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I am looking for a high quality Japanese cast-iron teapot. I would like to get one of a good quality… something that is well made with good quality enameling. Can anyone point me to a good manufacturer? Any retailers known to carry good quality cast-iron teapots? What should I look for? Anything I should avoid? What about prices? Thank you, $50.00

I don't know what started me thinking along this line. But, I started today. I have two questions about press-pots that really cooked my noodle, and I think I have one of them answered (but not very satisfactorily). 1: Why do we press press-pots instead of lifting? 2: Why aren't there press-pots with finer filters? Here's the deal that makes me think it's worth my time to worry about. I really like press-pot coffee. The flavor is top-notch, but I don't have the scratch to spend on a grinder to do it justice. So I end up with more sludge than I can handle. Question 2 would address that. Also, in previous press-pots, I've noticed blow-outs from pressing too hard, etc. Lifting, depending on how speedily done, could take care of that. The ancillaries are that I work in an engineering college, and I think it would be really slick to take a couple independent study credits, and design, build, and possibly market/patent a different kind of press pot. So, I'm curious, why do we press pots of coffee the way we do? And, second, if you could change a press-pot, how would you change it and why?

The production of delicious oolong tea requires time-honored tradition and outstanding craftsmanship. Tea leaves are picked on the morning of a clear day. They should be picked in units consisting of one bud and three leaves and exposed to the sun. This is the first stage. The second stage is to dry them indoors to promote fermentation. The most crucial part in the production of oolong tea is when to stop fermentation. As oolong tea is fermented to some extent, it is called semi-fermented tea. Experience is required to identify the best time to stop the fermentation, which is when the leaves are 30% red and 70% green. After this, they are rubbed repeatedly to generate good flavor, aroma, and texture. Then they are dried using charcoal. At the final stage, a tea master grades the quality according to the flavor and characteristics of each batch. Here is some of the simple photos about the processing (Only some simple steps by photos, for actual processing is much more complex for tea masters to control the temperature and fermentation.) 1. Tea leaves avaiable in the season: 2. Pick up tea leaves in units of one bud and three leaves: 3.To exposure tea leaves in the sum for first fermentation: 4.Dry tea leaves indoors to promote fermentation: 5.To rub repeatedly in the circle bamboon (Yao Qing in Chinese) to generate good flavor, aroma, and texture and continuous fermentation: 6.To fry the tea leaves in the pan after fermentation is ok: 7.To wrap the tea leaves in the bags to round. 8.To wrap the tea leaves in the bags by machine 9.To break up the tea leaves after wrap finished and the form is round. 10.To dry the leaves by Charcoal and judge the grade.

Oolong tea is a semi-oxidized tea, occupying the middle ground between green and black teas. Combining the best qualities of green tea and black tea, Oolong Tea is not only as clear and fragrant as GreenTea, but also as fresh and strong as Black Tea. If you drink Oolong tea, the natural aroma may linger in your mouth and make your throat comfortable. Anxi Ti Kuan Yin is one of the most famous and typical one among all the Oolong tea. With the new Autumn tea, here I show you how Ti Kuan Yin looks step by step by brewing with Gaiwan teapot. Preparation: The best warter for making Ti Kuan Yin is well water which is very naturl to better taste the aroma. Water should be brought to a boil and transferred to some kind of portable stove to keep it on the edge of boiling. The teapot(Mostly for Ti Kuan Yin, Gaiwan is used) should be clean ready for making tea on the drip tray. The cups and aroma cylinders (the latter only if present) should be also placed face-up on the drip tray. Here is high quality tea tea looks before brewing: Brewings: First round: The first round of brewing begins with filling the Gaiwan full of near-boiling water. The Gaiwan is filled to the brim and excess foam and tea leaves are simply swept aside by the lid before placing it firmly on top. A little extra hot water poured over the top helps keep the temperature high. The tea is brewed for approximately one minute and then quickly transferred to the serving pot to mix it evenly, avoiding uneven flavour from cup to cup. A narrow, metal filter can be used to catch fine particles that would spoil the flavour of the tea. The tea leaf looks after 1st brewing:

Nestea Ice It's a very...interesting...web site on the new product. I thought about posting this in the Soda Pop section but figured it should go here. There's supposed to be an ingredient in it that creates a cooling sensation in your mouth. Anyone see this product in their area?

HI everyone: i am a chinesebusineman about the tea,i am very interesting about people'habit to drink tea.of course different tea has different function,but people'habit is also important.so, can you tell me what colour tea do you like,can you tell me the reason? i'll be appreciated if you can reply. thank you here is china best daughter's ring

My son recently returned from China and brought back some wonderfully scented tea from The Bell Tower Tea House. Unfortunately since the package is in Chinese, I am uncertain of the specific variety. It is, however, of the "gunpowder" style. I have never had this kind of tea before let alone brewed any. How much should one use and what would be the best method for brewing and then storing this tea? I will add some photos shortly.

To really make oolong tea is a kind of demonstrative performance, it let the drinkers understand the steeping technique of the Oolong tea Specially the famous tea Oolong tea, the swells process is extremely fastidious,it is a kind of tasting tea art which melts the traditional technique and the modern, has the local favour ,what it transmits is tea road spirits: such as Pure, elegant,and ritual,unite. Pure:Tea pure, the pure heart of tea host, melting the tea friend to be pure, are tea foundation. Elegant:Steep tea carefully, the rhyme exquisite body, the elegant tea bureau which show the flow of the tea skill. Ritual:Think of the nature, respect to the tea farmer, treat the tea customer honestly and friendly, that is the tea Germany for tea host. Unite:It is harmony between the person, the tea and the natural, belongs to the love of soul tea skill ,it is "road" for tea skill! Following the dissemination of Pure, simple and elegant tea skill, bama tea road will inspire the people to move towards a higher level life boundary. The white crane bathes (Washes the cup): And enhances the tea set temperature with the boiling water cleaning the cup. Oolong fall into the palace(Falls the tea): According to tea/water 1:20 proportions put the tea, may act according to individual hobby the tea shade suitable fluctuation tea quality. Hang the pot rinse tallness(making tea):Operates the canteen to enhance breaks in the tea set. The spring freezes faces:(blows froth)scrape off floats with tea lid. The Duke Guan patrols the city(pour tea):Soak for one to 3 minutes, then pour into various cups in turn. Hanxin counts soliders: Pour the tea until a little, then drip into each cup by drops to be even. Enjoy the color and smell the fragrance (look at tea):View the tea color in the cup, smell the fragrance of the tea. Sip the manna(to drink tea):First smell its fragrance, latter tastes its taste, sip while smell, drink thinly with the shallow cup.

Well, it has happened again. We went to Amsterdam, had amazing coffee everyday, even good on the plane and now I'm back again and my coffee is just not as good. I love the coffee we had in Amsterdam. I've also had really good coffee in Provence, Italy (of course), and Switzerland. Although the styles were all different, they were all similar in terms of not being bitter, overroasted, and too hot. They were instead rich, flavorful, and incredibably aromatic. Why, oh why, can't I get this effect at home? At home I have a Grind and Brew, a percolater, and a Krups espresso maker. Should I pick up a French press? I use filtered water. I buy quality beans of medium roast and store them in airtight containers, purchasing only what I can use in a week. My espresso maker by far makes the best coffee but it is still not exactly what I am searching for. I live near Boston and am willing to travel into the city for beans. I've tried Peets, Polcari's (better), Star-yucks, and a bunch of other types from Whole Foods. We've dumped so many bags, I think my husband is going to clobber me! What do I need to do to get a great cup of coffee at home?

Coffee, coffee everywhere but none you'd like to drink. On a recent trip across the USA which started in New York City, went on to Newport, RI then over to Chicago and fianlly on to the left coast to San Diego it became patently obvious that you just can't get a decent coffee in at least 4 States. That celestial chain would have to rank amongst the worst culprit serving a beverage closer to the water left over after washing a stack of very dirty dishes in a lot of water (not that I've ever drunk any but it smells the same). Little wonder it's common to add sickly sweet syrups - anything to hide the taste. I tried brewed, espresso, cappuccino, filtered, regular, double and triple shots - all undrinkable for someone who comes from a coffee culture. Here in Australia we seem to have discovered what the Americans still don't know. You don't just burn the beans for flavor. You can't cook the bejeesus out of the aromatics and expect to end up with any taste you'd enjoy. What I will do next time I'm in the US is go to a roasting establishment, teach them when to stop roasting and introduce the coffee drinkers of America to the rich, deep noted taste of a wider range of aromatics than you can expect from near ashen beans. Good coffee is meant to be enjoyed. You stop. Sit down. Take in the complexity of flavors. Notice the chocolate notes. The toasty roasted characters with their hint of bitterness. There's a fullness of mouth-feel, almost a creamy texture which adds to the satisfaction of drinking coffee. It is certainly missing from the thin, lacklustre swampwater and what Americans call caufee. No wonder they buy it in a rush and swallow it while dashing to work or a meeting or just because life's always in a hurry. I suppose it's also recommended to drink and drive because if you spill some, you don't have to drink as much.

I've recently learned about a type of tea popular in certain parts of China, where oolong is stuffed into a hollowed-out pomelo and allowed to age. Might this have been the style of tea the Earl was trying to have replicated by his English tea blenders? During the time period when Earl Grey was developed, I believe that Europeans had yet to make a distinction between a heavy oxidized oolong and a black tea. Thoughts?

I have made several purchases from them and have been happy- My last purchase was finally successful-I purchased a small glass teapot and pitcher- the first order was lost on way to usa but second was delivered via usps and royal mail registered signed for- customer service was excellent. I was impressed with their professionalism.

eGullet Society member Greg Glancy at norbutea.com is contributing free 10 gram samples of each of three interesting Japanese teas for this Tea Tasting & Discussion (TT&D). Sets of the samples will go to up to three eG members active in the forums: if you have at least 50 posts anywhere in the eG Forums in the past 12 months, or if you have at least 10 posts in the Coffee & Tea Forum, and are interested in receiving the free samples and participating in this TT&D, please read on (this post and the three following soon) and then PM me. The first Japanese tea is a Sunpu Boucha - 2010 1st Harvest Hon Yama Kuki-Hojicha. Text and image used with permission by norbutea.com. The next two posts will describe the second and third Japanese teas for this TT&D, and the fourth one one will provide additional important information on how to request the three free teas. Stay tuned!

Sha-li-shian, Yu-shan, Nantou, Mu-zha, Li-shan... Where do I find them? What are the borders and boundaries for these designations? Maps would be great. Similar information for Anxi, Wuyi, and Pu-erh would be fantastic as well. Thanks.

So lately I've been noticing the price of coffee is going up, up, up. At the specialty shop where I buy my freshly roasted beans, we're talking $16 for 12 ounces of Stumptown, in a lot of cases. Is there a point where you'll just switch to tea? And, what kind of prices are you all seeing?

It's time for me to re-stock a few Assams as I am just about out. Which ones from which tea merchants do you like the best? They vary, so what characteristics do you like in an Assam?

Anyone have any pointers for discovering more on the history of kombucha? The internet so far has been less than helpful, either pointing to Japan (this is a mistake based on the fact that Japan has its own kelp tea named kombucha), or to a mythical past in North East Asia going back thousands of years (despite the fact that black tea was not invented until the 1600s). I suppose kombucha could have originally been made with green tea, but that's not the way I typically encounter it. I've also heard that the drink originated in Russia in the 1800s (teakvas), which sounds a bit more plausible, but am at a loss for where to go from there. Any help?

I am wondering what others here drink when they have a cold, fever, flu, or just feel lousy. Do you drink it because it makes you feel better, or due to a homeopathic benefit? Thanks!

I'm trying to figure out how to figure out the appropriate number of tea infusions based on prior infusions, time, exposure to air, and who knows what else. Take today. I put a few leaves of Norbu Ruby Black Tea into the pot this morning and made a nice brew. I'm now about to make the second pot: it has been only four hours; I left the leaves in the pot wet and covered (though air gets in through the spout). But then what? Tomorrow morning? There's a storm on the way: Thursday? Covered? Uncovered? Exposure to light? Sound? And please don't say "trial and error." Surely there's some guidance that's less hit-or-miss out there!

I am curious about what teas everyone discovered the past year and what you want to explore this year. New categories of tea? Teas from new countries or regions of countries? Teas processed differently? So what did you try in 2010 and what are you looking forward to for 2011?

I bet we'd learn a lot about culture and caffeine if everyone shared a photo and brief description of their coffee or tea set-up at work. After all, the Society is international, and surely we can learn something from the works we all use to satisfy our addictions. You game? Lousy phone photos will do the trick here. Nothing fancy needed.

So I was at a tea shop at the mall today and looking for a nice decaf black tea for my father, who is trying to cut down on his caffeine intake. The woman at the shop said that if I steeped the (caffeinated) tea in hot water for 30 seconds, then took it out and steeped in a different cup of hot water for the correct brewing time, the resulting cup of tea would have no caffeine, but I'm not buying it...has anyone heard this? Have I just missed out on some well-known fact by spending most of my time drinking coffee? Or was she just trying to make a sale?

While following another link to the NY Post, I saw this article on the fashionistas and tea here in New York. Here's a brief quote: Tea, after all, is the perfect drink for frenzied New Yorkers with a big caffeine habit — but very little peace of mind. “Tea promotes harmony and balance of life,” Tam says. “The experience is not rushed. It’s refined and grounding. Drinking tea is an art of living.”

Just wanted to spread the benefits... specialteas.com, an old favorite source of good teas, has a 75% off everything in their inventory. I hope this is a inventory refreshing operation rather than a last hurrah, but either way, there are (still) some great deals there now.

I am looking for a good retailer of quality yixing pots online, one that might be open to wholesaling for a cafe. Any ideas? I am looking for smaller, (100-200 ml-ish), of a more traditional design. No thirty-ounce pots depicting a dragon hatching from an egg... And has anyone tried this place? http://www.yixingteapotsale.com/ I hate to judge a book by its cover, but the production value of the site and lack of up-front prices is a little sketchy. The catalog is rather expansive, however. Thanks folks.