Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

Tea in a flask

(21 Posts)
Fflaurie Mon 20-Jan-25 18:46:21

I was always told that you could not put tea with milk in a flask because the milk would turn, is this true?

Whiff Mon 20-Jan-25 18:56:31

False .

Oopsadaisy1 Mon 20-Jan-25 19:00:44

It might be false but having had tea in a flask for my school lunches many many years ago it always had an odd taste to me.

When I took the milk separately in the Winter it was fine, couldn’t do it in Summer as the Milk would turn before lunch.

dogsmother Mon 20-Jan-25 19:09:20

Never tasted the same, always choose chocolate for a flask even though I’m primarily a tea drinker.

Witzend Mon 20-Jan-25 19:11:20

I used to take a flask of tea when I took my mother out from her care home, but I took the milk separately, in a small jar. It was only for her, I don’t have milk in my tea anyway.

Margiknot Mon 20-Jan-25 19:12:32

Milk in a nice clean flask of brewed tea is fine. The trouble might have been with the older narrow mouthed flasks that were harder to clean. My late parents always carried milk separately to add to cups so that the flask never had milk in it.

NotSpaghetti Mon 20-Jan-25 20:18:19

I don't like flask tea at all - but the milk doesn't go off.
I know someone who always put the milk in and it was always fine.

Babs03 Mon 20-Jan-25 20:36:02

Have often had tea with milk in out of a flask, the milk doesn’t go off.

25Avalon Mon 20-Jan-25 20:36:13

If your dh doesn’t screw the lid on properly and the milky tea seeps out into the back of the car then given a short period of time it will stink for a long period of time.

JackyB Mon 20-Jan-25 20:45:08

I often decant a cuppa with milk into a thermos cup. It is usually for drinking quite soon, though, but I've never had problems with it. I do remember back in the day it didn't taste so good, not because the milk had gone off, but as margiknot says, flasks were harder to clean in those days.

Also it might be that the old, glass flasks weren't as good as the modern stainless steel ones for keeping the taste, but that does seem rather unlikely.

Greyduster Mon 20-Jan-25 21:15:26

I’ve never been able to stomach tea out of a flask, but even with coffee we always took the milk separately.

Sago Mon 20-Jan-25 21:19:27

It’s one of life’s mysteries why tea in a flask tastes so dire.

crazyH Mon 20-Jan-25 21:25:12

My friend always brings hot water in a small flask, teabags and milk separately - (when we go shopping) - she hates paying for it in the cafe. So we sit on a bench, chat away while we have ‘her’ tea. I enjoy it. 😂

WelwynWitch3 Sun 02-Feb-25 11:29:20

Tea doesn’t taste the same from a flask. Husband and I take boiling water in flask and take some teabags, coffee and some milk with us when we for out for the day

Cabbie21 Sun 02-Feb-25 12:46:00

I make a flask of weak tea, without milk, and drink it black. I prefer it to milky flask tea.

M0nica Sun 02-Feb-25 16:25:05

When hot tea with milk in is put in a flask and stays there for hours the milk undergoes changes, just like milk that has been boiled does, so you end up drinking the equivalent of tea made with boiled milk.

Yuk.

pascal30 Sun 02-Feb-25 16:32:11

Sago

It’s one of life’s mysteries why tea in a flask tastes so dire.

I agree.. I no longer have a flask

NonGrannyMoll Sun 02-Feb-25 16:40:01

It's not true but, imho, it tastes better transported black, with milk added just before drinking (maybe that's how the confusion arose). I take the milk in a (well-washed!) Colman's mustard jar.

valdali Sun 02-Feb-25 17:29:59

Another who doesn't like flask tea, our solution has always been to take coffee / chocolate in a flask, but I must try black tea & and seperate milk. Need to keep the milk cold though.

Labradora Sun 02-Feb-25 17:37:41

False.
I still take a flask of tea with milk in it out on my favourite bike ride and drink the tea while taking my mid-ride rest on a park bench.
OH and I have taken tea and coffee flasks on longer journeys and found them still drinkable at the end of long days'travelling.
Degree of warmth might be a problem , but not curdling.

M0nica Sun 02-Feb-25 18:32:43

Labradora

False.
I still take a flask of tea with milk in it out on my favourite bike ride and drink the tea while taking my mid-ride rest on a park bench.
OH and I have taken tea and coffee flasks on longer journeys and found them still drinkable at the end of long days'travelling.
Degree of warmth might be a problem , but not curdling.

I wasn't suggesting curdling, but boiled milk tastes differently to fresh unheated milk.

I once made the mistake of reheating a cup of tea with milk in it in the microwave. It had exactly the same effect as making up tea with milk and then keeping it hot for hours in a flask. It tasted quite unpleasant, but it wasn't curdled or 'off' in anyway