Gransnet forums

Food

Making tea

(57 Posts)
CanadianGran Tue 09-Jan-24 21:47:16

I figure this is the best place to ask!

I tend to drink one cup of tea in the morning, and one in the afternoon when I'm at work. I know I can get two cups of tea from one teabag.

Would you:
Make a pot for two cups, take the bag out and reheat the second cup later?

Do the same as above, but keep second cup in a thermos?

Make one cup (teabag in cup), then re-use wet teabag later?

Just use two teabags? This is what I've been doing, but it seems a waste.

Witzend Wed 10-Jan-24 09:40:10

RosiesMaw

Oh go on, be a devil, use two teabags and *hang the expense*

Yes!

shysal Wed 10-Jan-24 09:32:01

My grandmother used to save her used tea bags and hang them on the washing line to dry for re-use. They were not only used twice! I don't drink tea, so never had to taste the results!

Whitewavemark2 Wed 10-Jan-24 07:38:50

I use a teapot - always have done. I use 2 fresh teabags each time. I use loose tea for speciality tea I may drink in the afternoon. At the moment it is orange-infused tea which goes down well with a piece of fruit cake.

NotSpaghetti Wed 10-Jan-24 07:35:02

flappergirl grin

fancythat Wed 10-Jan-24 07:17:53

Reuse teabag.
But I am not a food or drink conniseur[probably not a speller either!].

flappergirl Wed 10-Jan-24 07:12:30

I like strong tea, builder's tea as it is known, and I use 2 new tea bags for each cup I make. Oh yes, I know how to live!

Shelflife Wed 10-Jan-24 00:17:33

Best !!!

NotSpaghetti Wed 10-Jan-24 00:11:41

I think the best tea is made from loose tea...
I'd use 2 bags. Hang the expense!

Shelflife Wed 10-Jan-24 00:01:35

Beast to use two tea bags …....... but I do agree it seems wasteful and reusing a wet tea bag does work , I know because have done it !

Gin Tue 09-Jan-24 23:55:36

I don’t believe it ( as someone once said). Do people really do this? Tea is a beautiful beverage, I drink at least six cups a day, there is an exact length of time for an infusion to give the best flavour, dunking it again would give that rough tannin taste. As I don’t drink coffee, tea is what keeps me going. I have a cup beside me now, it is nearly always made in a teapot with loose tea. Some people are wine buffs but it is tea that satisfies my palate!

Georgesgran Tue 09-Jan-24 23:54:01

Throw caution to the wind, go mad and use a new tea bag each time. I like weak tea, but can remember an Irish comedian saying he liked his tea so strong, ‘you could trot a donkey on it’.

henetha Tue 09-Jan-24 23:27:32

No I wouldn't do it at work. But I'm retired so it's just me.

nadateturbe Tue 09-Jan-24 23:25:46

henetha

I use my teabags twice, always have .
Yes , I am that miserly! grin
I make a cup of tea in a mug in the morning, lift out the teabag and place it in a different mug for use later.
It's fine, no worries.

I do this.
Not sure I would at work.

Cold Tue 09-Jan-24 23:22:03

CanadianGran

Not living in poverty, just seems a waste! Perhaps I should find some loose tea and get a small pot, instead of just using my mug.

Why not get some loose tea and use a tea infuser so you only use the exact amount you want for a cup?

henetha Tue 09-Jan-24 23:20:16

I use my teabags twice, always have .
Yes , I am that miserly! grin
I make a cup of tea in a mug in the morning, lift out the teabag and place it in a different mug for use later.
It's fine, no worries.

CanadianGran Tue 09-Jan-24 23:13:52

Not living in poverty, just seems a waste! Perhaps I should find some loose tea and get a small pot, instead of just using my mug.

annodomini Tue 09-Jan-24 22:49:18

I don't use teabags. I don't like strong tea and one teabag would be wasted on me. I know just how much leaf tea I need in my small breakfast teapot, which makes it much more economical than a teabag.

Cabbie21 Tue 09-Jan-24 22:48:06

I often reuse a tea bag, but only within a couple of hours, whilst it is still wet. The second cup actually tastes better- and I am very fussy about my cups of tea. I wouldn’t do so at work though. Who knows what has happened to it between brews.
Flask tea doesn’t taste very nice unless it has no milk in it, and reheating a cup of tea with milk isn’t great either.
Or just do the normal thing and use a fresh tea bag each time.

Margiknot Tue 09-Jan-24 22:46:08

Well as I get very thirsty I would just have a larger cup to fully use each tea bag. But a new tea bag each time.

RosiesMaw Tue 09-Jan-24 22:45:31

Tea making - is it really the British secret weapon?
When I was on an exchange to France years ago I remember my host “mum” stressing about getting tea just right. She would heat the water in a saucepan and sought reassurance that she was on the right track when she asked “and of course you don’t let the water boil do you?”

welbeck Tue 09-Jan-24 22:36:14

you can buy one cup tea bags.
if you are working, surely you can afford to use 2 new tea bags a day.
it sounds like an offence to tea-drinking to do what you are proposing, except if living in penury.
but i believe you live in Canada ?

RosiesMaw Tue 09-Jan-24 22:35:16

CanadianGran

haha RosieMaw! That's what I've been doing, but wondered if I was throwing money away, and if it was normal to make tea to reheat!

I’ve heard of economy drives but trying to “stretch” one teabag to two cups at different times of the day makes Mr Micawber look like a spendthrift.
Never ever attempt to repeat tea or coffee, fresh is the only way.

merlotgran Tue 09-Jan-24 22:28:01

Just use two teabags? This is what I've been doing, but it seems a waste.

How can a lovely fresh cup of tea ever be a waste?

Aldom Tue 09-Jan-24 22:23:50

I would definitely push the boat out and use two tea bags. I only enjoy freshly brewed tea. smile

Susiewong65 Tue 09-Jan-24 22:23:44

You must have a great deal of time on your hands if you give this so much thought!
Tea should always be made as fresh as possible so saving it in a flask or reusing the teabag later is really not going to do the flavour any justice.
How about making two cups of tea out of one bag and offering the second cup to a colleague?