Tea making: Milk first or after!!

[Cardiganwearer]

Water, probably very unhealthy water, would have been more readily available than milk, especially in big cities.  When I say "very unhealthy water" I'm referring back to the mid 1850s when thousands of people died from cholera due to the unhealthy water.  It was only after Joseph William Bazalgette consructed a new sewerage system that London became free of the recurring bouts of the disease that in one year killed over 14,000 people.  Bazalgettes work was more or less prompted by The Great Stink of 1858 when Parliament couldn't be held because the Thames was so pulluted, filled with human excrement and indusrial waste, that work on the new sewer system was authorised.

And now the Thames is clean and Parliament is filled with human excrement and industrial waste. How things change.

[Bhp91126]

I don’t drink tea (no reason not to, but doesn’t happen), and I always add half and half to the cup before filling it with coffee. I’m just too lazy to stir and put yet another teaspoon into the dishwasher... I can’t drink hot black coffee, it’s too bitter for me, I need some milk. Cold or iced black coffee is fine, it’s just better with half and half.

[InbetweenDreams]

@Bhp91126 That's what I usually do with mine. Usually don't have a problem with bitterness unless it is brewed way to strong...which I sometimes do.

[Insertnamehere]

@Insertnamehere I've kind of became somewhat of a coffee snob and I don't mean going to Starbucks asking for a crazy order. I like roasting my own coffee, dark to Italian roast. After the coffee sits about 24-48 hours after roast is the best. Milk/creamer sort of takes the bitter out letting you taste the bean a little but (of course you can go overboard with the creamer), at least that's my take. Of course I drink it plain a lot too, as I don't always have creamer at work. I've got my boss addicted to my coffee now, to the point where he pitches in some money occasionally. I guess to ensure I keep bringing some in lol.

It's simple to roast....but time consuming since I am only able to do small batches at a time, but way better than the stuff they sell at the store. I got a small roaster, a camp grill and as long as it isn't freezing I sit outside and roast it. You don't need a fancy coffee bean, just unroasted. I've been buying coffee from Smokin' Beans Coffee Co.

Don't ever ask me for coffee then, I am the anti-snob (I guess) instant coffee consumer. I'm pretty sure I am more of a snob with the milk I use on it to be honest

Cream has always been to heavy for me when it comes to beverages, so I avoid it. Milk is fine enough.

Really, what you describe is just hellish to me, I always have such a hard time doing much of anything in the morning other than shower that having to make batches of coffee is just mind blowing to me. I even boil water, make some tea and then put it in a Thermo the night before just so I have to do as little as possible in the mornings. I just can't with life before going to work man

[InbetweenDreams]

@Insertnamehere Oh no, I don't roast in the morning, I just do it usually once every week or two...I do occasionally have to grind it but otherwise it's the same otherwise lol

[Camfer]

... I got a small roaster, a camp grill and as long as it isn't freezing I sit outside and roast it. You don't need a fancy coffee bean, just unroasted. I've been buying coffee from Smokin' Beans Coffee Co.

It would be fun to see a pic of your roasting setup!

[InbetweenDreams]

@Camfer This is what I have in a nutshell. You heat the roaster to about ~450 F (or now since I've roasted so much coffee it just starts smoking lol). You do 3-4 scoops of coffee and keep it moving and when it's not too cold outside you get to a dark roast in about 7-12 minutes. The biggest problem I have outside is if it is too cold the butane just won't keep the pressure up enough to keep a good flame...besides the obvious problem of who wants to sit outside while it is cold. But, while somewhat monotonous it is sort of peaceful, usually quiet in the evening.

   

[Camfer]

@Camfer This is what I have in a nutshell. You heat the roaster to about ~450 F (or now since I've roasted so much coffee it just starts smoking lol). You do 3-4 scoops of coffee and keep it moving and when it's not too cold outside you get to a dark roast in about 7-12 minutes. The biggest problem I have outside is if it is too cold the butane just won't keep the pressure up enough to keep a good flame...besides the obvious problem of who wants to sit outside while it is cold. But, while somewhat monotonous it is sort of peaceful, usually quiet in the evening.

That looks simple and easy and I could do that, thanks. I might actually enjoy roasting my own too. I rarely drink coffee because all the roasted whole beans I find for sale tend to be dark roast and I prefer much lighter than that.

[LONDONER]

Strange how this thread about tea has turned in to a discussion about coffee!

[andy]

I like my tea really strong (usually dubbed "Builder's Tea" here in the UK) thus add a dash of (plant based) milk in after the tea has been left to brew for at least 5 mins!