Tea Pot Or Not?

[jack daniels]

Just out of interest, I was wondering:
1) how many people still use a teapot?
2) Do you use tea bags or loose tea?
3) Do you make it in a cup/mug every time?
4) Milk in first or after?
5) do you have any 'rituals' in tea making that you always stick to & follow?

TIA

[Old_Geezer]

I just have a Jack Daniels.

[puzzled54]

Tea bag in a teapot, milk in first

[Mamyalynne]

Teapot if there's anyone else in the house.

Teabag in a mug,milk last after a decent time brewing.

[Canary42]

Prefer loose tea, but do use teabags. Mug every time, milk after.

[Patsy33]

We use tea bags in cup. We did go back to teapot a couple of times but back to making it in cup. Milk last...

[gingejbee]

No, no, no, no, no. (Hate tea - smell makes me feel sick).

[shoota]

Don't people have staff anymore?

[Cloverjo]

I don’t drink tea. If I make it for anyone else it’s a bag in mug.

[marval]

Tea bag in a mug, milk in first.

[Buenchico]

I've got a teapot but it's probably at least 20 years or so since I last used it.

Other than when taking afternoon tea in Patisserie Valerie or similar (when someone else is paying!), I can't remember having a cup of tea made from loose tea leaves in over 40 years.

I make my tea with a teabag in a mug, adding the boiling water and sugar first. Then, after stirring it until it's just the right shade of brown and then removing the teabag, I add the milk. Doing it that way ensures that
(a) the tea is only infused in boiling water (and not in a mixture of boiling water and cold milk) ; and
(b) I can get the quantity of milk exactly right by monitoring the colour of the tea carefully as I add it.
Doing it the other way round seems totally unscientific to me!

Rituals? Well I do tend to use different mugs at different times. For example, I've got one mug which is my 'working mug', that I make my tea in when I'll be sitting down at my computer to complete some tasks, and another that's my 'leisure mug' for when I'm simply relaxing. I've also got a mug that I only use over the Christmas period.

[emmie]

i only make tea for a friend, i don't drink the stuff
I use a teabag, then pour milk in after its brewed a bit...

[Apc2604]

T bags in pre-warmed pot. For me strong black tea. I can't bear tea with milk. He never warms the pot despite 48 years of being told he should and puts in milk last.

[Cloverjo]

The last time I drank tea was in a smart hotel where they used loose leaf. I forgot to use the strainer so got a mouthful of leaves. Horrible and quite embarrassing

[Prudie]

bag in mug but must be a fine bone china mug, milk at the end. Funnily enough on the very rare occasions I make it in a teapot the milk must go in first. Haven't used loose tea for decades

[Apc2604]

Forgot to say I only drink tea from a china cup or mug.

[Buenchico]

Most people put the tea in first, and the milk last:
https://yougov.co.uk/topics/food/articles-reports/2018/07/30/should-milk-go-cup-tea-first-or-last

. . . including them toffs up Buck House ;-)
https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/royal-butler-finally-settles-tea-12238061

[Milo2]

Usually tea bag in a mug with milk in after brewing, unless we have visitors and then it’s a teapot. Milk still goes in last.

[rowanwitch]

Mostly extra strong bags in pot, brew for about 10 mins milk in cup then pour tea. Mainly because I rarely want just one cup. Like loose tea but just a bit too much faff for every day.

[puzzled54]

To clarify, if I have to use a tea bah in a mug, then the milk goes in last

[Jackdaw33]

If you use loose leaf tea the milk needs to go in first. That way the leaves sink to the bottom.