When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
around 30.

-S.

I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
solid stuff.

I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
$5/lb is crazy

On 2006-01-23 19:31:34 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

> I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
> like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
> tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
> solid stuff.
>
> I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
> $5/lb is crazy

I see that now. I was unaware that the tea they claim they are selling
is so expensive EVERYWHERE else. I just purchased from the first
vendor I thought had a decent price. Now I see nobody else sells for
that rate. It seems very strange to me that nobody else sells this tea
for that price. I would have expected to find at least one other
online vendor with a similar price, but I have searched to no avail.
That's why I'm worried I wasted my money. You usually get exactly what
you pay for. =/

I will let you know how it goes as I expect to receive them tomorrow.
I checked my tracking number and they got into town sometime today.
Thus, they should be delivered to my work tomorrow where I plan to brew
up a pot. I can take some pictures of the tea from home if you think
you can identify them for me

P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!

-S.

Well, I think consensus here is that the vast, vast majority of tea and
tea-related paraphenalia sold in the western hemisphere is vastly
overpriced.

So either your vendor is just pricing the stuff at a reasonable rate or it's
decidedly inferior.

For example, I see gaiwans sold online and in "occidental" stores (ie those
stores that sell oriental merchandise to a western market) for $30-50. But
I've found those same gaiwans on a site I mentioned a few weeks ago for
around $5. This at first seemed to me an incredible price, but talking to
people in the know has convinced me that this price is about average, and
about what you'd pay at a store in the East or catering to Easterners.

So if the tea comes and seems ok to you, it could be that you've just found
a store that isn't marking up its wares 5000%.

The mark ups can be crazy. I get temple of heaven gunpoweder for like 8
bucks for 500G at my local asian market. That's about 1/3 of what upton
sells it for I think.

OTOH, it could be inferior tea. Proof of the pudding is in the tasting.
Brew some up, see if you like it, and figure you didn't lose to much if
it isn't good (and gained a ton if it is)

S. Chancellor wrote:
>
> P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
> their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!

So I fall for the bait, and I go there, and in the list they have a
tiny thumbnail, and I click on a tea and next to the tea is a tiny
picture, but under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
Pittsburgh!!

Seriously. Were you being sarcastic? Those photos make each tea leaf
look like a stick of cinnamon...

--Blair

P.S. Holy boiling point, Batman! They're selling White Peony for $12 a
pound! Their $7/lb Darjeeling looks like a BOP, though...

Blair P. Houghton wrote:
> ...under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
> dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
> Pittsburgh!!

Heh, yeah the photo's are huge and I kind of doubt that they are stock
photo's due to the size, so that was why I was guessing that they are
representative of the real thing. The Sencha green tea looks to be
pretty high quality if this proves true, and the White Peony deal is
very solid. My curiosity is now piqued, but I think my fiance will kill
me if I start buying 2lb. bags of tea now as I have two full cupboards
dedicated already I can't wait to hear how the quality turns out!

BTW: Blair you from PGH? Or just use it in your analogy? I live and
work near the 'burgh, where Steeler fever is in full, scary, force.

Dominic T. wrote:
> Heh, yeah the photo's are huge and I kind of doubt that they are stock
> photo's due to the size, so that was why I was guessing that they are
> representative of the real thing. The Sencha green tea looks to be
> pretty high quality if this proves true, and the White Peony deal is
> very solid. My curiosity is now piqued, but I think my fiance will kill
> me if I start buying 2lb. bags of tea now as I have two full cupboards
> dedicated already

LOL, my wife frequently says "why do you need more tea? Don't you have
enough already?"
Actually, she's more understanding than that, though she doesn't care
for the stuff herself -- she prefers those milk/chocolate syrup
concoctions with a shot of coffee in them.


stePH
np: King Crimson, "VROOOM"

On 2006-01-23 23:01:35 -0800, "Blair P. Houghton"
> said:

>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>>
>> P.S. How can you tell anything from their tiny pictures? They're like
>> their enlarged versions are the size of my thumbnail!
>
> So I fall for the bait, and I go there, and in the list they have a
> tiny thumbnail, and I click on a tea and next to the tea is a tiny
> picture, but under the picture is a "click to enlarge" link, so I
> dumbly click and a window pops up and - GAAAAH!! The Assam that Ate
> Pittsburgh!!
>
> Seriously. Were you being sarcastic? Those photos make each tea leaf
> look like a stick of cinnamon...
>
> --Blair
>
> P.S. Holy boiling point, Batman! They're selling White Peony for $12 a
> pound! Their $7/lb Darjeeling looks like a BOP, though...

Oops.. I only had looked at several green teas as I cannot stomach
black tea. I don't know what the oxidation process releases from the
tea but it causes me to have bad headaches and intestinal distress.
(Which is why I never drank much tea until i tried some green tea and
had no problems.. I didn't know it was the same plant until later or I
probably wouldn't have touched it.)

The pictures for the decaffeinated green tea I bought, and the jasmine
green tea I was looking at don't enlarge when you click them. That's
why I was confused The gunpowder, however, looking at it now,
appears to be the size of my head.

-S.

On 2006-01-23 19:31:34 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

> I had never heard of coffee bean direct before your post, but it seems
> like they have unbelievable pricing on their products. If the actual
> tea shipped looks like what is in the photo's then it should be pretty
> solid stuff.
>
> I may have to buy some and check it out. 2lb. foil bags of tea for like
> $5/lb is crazy

I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
better. The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.

-S.

S. Chancellor wrote:
> I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
> than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
> better.

Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
receive it.

>The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
> almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
> rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
> don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.

I'm no expert in decaffeinated teas, especially CO2. At first when you
mentioned "fresh cut grass" I instantly thought it may be Sencha... but
then the the black hue when brewed threw me totally off. I can't for
the life of me figure out how a green tea with a fresh cut grass smell
could brew a black tea color, not even if CO2 was involved in any way.
I'll have to do some research on this one, you stumped me. But, how
does it taste? That was the only thing you left out.

- Dominic
Drinking: Shirakiku Brand Sen-Cha teabag

On 2006-01-25 03:37:03 -0800, "Dominic T." > said:

>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
>> than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
>> better.
>
> Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
> order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
> receive it.

Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice. The tea I've preferred
most so far was some Loose Leaf Green tea from Stash at the super
market. It tasted very fresh and green to me. The bilochun is almost
as 'green', and the pinhead comes in after that. The two other
gunpowders I have were Extra Gunpowder from a brand called "FooJoy" and
Special Gunpowder from Tecksoon.

I hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.

>> The CO2 decaffeinated tea I purchased has an odd smell to it,
>> almost like fresh cut grass. However, it does not brew green, but
>> rather almost the color of black tea. I care for it much less. I
>> don't know of any way to tell if it's really CO2 decaffeinated or not.
>
> I'm no expert in decaffeinated teas, especially CO2. At first when you
> mentioned "fresh cut grass" I instantly thought it may be Sencha... but
> then the the black hue when brewed threw me totally off. I can't for
> the life of me figure out how a green tea with a fresh cut grass smell
> could brew a black tea color, not even if CO2 was involved in any way.
> I'll have to do some research on this one, you stumped me. But, how
> does it taste? That was the only thing you left out.

You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.

-S.

S. Chancellor wrote:
> Just keep in mind I'm very much a novice.

Not a problem, believe me I've spent way more on other teas that were
trash... so I'm not holding you accountable. "Novice" or not - tea is
tea, and just like wine I can respect a "novice" opinion much more than
a so-called "expert." Over time you will really just further explore
teas that interest you personally, you will gain technique, water
temps., brewing times, and even respect for tea... taste will always
remain subjective.

If they had shipped you 2lbs. of lawn clippings or tea dust, then I
would be wary... but it seems like they are a reputable company and
ship a decent product at a good price. Nothing novice about that

> You're probably right. It seems that a lot of decaffeinated teas are
> implicitly Sencha. The tea also isn't 'black' i didn't mean to imply
> that. It doesn't taste like black tea either. It's very dark though,
> darker than the cheap gunpowder I bought. It is almost the color that
> my lipton tea bags make if they're not left in the water too long.

I did read up on the CO2 process and green teas, and from what I have
found *nothing* accounts for the darker brew you are getting. It is
true that most green teas don't produce a green color, but a weak
brown... but sencha generally makes a green brew. The color may be OK,
so I wouldn't worry too much about that. From what I found the CO2
process is actually very simple and does not affect the taste of the
tea much or any other quality for that matter except binding the
caffiene.

How did it taste? Earthy/grassy/fishy or more like Chinese Restaurant
tea?

Dominic T. wrote:
> S. Chancellor wrote:
> > I received my tea today. The pinhead gunpowder is markedly smaller
> > than the Extra Gunpowder that I already have, it also tastes much
> > better.
>
> Well then I'd say you done good! Now I'm going to have to place an
> order, my fiance will thank you, I'll share my experience once I
> receive it.

Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
-- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.


stePH

> Yes, do please report back. I'm still on the fence about this myself
> -- I've never bought two pounds of any tea at any price.

I'm in thesame boat Steve.. The problem I have with buying that much is
unless you just guzzle it down how in the world are you going to use
thatmuch tea before it gets stale and old and .... before you just get plain
sick of it! The beauty of tea is that there are so many types. Seems like
you'd end up throwing most of it away out of sheer boredom

-Barky

S. Chancellor wrote:
> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
> around 30.
>


If you like it and it is cheap, then what is the problem? Sounds like
a good situation to me. Others might not think it is good "quality"
but as long as you enjoy it, who cares?

Sometimes online vendors manipulate their prices to make them look
lower than they actually are by raising the shipping costs. If their
prices are low but the shipping costs are higher than everyone else's,
then the total cost might not be such a bargain after all. Be sure to
take the shipping into account when comparing prices. Just a thought.

"Pat" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
>> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
>> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
>> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
>> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
>> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
>> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
>> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
>> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
>> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
>> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
>> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
>> around 30.
>>
>
>
> If you like it and it is cheap, then what is the problem? Sounds like
> a good situation to me. Others might not think it is good "quality"
> but as long as you enjoy it, who cares?
>
> Sometimes online vendors manipulate their prices to make them look
> lower than they actually are by raising the shipping costs. If their
> prices are low but the shipping costs are higher than everyone else's,
> then the total cost might not be such a bargain after all. Be sure to
> take the shipping into account when comparing prices. Just a thought.
>

I'd agree with this and say: the "you get what you pay for" relationship is
not always exact. It seems to me that there are some sites that are way WAY
expensive, and while their tea may be just that tad bit more ethereal, I'm
not sure I want to pay double for the little bit of extra nuance that I
might get. Then there are places that do charge an arm and a leg for tea
that's not really that great. I think the only way you are going to be able
to tell is to taste. And look at it this way, if it doesn't taste good then
you're not out a ton of money. What really hurts is to pay an exhorbitent
amount for a tea and then get it home and find it's subpar. So I'd say, let
your palette be your guide...it will change too over time. Tea is (pardon
the pun) a very fluid hobby.

Melinda

The prices fall in the range of penny/gram. Typical of commercial
Indian,Chinese,Ceylon.

Jim

S. Chancellor wrote:
> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
> around 30.
>
> -S.

jeez jim, you never let things go, do you?

> The prices fall in the range of penny/gram. Typical of commercial
> Indian,Chinese,Ceylon.
>
> Jim
>
> S. Chancellor wrote:
>> When I first realized, about two weeks ago, how much I liked green tea
>> I immediately bought some from coffee bean direct based on their
>> BizRate rating and the advertisement on google. However, I am
>> wondering if it was perhaps a mistake. It seems very odd to me that
>> their teas are at least 1/2 the price I find on any other website.
>> Does anybody here have any experience with them? I purchased some CO2
>> decaffeinated green and some Pinhead gunpowder (supposedly..) It'll be
>> here tomorrow. I'm looking for ways to tell if I receive what I
>> thought I purchased. Thus, is there any easy way to tell the
>> difference between CO2 decaffeinated tea and ethyl acetate
>> decaffeinated tea? I'm very suspicious as the stuff I purchased was
>> approx. 15 dollars a pound. The cheapest I've found elsewhere is
>> around 30.
>>
>> -S.
>