Tea Problems
After being deported leaving the UK in September, the Author’s main gripe about living in the homeland has been tea related. ‘No one has electric kettles! The wait for boiled water is interminable!’ and ‘there’s no proper builder’s tea in the office! Only mint peppermint and cinnamon chia and such fancy pants herbal nonsense!’.
But her strongest complaint about American (lack of) tea culture is that American tea brands are unacceptably weak. Take, for example, this very scientific experiment:
The tea on the left is Newman’s Royal Tea (American) steeped for 15 minutes.
The tea on the right is PG Tips (bog standard from England) steeped for 5 minutes.
Shocking. One shouldn’t be able to see the bottom of the mug after 30 seconds of steeping.
the Diligent Observer 
This is trying, indeed, for the Diligent Observer
What type of tea was used at Pocono Tea Time? I do remember hot water being on call to weaken the tea for the delicate palate of youth–a very sensible way to introduce young ones. I’m very thankful for Tea Time and its hostesses for setting me on the tea loving path!
This post addresses the Tea Time topic–take particular note of Erzsi’s comment!
https://adiligentobserver.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/the-author-takes-her-tea-at-all-times/
I looked at electric tea kettles today after a particularly lukewarm cuppa at work yesterday. My Typhoo deserves the best!
Hello Liz!
I wonder if Katie has sung the praises of her attractive, fancy multi-temperature electric kettle (Breville, I think)? She convinced my mother to get one. I find that it reaches the perfect temperature for black tea, and apparently for green, white and Oolong, if you’re so inclined.
And yes, Typhoo does deserve the best!
Way too fancy for my office – I need to fly under the radar with any kind of heating implements. Next thing you know I’ll be needing a toaster!
This Reader (who works for a British company) recalls months of frantic searching for an electric kettle for our previous owner, back when we opened a New York office for said company. At his command, many kettles were duly purchased, and all were summarily rejected. The Reader is glad to hear that the very practical electric version is now readily available Stateside. Enjoy. And here’s to PG Tipps.