Tea addict on a college budget...

Alzran · Oct 2, 2013

I really enjoy the PG tips, but am especially excited about the peppermint.

Derrel · Oct 2, 2013

Check into THIS if you like tea, and are on a budget...

Pu-erh tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

THIS is the article that got me hooked on this type of tea.

The Online Photographer: OT: The Art of Tea

Alzran · Oct 3, 2013

Ooh. They have it at the local Walgreens, too. Hmm. Still, it's pretty spendy. $9 for 16 bags. I ordinarily don't spend more than $3 for 20 bags. I know, the quality will be far superior to what I'm drinking now, but still...

Derrel · Oct 3, 2013

Alzran said:
Ooh. They have it at the local Walgreens, too. Hmm. Still, it's pretty spendy. $9 for 16 bags. I ordinarily don't spend more than $3 for 20 bags. I know, the quality will be far superior to what I'm drinking now, but still...

I can buy a 12- ounce, compressed disc, about six inches in diameter and 1 inch thick in the center, of this kind of tea at any of several Chinese grocery storers for $10. One of those discs will last me about eight MONTHS of daily tea-making..the stuff is compressed to beat heck! A smaller "bird's nest" of tea is $2.99, and will last three months! One brand has a sailing ship in the center--that is the company logo...

This is NOT a "bagged" tea..this is tea that has been compressed, and you chip or break off a small amount of it, and just..make tea...it can be simply boiled vigorously, up to three times...it's very concentrated...not sure where the tea bag concept is coming from...

Joeywhat · Oct 3, 2013

Buy loose leaf tea (or "pucks" in the case of pu-erh). It's a LOT cheaper, and IMO tastes better. I also steep my leaves at least 2-3 times, sometimes more if they allow (I've done the oolong I have now over 6 times and it's still good).

I had two ounces of oolong last about two months, drinking 4-5 times a week.

Alzran · Oct 3, 2013

Derrel said:
I can buy a 12- ounce, compressed disc, about six inches in diameter and 1 inch thick in the center, of this kind of tea at any of several Chinese grocery storers for $10. One of those discs will last me about eight MONTHS of daily tea-making..the stuff is compressed to beat heck! A smaller "bird's nest" of tea is $2.99, and will last three months! One brand has a sailing ship in the center--that is the company logo...

This is NOT a "bagged" tea..this is tea that has been compressed, and you chip or break off a small amount of it, and just..make tea...it can be simply boiled vigorously, up to three times...it's very concentrated...not sure where the tea bag concept is coming from...

Where can I find this online? I'd love to order some.

Derrel · Oct 3, 2013

Here is a store that specializes!!!! Puerh Shop, Authentic Yunnan Puerh Tea

Take note of what Joey mentioned above: this type of tea can be brewed/infused/steeped MORE than one time!!! Two, or three times is NORMAL, for most of us...my Chinese neighbor says that in her area, they have an expression, "If there's color, it's still tea!" Keep in mind, on the larger "cakes", that amount of tea will last for MONTHS, as in most of a year...a half a gram will brew about 2.5 gallons of tea (for me), so...

Bricks are a bit cheaper. But still, look at this cake for $22... Reviews: 2008 American Hao 0802 Nannuo Pu-erh Tea Cake 200g [American Hao 0802 - 1055 200g] - $22.00 : Puerh Shop, Authentic Yunnan Puerh Tea

Joeywhat · Oct 3, 2013

Not only can tea be brewed more then once, in many cases it actually tastes better after the first brew. The oolong I have now (which I can't remember the name off...) tastes really great on brews 3-6. Not that the first two brews are bad, but the later brews are a lot mellower but still plenty flavorful.