How do you take your Tea?

SkyBlueClouds

Dean Burnett - Guardian Online:

To test the recipe for the perfect cup of tea put forward in 1946 by George Orwell himself, Dr Stapley of Loughborough University established that putting the milk in after the boiling water is incorrect, as it causes the milk to heat unevenly (as opposed to pouring the water on top of it). This uneven heating of the milk causes the proteins in it to denature, meaning they lose their structure and “clump”, affecting the taste and contributing to that skin you get on the top. So when someone says they can tell if you put the milk in first or second in the tea you’ve made for them just by tasting it, turns out they probably can.

So that settles it then. Milk before water in tea. End of discussion. Science has spoken!

The greatest most fundamental question that mankind needs an answer to. When making tea, does your milk go in first or last?

Or are you a herbal tea/coffee drinker in which case the above article does not apply

Fat Christy

I love standard Irish tea, good and strong, let it brew for a while. Then add a dash of milk. Love tea with chocolate.

Shenshen

I love my tea, but don't take any milk...

That said, I think if your milk clumps, it's more to do with the fact that it's about to go off. I'm not conviced temperature plays a big role there.

Edit : I also suspect that George Orwell would not have been in the habit of drinking tea made by dropping a tea bag in a mug and filling it up with water. I would think he would have made his tea in a pot, then poured it.

Whereas most people today would be of the bag-in-mug variety. Now, if you put the milk in there first, you will cool down the water as you pour it into the mug too much and the tea won't infuse properly.
Unless you use boild milk, obviously.

Philo Beddoe

What if you prefer the taste of clumped proteins?

Skylinehead

Anyone who puts milk in first is literally (yes literally in the literal sense) worse than Hitler.

The Master

Black, like my men

SkyBlueClouds

Fat Christy wrote: »

I love standard Irish tea, good and strong, let it brew for a while. Then add a dash of milk. Love tea with chocolate.

Can't beat a hot beverage with a Snack bar or a Club Milk!

Alun

If I'm using a teapot, milk first then tea, but if using a teabag in a cup, then the other way round Need more poll options!

cml387

I have never seen skin on top of tea as a result of milk in last.

Milk in first though is the norm in polite society.

And scald the pot beforehand for god's sake.

And don't put in two teabags if you're just having tea for one (are you listening Mrs CML?)

coffee_cake

You forgot the "no milk" options ...
Strong and black, no milk, bit of honey

tastyt

I like to make a pot, then put the milk into the pot and pour milky tea from the pot. And yes I have had my life threatened for doing so on occasion.

DrumSteve

Violently.

Fat Christy

SkyBlueClouds wrote: »

Can't beat a hot beverage with a Snack bar or a Club Milk!

Marry me?

Also I love a cup of tea out of a pot. I hate it made in the cup.

Dr. Mantis Toboggan

Immediately after kettle boiling pour water into cup with tea bag already in place filling cup 80%.

Squeeze bag four to five times and remove.

Insert 1/3 of a tea spoon of sugar.

Pour milk simultaneously stirring anti-clockwise minimum seven rotations with tea spoon. On final rotation, go briskly clockwise.

Never put milk in another mans tea.

dmc17

So I should be putting milk in a cup and a teabag in of top of it?

Hoop66

I'll drink it, but I'm not making it.

The Backwards Man

I leave it on the shelf in the supermarket where it belongs

AnonoBoy

I take my tea orally.

I know suppository tea was a fad in the 90's but that just gave me a pain in the hole.

Ankhyu

Seriously... very seriously.

Strong tea, half a teaspoon of sugar and a good dash of milk which goes in last.

Tasden

Fat Christy wrote: »

Marry me?

Also I love a cup of tea out of a pot. I hate it made in the cup.

I'm the opposite, only take it if its made in the cup, from the pot is too weak

Summer wind

I boil some Evian water in a small pan because I can't stand the taste of our tap water. Then pour into a mug then add the teabag and squeeze well. Then add about two teaspoons of milk and one of sugar and stir.

I love chocolate especially melted so I love to dip a club milk in it too. That's just heaven:)

Ruu

What monster puts the teabag in FIRST???!?!?!:mad::mad:

Fuzzytrooper

bluewolf wrote: »

You forgot the "no milk" options ...
Strong and black, no milk, bit of honey

That's something like what my Polish wife would do, not a full blooded Irish man. Good day to you sir!

Fat Christy

Tasden wrote: »

I'm the opposite, only take it if its made in the cup, from the pot is too weak

You're not putting enough tea bags in or leaving it long enough.

Caliden

Fat Christy wrote: »

You're not putting enough tea bags in or leaving it long enough.

1 teabag per person and 1 for the pot, general rule that must be followed when making tea in a pot.

KungPao

Summer wind wrote: »

I boil some Evian water in a small pan because I can't stand the taste of our tap water. Then pour into a mug then add the teabag and squeeze well. Then add about two teaspoons of milk and one of sugar and stir.

I love chocolate especially melted so I love to dip a club milk in it too. That's just heaven:)

Does it have to be Evian (la-di-da)? Will some tesco / Lidl cheap still water not do?

Summer wind

Ruu wrote: »

What monster puts the teabag in FIRST???!?!?!:mad::mad:

Cos that's the way aha aha I like it aha aha:)

SMJSF

teabag in, boiling water, dash of milk.
no sugar.
tea bags left in :-)

Summer wind

KungPao wrote: »

Does it have to be Evian (la-di-da)? Will some tesco / Lidl cheap still water not do?

Oh no only the absolute best darling:)

boardyet?

Loads of milk! And it has to be from a teapot!

KungPao

SMJSF wrote: »

teabag in, boiling water, dash of milk.
no sugar.
tea bags left in :-)

Don't get me wrong, I like super strong tea...but that is abominable!

Everyone knows you only leave the bag in for those fancy herbal teas.