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I'm usually a C2 sort of guy, but through bad luck and (my own) poor performance, I've begun my Sunday morning with a B1. Whilst a bad start to the day, I'm determined not to let it ruin what could be a good Sunday.
Where do you come in on the tea debate?
It's not a linear scale from light to dark. There are three constituents: tea, milk and water. A weak cup of tea with a little milk looks different from a strong cup with a decent amount of milk. This should be a ternary plot.
Thank you. For years me and my siblings have always said it's possible to have a strong and milky tea.
Yeah it's not clear what the axes are in this picture. Looks more like a single scale split in 4
C3, no debate in my mind. I can accept C1 through to D2 though.
This is the correct answer.
D4, but with a shitload of sugar.
...And ice, 'cause I'm a Southerner, not a Brit. 🤪
Before the diabetes diagnosis I used to take three sugars in my tea.
Two years later and I'm not sure I could stomach tea with sugar in it.
@Oneeightnine @grue
As a student I took three sugars. Then I moved into a house with 4 others none of whom took sugar. For everyone's convenience I went cold turkey and never looked back. Now I'd spit out tea with a quarter of a spoonful of sugar.
American here who grew up on southern sweet tea. As an adult I cut the sugar from all tea and never looked back. Although I will occasionally put a little nip of B&B in there.
5E (a.k.a. E5)
E5 for me. I soak and squeeze the crap out of the teebag.
A tip for everyone to get stronger tee. Put the teebag in a quarter cup of boiled water, then boil it in the microwave for 30 seconds, then add the rest of the water. It releases all the favour in the bag.
That sounds like too much tannin, but if you like that then why not. I prefer to use different tea for a stronger or milder tea flavour. I'm not trying to knock what works for you, if I had a microwave I would at least be willing to try it so I could comment with more knowledge.
You might enjoy using a loose leaf tea if you haven't tried before?
It should be strong enough to stand the spoon up in.
If I'm in a cafe or something, or feeling posh, I have it with milk, and generally go for C2 onwards. I generally leave the teabag in for as long as possible, including not removing it at all - but if I'm having any milk at all, I'll have quite a bit of it.
If I'm at home/work or otherwise in control of the kettle, I drink it black and leave the teabag in throughout the whole drink.
Controversially, at home on an evening, though I leave the teabag in, I often top up the water a few times, therefore drinking progressively weaker tea as it gets later. The last cup of tea before bed is basically just hot water that remembers meeting a leafy flavour once.
Controversial, but consistent, opinion. At least you know exactly what you like.
Somewhere on the c range. I'm not too picky.
Pure Barrys tea is the only reasonable choice and thus everything except D4 (mayyybee D3) should be considered a crime.
I thought my Irish mate was having me on saying Irish tea was better than British tea all those years ago. Then I picked up a box of Barry's while looking for something to do in Limerick. Now I don't let it run out.
My grandmother is from the northwest of Germany. People over there got a very unique tea culture and their own famous blends. Last time I visited her, I gave her a box of Barrys. After the first teapot was empty, she asked me to bring lots more Barrys when I visit her again.
American D1 gang represent
Green tea, but D3 or D4.
Green tea needs a bit of cold water in first, to make sure the hot isn't too hot. Proper green tea blends taste like cat's piss when you over-heat them.
Like in Japanese tea ceremonies, they have to grind the green tea leaves slowly, so as not to overheat them.
I like my tea to be iced coffee
C1 using whole milk, which is significant if you are only using colour as a measure of tea preference.
I think milk type could be the 3rd dimension to this chart, but that is more likely to be is brew time.
B3 to C2 is my preference. C3 or darker and I'm asking if the cows are on strike. B2 and lighter I'll ask if you just showed the teabag to the cup instead of putting it in.
Is the implication here "how much milk do you add?" Confused about the colors if that's not the answer. The option with no milk for me (but I also like white and green teas, which are nowhere near that dark color)
D3/D4 And a small splash of milk to round it off. At most a tablespoon (15ml) to a pint.
"Just the tiiiiiniest splash of milk, please" /gets given builder's tea
D4 realised a while back I don't really like the taste of milk, so went darker and darker until now I just drink black tea. Honestly I'm more of a coffee chap (snob)
B2, but I'm a filthy coffee drinking American what do I know.
C2 as well. it's the sophisticated choice.
C2
C1/C2. I like mine a tad bit dark.
i like it red, and hot. sadly not in the chart
Tea is the opposite of how I like my toast: the darker, the better.
C4 or D1. Strong though, want to see that spoon stand up.
That'd be C4 then
A=>D is decreasing milk amount, and 1=>4 is increasing strength, so D1 would essentially be water, A1 would essentially be milk and the B3/B4/C3/C4 would be the square of "not pulling a face when you take the first sip" (although I lie somewhere between B4 & C3 so I may be biased)
Wait
When people say strong they mean with lots of milk? I thought it was the concentration of the brew. I like a longer steep is what I meant.
This is the classic problem with coffee, where people think "strong" means less milk, rather than more caffeine.
No strong usually means a more concentrated brew
Cheers, yeah. I sometimes put three bags in the teapot 🤫
I've found that a longer steep doesn't really make a better cup though. If I want stronger, I add more tea and stay at the 4-5 minute range. Past maybe five minutes, it's getting tannins at such a high level that it's just bitterness. Which, if you like your tea very bitter, that's a good thing! I prefer the more subtle flavors over the tannic bite, though.
I was raised on very low quality stuff and have since moved on to Yorkshire gold - but I can't quite shake the desire for a bit of roughness.
I don't think I implied otherwise?
The guy I was responding to said C4 or D1, but strong, implying they were similar
C4 is strong with a splash of milk, D1 is incredibly weak with no milk so it seems as though they preferred C4 and not D1
I'd argue that if its anything less than C4, you don't really like tea you like sweet hot milk.
D4 assuming there's no milk in it. My mother likes A2, maybe 3. It's a waste of a tea bag.
B2, but I'm a filthy coffee drinking American what do I know.