How to Use a Tea-for-One?
 

What am I supposed to do with this set? It's a Brown Betty w/ Rockingham
glaze so it's excellent in that I'll pro'lly never notice it getting
tea-stained but...

I preheat the pot and keep it sitting on the cup while brewing to preheat
the cup. Next, I put in my tea and water and let steep...good, fine.

Then, I strain out the tea into the cup. That's where the problem arises.
There's still about 1/2 cup of tea left in the pot w/ the leaves which we
all know will continue to steep and get bitter as well as stronger. Can't
use a brew basket 'cause the opening's too small. Not going to use a teaball
or other highly restrictive infuser.

How are these things supposed to be used? With teabags only? (gahh!)

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

Bluesea wrote:

> What am I supposed to do with this set? It's a Brown Betty w/ Rockingham
> glaze so it's excellent in that I'll pro'lly never notice it getting
> tea-stained but...
>
> I preheat the pot and keep it sitting on the cup while brewing to preheat
> the cup. Next, I put in my tea and water and let steep...good, fine.
>
> Then, I strain out the tea into the cup. That's where the problem arises.
> There's still about 1/2 cup of tea left in the pot w/ the leaves which we
> all know will continue to steep and get bitter as well as stronger. Can't
> use a brew basket 'cause the opening's too small. Not going to use a teaball
> or other highly restrictive infuser.
>
> How are these things supposed to be used? With teabags only? (gahh!)
>
Use less water.

dmh

"David M. Harris" > wrote in message
...
> >
> Use less water.

I didn't want to state the obvious.

If that's my only option, I may as well break up the set and use a larger
mug.

I was just wondering what people do with these things since this is my first
experience.

--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

I didn't see the original post only this echo. A single pot and cup
for all in one don't match well. There is an addage leave something
for the pot. Every drop isn't that important. If it's tea you want to
infuse again you'll have to decant the remainder into another cup. I
use a styrofoam cup for any overflow. You can appreciate the
color,smell and taste. That is the tease for the regular cup. You
should only fill your pot at most 3/4 and preferably 2/3 for brewing in
any case. It helps with pouring and swirling. I don't like the
Western all in one style. The Koreans make a 'pumpkin' style with
saucer,cup,infuser,lid. The only drawback it isn't much volume but
self contained all in one.

Jim

David M. Harris wrote:
> Bluesea wrote:
>
> > What am I supposed to do with this set? It's a Brown Betty w/
Rockingham
> > glaze so it's excellent in that I'll pro'lly never notice it
getting
> > tea-stained but...
> >
> > I preheat the pot and keep it sitting on the cup while brewing to
preheat
> > the cup. Next, I put in my tea and water and let steep...good,
fine.
> >
> > Then, I strain out the tea into the cup. That's where the problem
arises.
> > There's still about 1/2 cup of tea left in the pot w/ the leaves
which we
> > all know will continue to steep and get bitter as well as stronger.
Can't
> > use a brew basket 'cause the opening's too small. Not going to use
a teaball
> > or other highly restrictive infuser.
> >
> > How are these things supposed to be used? With teabags only?
(gahh!)
> >
> Use less water.
>
> dmh

"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> I didn't see the original post only this echo. A single pot and cup
> for all in one don't match well. There is an addage leave something
> for the pot. Every drop isn't that important. If it's tea you want to
> infuse again you'll have to decant the remainder into another cup. I
> use a styrofoam cup for any overflow. You can appreciate the
> color,smell and taste. That is the tease for the regular cup. You
> should only fill your pot at most 3/4 and preferably 2/3 for brewing in
> any case. It helps with pouring and swirling. I don't like the
> Western all in one style. The Koreans make a 'pumpkin' style with
> saucer,cup,infuser,lid. The only drawback it isn't much volume but
> self contained all in one.

Thanks for responding. I got to read your post before I lost connection, I
think 'cause they're moving the phone lines up the road, and my phone just
started working again. In the meantime, I tried an idea that you gave me.

I got the set for black tea because BB has a great reputation for heat
retention and the Rockingham glaze absolves me of watching a white interior
turn dark and having to make it white again. You're absolutely right
about the pieces of the set not matching well. The useable capacity of the
cup is 8 oz. The capacity of the pot is 16 oz to the rim. I was steeping w/
12 oz to be able to put the lid on and for the pourability factor. But, 1/2
cup is too much tea to waste, IMO, as is half the pot's capacity were I to
steep with only 8 oz.

Your mentioning appreciating the color, etc. made me think of why I've gone
to steeping in glass: to be able to watch the agony of the leaves and the
brew's change in color as well as minimal cleaning. So, I steeped 16 oz in
glass and when done, strained 8 oz into the BB cup and the rest into the BB
pot to keep warm while I enjoy the cup. That way, I get 2 full cups of great
tea and the glass doesn't get as stained as my other teaware.

Still, the whole setup seems rather peculiar although I may still be missing
something about the concept. Are these sets supposed to be for steeping only
1 cup at a time?

--
~~Bluesea~~ who seems to can't ever drink just one
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.

LOL. A year or so ago, I purchased a Blue Willow tea for one set
because I love tea and I love Blue Willow china. After using the setup
a few times, I came to the conclusion that the best use for the tea for
one set was to sit on a display shelf with the rest of the seldom used
Blue Willow pieces I have collected over the years.

"Walpurgis-9" > wrote in message
...
> LOL. A year or so ago, I purchased a Blue Willow tea for one set
> because I love tea and I love Blue Willow china. After using the setup
> a few times, I came to the conclusion that the best use for the tea for
> one set was to sit on a display shelf with the rest of the seldom used
> Blue Willow pieces I have collected over the years.

Well, I tried.

I've since gone back to brewing my morning black tea in glass and straining
all 12 oz into a mug. While I wanted all 12 oz when I was using the BB set,
I've yet to feel deprived by not having 4 oz more. Evidently, I don't need
16 oz of black tea to start my day so using the BB set as I thought would
work, doesn't really matter.


--
~~Bluesea~~
Spam is great in musubi but not in email.
Please take out the trash before sending a direct reply.