How do you make tea at home?

I don't remember when I first started getting into tea. Shamefully, I think it all began with Starbucks. I went through a healthy kick in which I drank copious amounts of Starbucks green tea. While it wasn't the best introduction, it still acted as a stepping stone to improved tea habits!

I soon began purchasing generic tea bags from the grocery store. These are still my go-to every-day tea of choice. I drank mugs and mugs and mugs worth in the evening after dinner, with only Splenda to sweeten. No milk. I also often munched on tea biscuits from the store with my tea.

Then my tea world was turned upside down. I studied abroad in England for six months, where I quickly realized tea was a beverage to be consumed at all hours. It was perfect with breakfast, after lunch, in the afternoon, with dinner, after dinner, after clubbing, to cure a hangover... tea was just what you drank. It was England's water. One could often find pubs with little containers of sugar cubes. In some locations you could specify the sort of tea, but it wasn't like in the US where you always had a slew of "tea" options (most of which are herbal and not true teas - but that's a post for another time.) In the UK, tea is tea. The only customization is the amount of sugar and cream you like in yours.

Upon my return to the states, I considered myself a proper tea drinker, so I allowed myself to splurge and drink tea... well, properly! I drank loose teas kept in tins. I used minimal supplements, and only when it enhanced the flavor (green tea was plain, black tea with a splash of milk.) This continued until I ran out of loose tea.

Sadly, our grocery stores here do not commonly sell loose tea, and my budget doesn't allow me to purchase loose tea from the pretentious shops in the area. Fortunately, tea bags (yes, generic ones) do the trick quite nicely! Tea bags lasted me for months and months until I became a blasphemer.

My mother bought me a Keurig for my birthday last fall. I have to say... the tea tastes great! I have English Breakfast containers for the machine, and can get two uses out of each one before it loses its strength. It feels a bit like cheating, but for daily use, who cares? My only complaint is the tea containers are pricey, so I will likely switch back to trusty tea bags once my current Keurig supply has waned.

Cordially, Aimée