Tea or Coffee

[Lovable]

I prefer bag tea. I've never tried loose tea, so I don't know how I would like it. Although if I had the tea pot I just might try it 1 day.

[doppelgaenger]

I prefer tea over coffee any day of the week. Coffee makes your breath smell too. I love green tea with jasmine, and gyokuro imperial green tea. I also like white tea and oolong.

Here is another wrinkle for this poll/discussion: Do you tea drinkers prefer bag tea or cut loose tea (based on taste as well as convenience)?

cut loose, unless i'm in a hurry. i have both kinds in my cupboard.

[Incognito]

I used to only buy bag tea until I realized that the bag detracts from the flavor of the tea, usually making it slightly bitter. Anyway I do own a tetsubin, but when I only want to make one or two cups I just use a tea diffuser. The good thing about cut tea is that you can usually use it for more than one brewing.

What is your favorite kind of tea doppel?

[doppelgaenger]

yeah, bag tea does make the flavor a bit strange, i'd say more metallic than bitter. my favorite kind would be oolong tea.

[Incognito]

I had oolong that was infused with jasmine and it is really good. I no longer drink bagged teas unless I am going to drink tea with dinner and don't care so much about the taste.

[doppelgaenger]

never tried it with jasmine, but it sounds like something worth trying. i always drink my tea straight up.
i also do not drink tea with dinner, but instead in the evening. i drink ale/wine with dinner P:

[Incognito]

I tried to be a hardcore tea drinker by drinking it straight, but I just don't enjoy it as much.

[doppelgaenger]

maybe it's not the tea itself that you enjoy. i think putting jasmine and honey and all that stuff that seems to be popular is like putting A1 sauce on a filet mignon. you drown the original flavor with a blend of others... the best part about oolong tea is the aroma. it takes me a good hour to get through a small kettle because i sniff it so much!

[Incognito]

I actually love tea, and the right amount of sugar accents the flavor much like salt does to savory foods. I think in time I will drink it with no sugar though. Its probably just like with wine. Everybody always starts out drinking sweet desert wine, but all eventually move to drier more bitter wines. I don't know any wine drinkers who didn't make that transition.

[doppelgaenger]

really?? i started out on merlot and that's always been my favorite. i do like some of the sweeter wines, like lambrusco, but not very often.
it's the same way with beer. i started out with the really heavy, dark stuff. i won't drink anything lighter than amber/bock color.

i'm not sure if i would say it's an acquired taste, though it can very well be.

[Incognito]

Well you're different in many senses of the word, lol. Most start light and then go to heavier/darker/less sweet. That seems to be the natural progression of most things. Walking, drinking, weight lifting, reading.... and on.

[doppelgaenger]

interesting.. i never viewed it as a progression, like weight lifting. there are some kinds of wines/beers/teas that i absolutely do not like and would never, ever drink them. i don't understand why someone would progress into something that they don't at first like.... less for acceptance's sake.

[Incognito]

I think that most people's palates are more likely to accept something familiar first until they appreciate something new for what it is by itself. Most people like sweets, which is why I believe that most people start out putting a lot of sugar in their tea/coffee or why most people start out drinking sweet alcoholic drinks. They look for a likable characteristic in something that they aren't accustomed to, and then if they truly like the new tea/wine/whatever they gradually learn to enjoy it without the familiar added characteristic.

I used to dump loads of sugar in my tea, but as time went on I discovered loose cut tea, and enjoy the flavor of the tea more than the sweetness. I probably use 1 or 2 teaspoons not depending on the kind of tea. I used to use 5-7 years ago, lol.

[RdHrshyKss]

tea all the way.

i can't drink coffee...it makes me feel sick. last time i had a cup of coffee was about 8 years ago and i threw up...haven't had a cup since. i guess that's a good thing. i see coworkers needing to drink coffee every morning and i'm glad i don't have that problem. stains the teeth and makes your breath stink.

i grew up with my family putting milk and sugar in their tea. i used to do the same until i went to college and was introduced to green tea and its health benefits. so gradually i started drinking green tea and became more open to other types of herbal teas. i don't put sugar in any of my tea anymore...completely takes away from the flavor of it, and some teas just taste darn gross when you add sugar to it. my personal opinion is that sugar is unnecessary with tea. tastes perfect without it.

[ammi00]

Except Lipton or Nestea (made out of lemon or peaches), I can't drink tea, especially if it's hot. It makes me puke, literally
I'm not such a big fan of simple coffee either, but I drink plenty of frappuccinos & other combinations. Oh! I love adding alcohol to frappuccinos. Yummy *drools*