Tea: Milk first, last, or not at all?

[DarloRich]

You've disappointed me here Rich, I had you nailed on to make a cuppa the right way. I think the south has ruined you

This is the correct way without a doubt

One shouldn't have to explain this. it is indicative of social class.

Poor/common people: earthen wear pot. Milk last as the vessel wont shatter.
Upper class people: bone china. Milk first as vessel will shatter due to heat.

obvs

 

[swt_passenger]

There's a bloke who I used to work with who used the same tea bag to make at least brews!

CJ

That many, really? I’m sure you had a number in mind there...

 

[C J Snarzell]

Should have read 3 brews!!!!

 

[Giugiaro]

It can be added to any black tea.

Thank you!

By the way, which type of milk is commonly used? Whole Milk, Semi-Skimmed milk, or Skimmed milk?

Due to health concerns my family has moved completely to skimmed milk, but I can afford to buy another milk, since I usually mix in to make Lattes, Cappuccinos and Galões.

 

[RichT54]

Thank you!

By the way, which type of milk is commonly used? Whole Milk, Semi-Skimmed milk, or Skimmed milk?

Due to health concerns my family has moved completely to skimmed milk, but I can afford to buy another milk, since I usually mix in to make Lattes, Cappuccinos and Galões.

I'm sure many tea purists will be appalled, but my Dad always had a spoonful of condensed milk (the sweetened kind) in his tea. He was also fond of Camp Coffee which was a dark brown liquid containing coffee and chicory extracts. I think both these preferences may have come from his time in the army in the thirties.

 

[Struner]

I only drink tea out of politeness...

 

[krus_aragon]

Thank you!

By the way, which type of milk is commonly used? Whole Milk, Semi-Skimmed milk, or Skimmed milk?

Due to health concerns my family has moved completely to skimmed milk, but I can afford to buy another milk, since I usually mix in to make Lattes, Cappuccinos and Galões.

Whichever you have in the house, as far as I know. I've never known there to be any debate of the issue.

(I was raised on semi-skimmed and then skimmed, but when my parents separated my father lapsed to only buying whole milk. I didn't like the change in taste, so was putting less and less milk in, until I decided not to bother at all. These days I invariably drink it black, unless I've been doing some hard physical labour, in which case a well-stewed "builder's cuppa" is better with a dash of milk, to take the edge off the heavy tannins.)

 

[Busaholic]

There's a bloke who I used to work with who used the same tea bag to make at least brews! That should be an 11th commandment - never over use a tea bag!!! I never had a brew off him - it probably tastes like dish water!

CJ

Years ago there was a TV programme that followed a then infamous person called Nicholas van Hoogstraten around for a while, and this fabulously rich person was said by ex-staff to use the same tea bag for days on end and would threaten them with the sack if they used a fresh one! (and you wouldn't want to be threatened by him).

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Something strange happened when I was 19. Up until then I could happily drink tea. Then one day I made myself a cup and took a sip and it tasted awful. I couldn't drink it at all. Thinking I had made a silly error, I carefully made another cup but the result was the same - undrinkable! Maybe the tea bags were bad, or the water, or the milk? I replaced them all; I also tried different brands of teabag and loose leaf tea, but still the same result. Since then, over the following 40+ years, I have had a few more goes, but each time it still tasted bad. I've made tea for visitors and they tell me it's fine, but at least I can still enjoy coffee.

Have you considered that, bearing in mind everything in that post, your forum name might be a little inappropriate?

 

[RichT54]

Have you considered that, bearing in mind everything in that post, your forum name might be a little inappropriate?

I was wondering if anyone would spot that

 

[dgl]

I don't drink tea personally but when I am making it for others I was led to understand that from a pot it's always milk first in to the cup but when a pot is not involved then the tea is left to stew and only after the bag is removed is the milk added.

 

[krus_aragon]

I don't drink tea personally but when I am making it for others I was led to understand that from a pot it's always milk first in to the cup but when a pot is not involved then the tea is left to stew and only after the bag is removed is the milk added.

That's a pretty sensible approach.

 

[Ashley Hill]

I miss the perpetual messroom tea. One big pot which each person coming in would add a bag and top up. Very strong,very black,just right to accompany a game of cards.
It just doesn't happen any more. Everybody seems to go to Costa across the road and then stare at their mobile.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Always milk in last, but then again I’ve never drank out of a pot (not high status enough for that )

I put lots in to cool it down, nothing more (I’d scald my mouth if I drank it without milk and it takes about a year to cool down to a reasonable level). And 3 teaspoons of sugar as a minimum.

 

[R G NOW.]

In a mug it’s tea bag then water then tea bag out then a bit of milk.

if it’s in a tea pot it’s milk in first.

Same as me. I also noticed sometimes after putting in the boiling water, the water seems to have this awful slime on. Does anyone else find this.

 

[krus_aragon]

Same as me. I also noticed sometimes after putting in the boiling water, the water seems to have this awful slime on. Does anyone else find this.

Those will be minerals and other impurities from the water. Quite common in hard water areas.

 

[R G NOW.]

Those will be minerals and other impurities from the water. Quite common in hard water areas.

I assume my Brita water jug would filter them out and I would get a nicer mug of tea, but it is packed at the moment waiting to move out this mouse infested flat also with a broken shower.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

I was wondering if anyone would spot that

I think we need a thread with a poll on which biscuit is best for dunking...

 

[R G NOW.]

Mcvities rich tea, a drinks too wet without one.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Bourbons every time.

 

[Cowley]

Mmm Hobnobs...

 

[GusB]

Mmm Hobnobs...

Almost. Chocolate Hobnobs. Or Maryland Cookies.

 

[Giugiaro]

I think we need a thread with a poll on which biscuit is best for dunking...

Anything from Paupério goes great with tea.
ANYTHING!!!

 

[tbtc]

I don't drink tea personally but when I am making it for others I was led to understand that from a pot it's always milk first in to the cup but when a pot is not involved then the tea is left to stew and only after the bag is removed is the milk added.

Same here - I don't drink the stuff, but when making a round at work I always take the bag out before any milk is added - someone told me years ago that the milk molecules were quite large in relation to the size of the tea bag perforations, so by putting milk in then you weren't letting the tea bag fully "infuse" (*) - I don't know if that's true or not but it's always stuck with me, so I always ensure that the bag is taken out before the fridge gets opened for the milk

(* - I say "infuse" because I understand that that's a posh word for "stew" - obviously this Forum has a fair share of posh folk what drink their tea from fine bone china, but here in Sheffield we have mugs - we don't even bother with a plate of cucumber sandwiches at brew time, like the savages we are - we do at least have decent tap water round here)

 

[dgl]

Oh and I must post this video,

Mustn't get careless when making tea, oh and only use finest empire tea, it yields more cups.

 

[Cowley]

Almost. Chocolate Hobnobs. Or Maryland Cookies.

Do you remember when Hobnobs first came out?
Back in the days when the launching of a new biscuit was big news...

 

[GusB]

Do you remember when Hobnobs first came out?
Back in the days when the launching of a new biscuit was big news...

I vaguely remember, but it's all a bit dim and distant. Or maybe that's just me. The topic of dunking biscuits definitely warrants its own discussion.

Anyhow, back to tea. I'm not a great tea drinker, and I'm not overly fussed about the brand of tea bags. It's usually something like one of the own-brand Scottish Blends, or Red Label. Mug, tea bag, water, milk. Done.

 

[Cowley]

I vaguely remember, but it's all a bit dim and distant. Or maybe that's just me. The topic of dunking biscuits definitely warrants its own discussion.

Anyhow, back to tea. I'm not a great tea drinker, and I'm not overly fussed about the brand of tea bags. It's usually something like one of the own-brand Scottish Blends, or Red Label. Mug, tea bag, water, milk. Done.

I love tea, but I don’t have a particularly strong opinion on it. I also love coffee.
But if I was on Desert Island Discs and had to choose only one luxury. I’d probably choose wine.

 

[RPM]

Warm cup first, then teabag. Stand for a good 5 mins. Then add milk. And a plague on people who can't understand that tea can be brewed very strong, and still have plenty of milk added.

 

[Giugiaro]

(* - I say "infuse" because I understand that that's a posh word for "stew"...)

Well, one learns something new every time. I'd use "infuse" and "infusion" because that's the common words we use in our language specifically for hot water flavoured from herbs, leaves or fruits.

Stew is a form of cooking meals (which I'm not very fond of), and saying "the water is being stewed with tea" just doesn't sound right to me.
Also, we commonly call tea to Chamomile, Melissa and Fruit infusions. That isn't quite right, as my Chinese and Japanese friends are constantly reminding me.