feeling lonely or tired and I am happy to know that I can help to cheer her up. Other times are better because I know she has a special guest and that is when I am at my best. She warms me with a quick hot rinse, feeds me with the tea and boiling water, and I do my work. I am her companion when she is weary, when the plain teapot is not enough to lift her spirits. I am her prized possession when friends come to visit, and I am brought out to be admired for my blue oriental decoration. I am there in her lowest and highest times. I am special.

The tea: My ancestors date back to China some 5,000 years ago, when by accident some dried tea leaves blew into a pot of boiling water. I am popular world-wide, and considered to be the ideal beverage by many, second only to water. I am inexpensive, convenient and whether served hot or iced, offer refreshment to a tired, or hot and thirsty soul. I contain no calories, salt or sugar, no carbonation and less caffeine than coffee. I come from many regions, including India, Sri Lanka, the Himalayas, Kenya, and surprisingly to most people, Charleston, S.C.

The tea drinker: Oh, Mary, do come in. I am so glad to see you and I do need a break. Sit down while I make some tea. I know you like tea as well as I do. Did I ever tell you about the first cup of hot tea I ever had? My family drank coffee and we always had iced tea but not hot tea. When I was about twelve or so my mother took me with her to a Ladies Aid Meeting. The hostess served hot tea. She had a beautiful teapot, and cups and saucers that were so thin and delicate you could almost see through them. She served a cup to me just as though I were one of the grown-ups. It was a lovely, clear rosy amber color. There were sugar cubes and lemon slices and small thin cookies to go with the tea. To my child's mind, this was what rich people must do, and I felt like a lady. That's when I fell in love with hot tea. I never drink coffee. But I am fussy about my tea. I think the reason some people don't like tea is because they don't know how to make it. To do it right you have to start with good tea. I have always used Lipton's, and I remember when they first began to put the tea in the little individual bags. No need to measure or have spills to clean up. To make good tea you have to have a teapot. There is nothing worse than tea made in a styrofoam cup with a cheap tea bag! Even using a regular cup will not give you a good cup of tea. Do you know why I always rinse the teapot with a little hot water before I use it? That is so it will not crack when the boiling water is poured in. Actually I don't think that would happen now, since our houses are warm, but back in the old days, it might have if the pot were real cold. Anyhow, its a habit that I have gotten into. Then you want to start with cold water and bring it to a good rolling boil. As soon as it boils, make your tea. This is what the Chinese call "first water". Boiling too long will remove the oxygen from the water and the tea will taste flat.

Now here is where I part company with the so-called experts. They recommend one tea bag for each cup. I use one tea bag for each two cups of water. Either way, the tea has to then steep for several minutes, depending on how strong you like it. But if you make it this way, you will get a delicious cup of tea. There is nothing that can lift my spirits or invigorate me like a cup of tea. I've tried some of the fancier teas, like Darjeeling, or Ceylon, or Oolong, but for me the plain old blend of Lipton's is still the best. Recently I noticed a difference in their tea and contacted them. They have assured me (they think) that it is still the same, but that since they have improved their distribution process, we are getting fresher tea now. I tried another brand, but I've gone back to my old favorite, and now it seems fine to me. I guess I have told you more than you needed to know about tea, haven't I? Have another cup.

© Sue Hamilton

I like Lipton's ice tea, can't drink hot tea, to much acid.

Sue, I loved your tea story!

Oddly enough I have a large teapot collection and yet I make my tea by the cup. But after reading your story, I think I'll choose one of my pots and use it and see how I feel.

Here is my favorite (I think):

{{gwi:2135920}}

That's a great story, Sue, and I didn't know that about pre-warming the pot.

I have a teapot that I never use but I can't bear to part with it. It's round, periwinkle blue(almost purple) with a pink and yellow lid. Very modern, or it was when I bought nearly 30 years ago. Some might consider it Art Deco.

Beth, yours is so cute, it's very you!

Sue I loved your story too.
I drink coffee in the morning but I love tea at night, or sometimes in the afternoon. I need my tea after dinner.

I use Tetley. I don't care for flavoured teas. I tried Earl Gray and didn't like the taste. I grew up with my Nan drinking tea only (never coffee) and it was Red Rose tea.

I always warm the pot first too. I met with a British lady (very proper) one time a few years ago, and she was very precise how long she left the hot water in the pot, and how long it steeped.

I let mine steep any old length of time. Sometimes I don't get to my pot for quite a few minutes after making it. I usually remove the bag when it's steeped, and don't squeeze.

Thanks for all the Tea Stories. I enjoyed them very much!

You know, we just can't have any fun any more...1st, it's don't squeeze the Charman and now, don't squeeze the tea bags.....
I've been drinking tea for almost all of my 77 years and really didn't know, squeezing made it bitter..And, I don't think I've ever had loose/brewed tea but will have to give it a try...
I always remember a dear friend of our's, Cahal Dunne, (the Irish singer and story teller) saying, we have so much in this country except a decent cup of tea.....
Never too old to learn something new......

Lipton's has a loose tea. I can get it here. I'm told the taste is completely different but I haven't tried it. I only use bags for iced tea. For that I use 3 Lipton bags & 2 Bigelow Plantation Mint bags. I've stocked up on loose tea in London (Whittard's Original Blend) & have an insert for my tea pots. I find I don't use near as much tea with the loose rather than bags.

My first ever purchase on Ebay was a tea pot but I bid on a bunch of them & won every auction. Won't do that again! I think I had about 8 pots arriving.

I have to admit that I was dubious about including my story, thinking it might become a SOB, but I am glad I did. I enjoyed reading all of your comments, and to know that there are other tea drinkers here. That one visit at the Ladies Aid Meeting was a high point in my young life, and one never to be forgotten.

Murraysmom, your tea pot is quite unusual. I had to look twice to see what it is! Make yourself some tea in it, put on a cowboy hat, and shout "yah-hoo" while you enjoy that tea, then come back and tell us how it made you feel.

Flamingo, can you show us a picture of your tea pot? Sounds very pretty.

Jasdip, my mother used Tetley when she made the ice tea. I have a friend who still uses Red Rose. I buy small boxes of different kinds so when I have friends in, there is a choice for every one and we use my "good" china cups and saucers, which are definitely not see-through. For my daily "fix," I still make mine in a pot and I'm not precise about how long it steeps.

Nanny98, thanks; do you drink hot tea?

I have a small collection of tea pots and sets, ranging from Tiny, to Real Small to Somewhat Bigger, I used to find them at yard sales and auctions, and I think some were for doll houses that little girls used to have. I also have a set of the traditional blue (5 inch tall), "made in China" that my young DGS gave me one Christmas.

I also have a beautiful pot of Dolphin China, Dynasty Blue, given to me several years ago by my DD. It is used only on very special occasions. (You know, it is one of those "afraid it will get broken" things.)

My every day pot is a plain white Melkin, 9 inches tall, Made in Germany, which now has the handle broken off. It is a clean break, but I haven't yet tried to fix it. It was in a box of things I bought at an auction, long years ago.

SunnyDJ, You are so right, just can't have any fun anymore! Actually I do squeeze the bag, after I lift it from the pot and hold it against the side of the sink with a spoon, never back into the tea. I've heard that little quip somewhere before. It is true wherever you are. So many folks don't know how to make tea. I remember going in a friend's house one day and I saw a pot on the stove with water and tea bags boiling away!

Ginger, I've never tried the loose tea. Maybe I should; you never know until you try. Your collection beats mine I'm sure. Pictures? You may have hidden treasures there.

Thanks again,;this was fun.

Sue

OklaMoni, do you shop Amazon? You can get sugar cubes through them if you really want some.

Sue, nothing unique in my teapots unfortunately. I used to have a little tea party with my neighbor before I retired & moved here. Always baked popovers or a coffee cake & we always had tea. I should start doing that again here.

I took the lazy way out, Sue, and found a pot like mine on EBay. Good to know it's fetching a nice price.

Here is a link that might be useful: This looks like my teapot

I enjoyed your tea story Sue.

I've come to the conclusion that Lipton has changed their tea in the new packaging...it lacks any flavor, even with 2 bags. I'm going to try the loose tea route.

I'm going to start a new thread so we can share pics of our teapots....

If you read the fine print on the new boxes of Lipton's tea bags they say the tea is processed and they use the "essence" of the tea leaf "fresh pressed tea leaves"- not the leaf. These bags have a small leaf logo in the upper right corner. I noticed the logo change, but did not read all the print until I realized my tea tasted like....yuck.

In other words they are fausting a processed product, similar to instant tea, off on us as "tea" in bags.

It's not tea; it is disgusting, it's shameful, and I no longer touch Lipton products.

I prefer to purchase loose tea, or other brands that put real tea leaves in their tea bags.

Oh, one thing I didn't mention, is that I can't stand a bag in a mug. I have to make it in a tea pot.

Caroline, I haven't read the info on the new box, but I will do that. Twenty years ago when I wrote that little story they said "they have improved their distribution process, we are getting fresher tea now." Guess they have "improved it again." Yikes! what to do, what to do?

Sue

I found that "fresh pressed" on my Lipton box.

I know what I'm gonna do,,, search for leaves! And a tea ball!

This is a déjà vu moment! I have been thinking about a "new" teapot all of last week and now this thread. I have no idea what happened to mine......haven't missed it until now. I make my Earl Gray in a cup but I am going to look for loose tea next time I'm in town. And I'm going to look at more tea pots on the ebay link. More than likely I will buy one at the second hand store. eBay and shipping make most things still too expensive.

Get a (perforated) ball into which to put your loose leaves, as well, low_m wherever.

o j

Flamey, thanks, you know how I am about horses and their paraphernalia!

OK, Sue, I cleaned up the teapot and made tea this morning. I used Twinings English Breakfast tea. I must say it was a lovely experience. Here are some better pictures of that pot.

{{gwi:2135921}}

{{gwi:2135922}}

{{gwi:2135923}}

I believe those are a pair of spurs sitting on the top of the saddle. I found this pot in a shop in the gold country in California. I just had to have it. :)

murraysmom, is there any mark on the bottom? I need one of those.

Found it on eBay!

This post was edited by lov_mkitchen on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 9:48

murraysmom, so glad to know that you made tea in that pot and enjoyed the experience.. You will probably want to be back in the saddle more often now. Yah-hoo!

Sue

LOL, you guys crack me up.

Lov, I did look at the bottom this morning and there are no markings. I don't think it's particularly old.

You found one on ebay?? I'll have to go look and see what it's going for.

It seems to be more of a decorative teapot to me. The bottom is a little rough. No markings or names of any kind.

OK, I found two on ebay. The one for $8.99 looks to be a knockoff maybe. The glaze is not as good and the lid is on backwards although that doesn't mean anything.

The other one is $20.99. That one looks much more like mine. It does have 2 chips in the lid. I have to say that I think I paid about $35 for mine. It seemed unique to me, but of course it wouldn't be. :)

This post was edited by murraysmom on Fri, Jan 9, 15 at 18:55