291360 Fri Dec 27 22:25:48 -0800 2002 14 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1584961 Tea Bags - can they be used again? I've at times used a tea bag for lunch and then again for dinner time. Is this O.K.? does anything happen to the ingredients in the meantime? Should the bag be refrigerated? Fri Dec 27 22:25:48 -0800 2002 0 Harold W. Hirschlag 1 1584965 If you like it it's ok with me. Caffine is very water soluble though so you probably get most of it on the first go. Just tell people that you make your own decaf. Fri Dec 27 23:12:07 -0800 2002 1584961 0 BigLizard 1 1584966 Is there any particular reason you want to re-use your teabag? It can't possibly taste that great the second time around. The first poster is right though, the caffiene is gone the first 60 seconds the first time you use it. Fri Dec 27 23:17:31 -0800 2002 1584961 0 JBG 2 1584967 After considering this a little more... If the goal is to be frugal, a better strategy might be to brew a pot with a single bag and then reheat the leftovers later. Fri Dec 27 23:25:32 -0800 2002 1584966 0 BigLizard 3 1584999 My mideastern friends keep a pot of tea brewing all day, along with (actually nestled into the top of) a large kettle of hot water, on low heat on the stove. When you want a cup, you first pour a little of the strong brew from the small pot, and then dilute in your cup with hot water from the larger kettle. More water is added to the smaller pot, and additional tea, to replenish. They use loose tea, and it tastes like a fresh cup every time. Sat Dec 28 14:01:14 -0800 2002 1584967 0 LBQT 4 1585001 As far as pinching pennies goes, loose tea is the only way to go. It tastes better and is lots cheaper. I can get a pound of gunpowder green tea for what 30 lousy teabags cost. I used to brew loose tea at work in a filter, too. I rebrew loose tea all the time, once. Rebrewed teabags taste like wet cardboard. Sat Dec 28 14:31:52 -0800 2002 1584999 0 ironmom 5 1585003 Listen to Ironmom, she knows her onions Loose tea is the only tea. I once visited a tea plantation in Darjeeling. The leaf tea went to loose tea, the stuff that fell trhough the mesh went to teabags It is far more cost effective to use loose tea. You need to have a few in your store cupboard A good Breakfast tea A Good Earl Grey A good Lapsang A good second flush assam A good "occasion" tea - Ceylon is a good choice. Keep them in an air tight container and they will last I have mentioned before the mail order company Newby tea. I like their tea as it is based on single estates, has tasting notes and is very good value S Sat Dec 28 14:45:16 -0800 2002 1585001 0 Simon Majumdar 5 1585032 How do you rebrew loose leaf tea? Do you use coffee filters or another method? Sat Dec 28 22:37:35 -0800 2002 1585001 0 bluebetta 6 1585041 The greatest advance I ever made in tea-making and -drinking (and this encompasses a 35-year tea drinking career - so far) was to get two teapots. The first contains the tea leaves (second biggest advance - no tea bags) and is used for brewing. It is emptied into the second pot, which is used for serving. This allows control over brewing time - you can make the tea the correct strength every time. When you want to make another infusion, just pour hot water into pot #1, brew, and pour it into pot #2. My teapots are Japanese and hold about 18 oz. of water. Sat Dec 28 23:25:41 -0800 2002 1585032 0 Paul H 6 1585052 I have several tea strainers that sit in my teacup. Two are gold, and one is fine nylon mesh. When I make tea, I put a strainer in the cup, add tea leaves, and fill the cup with hot water. When the tea is steeped, I remove the strainer, letting it drain into the cup, and set it on a small dish at the tea-making station. If I want another cup soon afterwards, I put it back in the cup and refill with hot water. Sun Dec 29 08:01:30 -0800 2002 1585032 0 ironmom 7 1585170 i do something very similar at work. in the morning, i fill my strainer with tea leaves and leave them in while i'm drinking the tea. then i refill the cup about 4 more times throughout the day for gradually decreasing amounts of caffeine. the first few cups are equally strong, by the last cup it becomes mildly flavored hot water. then the next day i refill with fresh leaves. Mon Dec 30 13:11:58 -0800 2002 1585052 0 Elizabeth 6 1585055 Thanks all for the good ideas. So after brewing the first cup of tea, is it okay to leave the tea leaves in the metal strainer or metal tea ball to dry? Should it be refrigerated if it is left out all day? Sun Dec 29 11:00:21 -0800 2002 1585032 0 bluebetta 7 1585069 I leave the leaves in the strainer, and if I haven't reused them in an hour or two, I chuck them and restart with fresh. By that time I'm ready for a new shot of caffeine, anyway. Sun Dec 29 14:00:45 -0800 2002 1585055 0 ironmom 2 1585028 another mail order source for loose tea is upton tea imports. i've been ordering from them for years -- since starbucks blew into town (boston) and put the coffee connection out of business. Link: http://www.uptontea.com Sat Dec 28 22:14:19 -0800 2002 1584966 0 lynn 1 1585177 My friend, a tea shop proprieter (of green and jasmine varieties) tells me that the second brew of loose tea is the best and most flavorful, at least for green tea. I've left it for a few hours and found that to still be true. Mon Dec 30 14:15:19 -0800 2002 1584961 0 Celeste