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If your tap or well water has impurities that must be filtered out such as high levels of hardness, or iron that necessitate a water softener and you then wish to remove the sodium introduced by the softener (because you have high blood pressure or a family history of high blood pressure) or, if there are any number of contaminates, a reverse osmosis system is frequently necessary. However, RO water is not the best for brewing tea:

“Putting aside for a moment the influences on tea before it is dried and finished, tea also goes through a second “flavoring” process as you brew it and sip it. First, you have to consider the water you use, and take into account all the flavors it offers. Straight reverse-osmosis water is never recommended in tea brewing, because it is so pure that it tastes flat. If you use a spring water or filtered tap water, the flavor of this water will come through, contributing sweetness, texture, or in undesirable cases, metal and chemical traces to your tea. No matter what, you are “blending” your tea with a water that you hope will help bring out the best that the tea has to offer.”
Published on April 26th, 2012 by David Duckler
http://verdanttea.com/what-is-unflavored-tea-anyway/

If an RO system is necessary for your residential water and you want to enjoy your tea without hauling bottled spring water, then you may wish to consider adding a re-mineralization filter after your RO system such as the Aptera to bring your TDS level into the following range:

“Water with 50 – 150 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS) or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA." http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0609/tea.htm

During the past 11 months the TDS of our RO water, measured before the Aptera, has typically been ~26 PPM.

Within the past week, we now have the ability to use our HM Digital: DM-1: In-Line Dual TDS Monitor (http://steepster.com/looseTman/posts/191077) to also monitor how much the Aptera is able to raise the TDS level after being filtered by our reverse osmosis system. Today for example, the TDS level after the Aptera filter is 86 PPM, which puts us right in the middle of the 50 to 150 PPM range recommended by the Tea Association of the USA. I plan to track this metric over time.

Please be advised, that a number of factors affect how high a re-mineralization filter like the Aptera will raise your TDS including: age of filter, water pressure, water temperature etc. As they say, “YMMV”.

Highly recommended based on the taste of both our water and our tea.

http://www.puregen.com/products_detail.php?id=301&lang=en

Almost a year ago, we purchased this In-Line Dual TDS Monitor to monitor the performance of our new RO system: (http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/37798-abundant-flow-water-6-stage-alkaline-zoi-zeta-reverse-osmosis-system). This meter monitors the TDS both before and after the RO system, which is important for brewing tea:

“Water with 50 – 150 ppm total dissolved solids (TDS) or 1 to 3 grains hardness provides the best results, according to the Tea Association of the USA." http://www.teaandcoffee.net/0609/tea.htm

Sensor Locations:
• For monitoring the TDS level of the untreated water, the “TDS In” sensor should be installed after all the pre-filters and just before the RO membrane.
• For monitoring the performance of the RO membrane, the “TDS Out” sensor should be immediately after the RO membrane.

These two sensor locations provide the two TDS levels necessary to calculate “RO Percentage Rejection” – the parameter that determines when to replace the RO membrane (about every 3 years). See the bottom ½ of this page: http://www.tdsmeter.com/what-is?id=0003

Notes:
1. If the water in your area requires an RO system and you wish to use this water for brewing tea, a re-mineralization filter such as this (http://steepster.com/teas/teaware/39532-puregen-aptera-alkamag-water-filter) is highly recommended.
2. An additional fitting should be added to RO System that has a re-mineralization filter so the output sensor can be located either after the RO membrane for maintenance purposes, or after the re-mineralization filter to monitor the TDS of water used for brewing tea.

After using this In-Line Dual TDS Monitor for nearly a year, I’ve found it to be a simple and reliable device that provides consistent TDS data for monitoring the performance of both RO systems and re-mineralization filters. Highly recommended.

I purchased the MW Durascale D2 660 with German HBM weighing sensors nearly 6 weeks ago and have been very pleased with it! :D As soon as I unpacked it I could easily appreciate that it was very well-constructed and quality-oriented. I was amazed how much it weighed especially for its small size.

The two pre-purchase concerns I had turned out to not be an issue at all:

1. Auto-off battery-saving feature: The auto-off provides sufficient time to weigh loose tea especially if you gather everything you’ll need first before turning on the scale. After 60 seconds of inactivity it will turn off. If you need additional time, a light tap on the scale resets the inactivity timer for another 60 seconds.

2. Weighing larger items: Simply remove the scale cover and flip it over to use it as a weighing tray. Tare the weight of the tray. Then one can easily position a 1-Lb bulk tea package on top of the lip of the tray to accurately weigh it.

This pocket-sized digital scale is easily stored in a kitchen drawer, which keeps it dust-free and reduces clutter on the kitchen counter unlike larger kitchen scales. I couldn’t be happier with our new scale. :D

Introduction: Per http://www.butikiteas.com/Black.html:
“Our Mi Xian Black tea is sourced from Ali Shan region in Taiwan. This exquisite premium grade tea utilizes the Chin Xin varietal and is pesticide free. Mi Xian Black is a relatively new style of black tea and is very rare. Similar to our Gui Fei Oolong, leafhoppers are allowed to bite the leaves in order initiate the plant’s healing process which produces a honey-like aroma. Juicy peach and honey notes mingle and linger. Some lychee and mild citrus notes can also be detected. This smooth and mellow tea is sweet with a creamy mouth-feel.”

“Recommended Amount: 2 teaspoons of tea for 8oz of water”

Sample package label: “Mi Xian Black, Temp 212*F; Time 3 min 30 sec”

Technique: I strictly followed Stacy’s very thoughtfully considered brewing recommendations. Single-serving tea sample – 3.5g (My Weigh Durascale D2 660), 8-oz filtered water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F, brewed with a Finum tea basket in tea mug without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Fragrance: Very mild hint
Dry leaf: Long twisted wiry dark chocolate brown leaves
Liquor: Clear bright mahogany red
Aroma: Wonderful very POTENT Fruity, perhaps muscatel, – Quite a surprise given the understated dry leaf fragrance.
Infused Leaf: Greenish brown long whole leaves

Impression: This elegant medium-bodied black tea has a fresh pleasing potent fruity/muscatel aroma, and a smooth rich thoroughly enjoyable honey flavor that lingers long on the tongue. As you would expect with teas of this caliber, there was no hint of bitterness or astringency.

5.5 min re-steep: Wow! – Awesome re-steep that despite a less pronounced aroma intensified and prolonged the wonderful lingering honey experience. An entire pot of this tea would be glorious!

11 min re-steep: I didn’t want the experience to end. But alas, I only had a sample. Could I extend the wonderful lingering honey flavor even longer with another re-steep? The 2nd re-steep produced a light-bodied, mild aroma, but still enjoyable cup with a diminishing honey character – a fading pianissimo of the Spectacular Fortissimo that was. :-(

Thanks to Stacy of Butiki Teas for providing this free sample of this truly exceptional tea!

Per: http://www.steepcityteas.com/collections/black-tea/products/pom-pom-tea:
“A very nicely balanced blend of fresh, juicy pomegranate splashed with cranberry. Not too tart, not too sweet, just right. It’s simply a splendid black tea with an after-taste that makes you feel rejuvenated. Makes a terrific iced tea and it’s a perfect alternative for the kids.”

Perparation: Amount: 1 teaspoon per 8 oz for hot tea. Steep at: 212 degrees for 3-4 minutes.

“Ingredients: Black tea, rose hips, sea buckthorn berries, corn flowers, natural flavors, goji berries, and guarana seeds.

Intro: I was curious to try this tea because I like black tea and have read that pomegranates are high in anti-oxidants.

Technique: Tea mug with Finum brew basket. 8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F. 1 tsp. (2.5 grams – My Weigh Durascale D2 660). No sweeteners, milk or cream were added.

Fragrance: Strong fruity
Dry leaf: dark brown twisted leaves + other ingredients – see above.
Liquor: Light amber
Aroma: Very fruity

3-min.: A very pleasing flavor with surprising body for a fruit-flavored tea. “Not too tart, not too sweet, just right.” Accurately describes this tea. There is a mild drying effect on the finish that becomes astringency towards the bottom of the cup.

4-min Re-steep @ 195F*: Same flavor & character as the first cup and still somewhat astringent.

Impression: A refreshing enjoyable afternoon tea. For those who may not like astringency, a lower temperature may help.

Thanks to David Palmerola of Steep City for kindly providing this generous free sample.

Question: When is an Earl Grey, not an Earl Grey?
A Tale of Two Different Cups of Tea

Per: http://www.smithtea.com/shop/black/bergamot:
“About this Tea
A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbulla and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India’s Assam valley, then scented with the flavor of bergamot from the realm of Reggio Calabria, Italy.

Ingredients
Ceylon Dimbulla, Uva and Indian Assam full leaf teas and natural bergamot flavor.

Preparation
For best flavor, bring freshly drawn filtered water to a boil. Steep five minutes. If possible, play a little opera softly in the background.”

(Note: Neither the package or the SST website stated how many ounces of water to use with a sachet.)

Introduction: My wife and I have been drinking loose Earl Grey for over 30 years.

The typical Earl Grey tea has a 100% Ceylon base. Some Ceylon teas used in E.G. can be quite astringent. This Lord Bergamot is different in that it’s a blend of two Ceylon teas as well as an Assam tea.

Most E.G. teas are also light- to medium-bodied. While my wife loves the aroma and flavor of a well-balanced EG, she typically does not find them to be strong enough. To compensate, she will increase the amount of tea leaves and/or the brewing time. However, you can only increase those two parameters so much.

Cup #1:
Technique: Previously, my wife prepared a sachet: 8 oz. filtered water with TDS of 26 ppm / 212*F / 5 min. as she prefers a truly full-bodied Earl Grey. She’s also used to brewing an 8-oz. cup of tea. No sweeteners, milk or cream were added.

First impressions: This tea provided a very smooth full-bodied Earl Grey without any hint of bitterness. She also noted a vegetal flavor that’s typically not found in a classic Earl Grey.

Per: Alex Pieroni of SST: “I would say 1 sachet for every 12 oz. of water.”

Cup #2 (several days later):
Technique: I prepared a sachet: (2.5 g – My Weigh Durascale D2 660), 12-oz filtered water with TDS of 26 ppm / 212*F / 5 min. Brewed in a covered mug. No sweeteners, milk or cream were added.

Fragrance: “Fruity” – different than a classic bergamot EG.
Dry leaf: Medium-long dark brown full leaf – http://www.smithtea.com/shop/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/286x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/l/o/lord_b_teabag.jpg
Liquor: Clear & coppery

5-min.: This medium-bodied black tea is expertly balanced. The fruity aroma does not overshadow the base black teas. There was no hint of tartness. The addition of Assam provided a very smooth sip. There was no bitterness or hint of a vegetal flavor. This black tea has an understated bergamot flavor.

I then presented this cup to my wife without telling her what type of tea it was or of my impression:
“I don’t know what it is. It’s not a regular black tea is it? It has a fruity aroma. An earthy flavor – Assam? Not bad – smooth! It’s not EG. It’s a little astringent toward the bottom of the (12-oz.) cup.” (I suspect this may be due to the high-altitude grown Ceylon Uva.)

Second Impressions:
This is a very smooth, expertly well-balanced, medium-bodied black tea with a pleasing fruity fragrance that does not overshadow the Ceylon/Assam base teas.

My wife enjoyed this very special medium-bodied black tea enough to want to purchase some as a change of pace from her regular Earl Grey. This is the first Earl Grey (not including EG cream) out of 14 EG teas, that she’s been interested in buying. Quite an accomplishment!!

Question: When is an Earl Grey, not an Earl Grey?
Answer: When it’s a Lord Bergamot!

Thanks to Alex Pieroni of Steven Smith Teamaker for providing this free sample.

We received this tea timer as a gift several years ago and it has stood the test of time. Very simple to use. Easy to read large digital display. It has preset buttons for 1, 2, 3, and 5 minutes. At times another preset for 4 min would also be convenient. However, any time can be selected with the “set” buttons. Requires two # 357 “button” batteries which are not as inexpensive as AAA batteries. However, they last a long time and can be purchased less expensively at Wal-Mart versus Radio Shack.

Simple, cost-effective, easy to use and clean. The large internal volume provides much more room for the leaves to unfurl while brewing compared to a typical tea infuser. The medium size model fits a variety of mug sizes. The lid helps retain the heat and aroma when brewing.

Anyanka, Your reviews of both the Finum and the ForLife brewing baskets were very helpful! Thanks!

“This spoon is exactly one teaspoon and scoops up even larger tea leaves with ease. And since it’s made of brushed stainless steel, it won’t rust, break, or melt like other teaspoons.”

We received this teaspoon as a gift several years ago and it has stood the test of time. Tevana’s description is accurate with one exception: “scoops up even larger tea leaves with ease”. For that purpose, one is better off with a tea scoop:
- http://i.imgur.com/EmBgOzF.jpg
- http://www.amazon.com/Wooden-Scoop-Long-Handle-2668/dp/B0042IU7A4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1375762839&sr=8-3&keywords=%22tea+scoop%22+-spoon
- http://www.amazon.com/Amico-Ceremony-Nonslip-Lifting-Teaware/dp/B00CW8SWEE/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1369372441&sr=8-28&keywords=bamboo+scoop+tea

Sample package label:
“Fusion Teas, Premium Earl Grey
1 tsp. per 8 oz. water @ 203*
Steep 2-3 min. Sweeten to taste
Ingredients: premium black tea with bergamot
Black Tea Collection”

Per: http://www.fusionteas.com/Premium-Earl-Grey.html:
“This soft, highly aromatic bergamot black tea is of the highest quality. The excellent basis of Ceylon and Yunnan is perfectly in tune with the flavoring. A light and pleasant smokey nuance accompanies the typical bergamot citrus flavor. Experience a top-class Earl Grey Tea

Ingredients: Ceylon and Yunnan Black Tea with Bergamot.
1.5 tsp., 203*, 2-3 min.”

Technique: Tea mug with Finum brew basket. 1 Teavana tsp. (2.5 g – My Weigh Durascale D2 660), 8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 203*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA thermometer/timer. No sweeteners, milk or cream were added.

Introduction: The typical Earl Grey tea has a 100% Ceylon base. Some Ceylon teas used in E.G. can be quite astringent. This E.G. is different in that it also includes Yunnan tea.

Most E.G. teas are also light- to medium-bodied. While my wife loves the aroma and flavor of a well-balanced EG, she typically does not find them to be strong enough. To compensate, she will increase the amount of tea leaves and/or the brewing time. However, you can only increase those two parameters so much.

Fragrance: This black tea has that wonderful classic EG bergamot fragrance.
Dry leaf: Uniform moderate length, dark brown leaves.
Liquor: Clear & coppery

2-min.: Medium bodied – I’ll give it another minute.
3-min.: The subtle aroma follows the character of the dry leaf’s classic bergamot fragrance. The flavor definitely follows both the fragrance and aroma. This full-bodied E.G. is expertly balanced. The bergamot does not overshadow the base black teas. There was no hint of tartness. The addition of Yunnan provided a very smooth sip as there was no bitterness. There was a mild drying effect on the finish of the sip, which slowly developed into a mild sense of astringency as I finished the cup.

I then tried 1.5 tsp. (3.8 g – My Weigh Durascale D2 660) / 8 oz. / 203 F / 2 min.
Using 1.5 tsp. provided a very full-bodied cup of E.G. with and an enhanced aroma at only two minutes. The sorter brewing time also reduced the astringency. How to have your cake and eat it too! (However, you’ll use up your Premium E.G. stash faster.) The mild drying effect on the finish of the sip was still present.

Lastly, we tried: 1.5 tsp. / 8 oz. / 195 F / 2 min. Now we’re talking! – Very smooth, rich, and strong without any bitterness or astringency.

Impression: This is a smooth, very well-balanced, full-bodied Earl Grey with a pleasing bergamot fragrance that does not overshadow the Ceylon/Yunnan base tea.

My wife enjoyed this E.G. enough to have four cups. She very much enjoyed the fragrance of the dry leaves. To her sense of smell, the aroma was not as strong as the fragrance. The flavor to her was not as bright as her regular classic EG. She also appreciated Fusion’s attractive high quality packaging.

Suggestions: We’d like to suggest a greater percentage of this very fine Yunnan in the base tea may further minimize any astringency and just a little more bergamot for a brighter flavor.

Thanks to Thomas Egbert of FusionTeas for kindly providing this free very generous sample.