Author Topic: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....  (Read 28962 times)

Michread

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My MIL stayed with us for 12 weeks (dementia - mild) until something opened for her.  For someone who according to her didn't have much money (pension/ss $36K/yr), she drove me crazy with her wasteful habits.  She would use the tea bag for only one cup, run the water (warm/hot) for the whole time she washed the dishes, threw away every plastic/paper bag that came in the house, and other small wasteful habits. 

For me it's not just about the small savings but using our natural resources more wisely.  I am certainly not perfect and waste, but I try and am trying to get better. 

What are your frugal habits that for you is not just about saving money but also saving our natural resources?
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 02:56:33 PM by Michread »

jmusic

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2015, 02:09:19 PM »
I used to run the water as well.  My wife yelled at me about it mostly because of the drought going on in SoCal right now, so I've gotten better on that front.

lise

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2015, 02:15:41 PM »
Some people like strong tea.  For herbal teas I can get two cups out of one bag but for English Breakfast I use one bag.  I see that as a matter of taste and something that you shouldn't call your MIL on unless she likes weak tea.

The tap thing is different though!

Michread

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2015, 02:32:53 PM »
Some people like strong tea.  For herbal teas I can get two cups out of one bag but for English Breakfast I use one bag.  I see that as a matter of taste and something that you shouldn't call your MIL on unless she likes weak tea.

The tap thing is different though!

Oh, no, no - I did not "call" her on it.  I let her have her tea her way.  She was a guest and even if I told her to do something different she wouldn't remember for the next time.  I wasn't going there with her! 

She did get angry at my DH (her son) when he told her to turn the water off when it was running. She said what did it matter whether the water ran or not, we didn't have to pay it (yes we do and to heat it too).
« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 02:34:28 PM by Michread »

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2015, 02:34:47 PM »
I get two cups out of English breakfast tea. I'm also careful not to over-steep my tea, which can leave the tea very bitter and also helps conserve the flavor of the leaves.

My BF likes to bake things in the oven (potatoes, bacon, etc) on foil so he doesn't have to clean the pan. THIS DRIVES ME INSANE.

Not money related: We've reduced our junk mail as much as we can to save on paper waste, but my parents get a GIANT PILE of mail everyday--mostly ads, some solicitation letters and credit card applications, etc. 99% goes in the recycling (at least they recycle it...)

Pigeon

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2015, 02:35:10 PM »
I'm not reusing tea bags.  Tea bags are damned cheap to begin with, and the second cup from one bag is undrinkable.

Retire-Canada

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #6 on: March 31, 2015, 02:35:14 PM »
How many cups of tea can/do you make with one tea bag?

Black = 1 cup. But I care about how it tastes. I'm not after tea flavoured water. I also care about the temperature of the water and using a properly seasoned cup to brew tea in.

-- Vik

KCM5

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2015, 02:38:53 PM »
If I make it in a pot I make 2 cups with one teabag (usually actually 2 bags for 4 cups) but I don't reuse a teabag if I've just made one cup. But that's probably because I let them steep too long.

Life's too short to drink week tea. On that matter - life's too short to drink American tea, too. My foreign husband has made me into a tea snob.

2ndTimer

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #8 on: March 31, 2015, 02:40:04 PM »
Vikb:

If you want to tell us more about your tea drinking, I would be quite interested.  I am always looking for ways to turn small pleasures into greater pleasures through knowledge.

lise

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #9 on: March 31, 2015, 02:56:59 PM »
If I make it in a pot I make 2 cups with one teabag (usually actually 2 bags for 4 cups) but I don't reuse a teabag if I've just made one cup. But that's probably because I let them steep too long.

Life's too short to drink week tea. On that matter - life's too short to drink American tea, too. My foreign husband has made me into a tea snob.

I don't drink American black tea either!  (I make an exception for herbal) 

Any Dilmah fans out there???

frompa

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #10 on: March 31, 2015, 04:23:02 PM »

"Black = 1 cup. But I care about how it tastes. I'm not after tea flavoured water. I also care about the temperature of the water and using a properly seasoned cup to brew tea in.

-- Vik"


Ah, thanks for that.  You are a tea snob, as I too am.  So I say, "teabag? Who the fuck uses a teabag??"  Loose tea, for me.  Some kinds, I like really dark, some a little milder, some with milk, some not, always with the correct temp (212F for blacks, 180F for greens).  Like my booze, sometimes I want a really peaty scotch, sometimes a sour beer, etc.etc.  These slightly obsessive habits are endlessly instructive and pleasurable.  (Wow, do I sound like one of those people whose peas can't touch their mashes potatoes????!)

I'm a red panda

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #11 on: March 31, 2015, 04:51:04 PM »
I keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while I wait for it to warm up.  I then use that bucket of water to refill the tank (or half the tank, depending on how long it took to get hot water) after flushing the toilet in the morning.

My husband thought I was crazy at first, but it adds about 10 seconds of effort to the morning.

ruthiegirl

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2015, 05:05:54 PM »
I am a cheap bastard.  Bastardess?  I like it that way. 

1 teabag = 2 cups of tea.  I was taught to do it this way by my grandmother.  The second cup of tea is called your "silver cup" though I have no idea why. 

I wash baggies of course, though most of them are the bags that come with store bought tortillas and not Ziplock. 

Our water usage is quite low for a larger family.  Bath water is collected in the summer for the garden.  Showers are navy-style.  I grew up in the desert, so this was there norm when I was a kid and I have taught my kids to be water-wise. 

Being a cheapskate is fun for me.  I like to stretch a dime. 

And I can empathize with you, OP.  I just spent a week with my mother and she has turned into a disgracefully wasteful person.  Her comment, "Why should I care? I'll be dead soon."


Retire-Canada

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #13 on: March 31, 2015, 05:25:48 PM »


Note the cup of tea in the photo above. I was camped on a bluff in Baja Mexico for a week. I started every morning with 3 cups of tea, enjoyed by a small campfire while I got ready to pull on a wetsuit and do some surfing.

Hot delicious tea made every morning better. :)


Ah, thanks for that.  You are a tea snob, as I too am.  So I say, "teabag? Who the fuck uses a teabag??"  Loose tea, for me.  Some kinds, I like really dark, some a little milder, some with milk, some not, always with the correct temp (212F for blacks, 180F for greens).  Like my booze, sometimes I want a really peaty scotch, sometimes a sour beer, etc.etc.  These slightly obsessive habits are endlessly instructive and pleasurable.  (Wow, do I sound like one of those people whose peas can't touch their mashes potatoes????!)

As tea snobs go I am middle of the road. I have organic loose Indian teas imported from a specialist distributor in bulk. I also have found some bagged black teas I enjoy.

What's important to me is that I enjoy the drink which can mean a lot of things, but the one thing it for sure does not mean is how do I get the most dark water from a tea bag.

I'm less of a coffee snob than I am a tea snob, but I stick to espresso if I am drinking coffee and prefer short pours. You could take that same shot and add hot water to make a larger drink, but the point to me is not to have the most liquid for the cheapest price.

If that was my goal I'd only drink tap water.

I appreciate the specificity with which you approach your tea making. I don't always take that much care, but I do enjoy the results when I do or when a friend takes the trouble to make a cup for me! :)

Vikb:

If you want to tell us more about your tea drinking, I would be quite interested.  I am always looking for ways to turn small pleasures into greater pleasures through knowledge.

If you want to get your black tea on without getting too fanatical here are some ideas:

- try a few different locally available teas to see what you enjoy
- use water that's brought to a full boil....if you are using a pot add boiling water to the pot first and then dump it out to pre-heat the pot
- I use 1 bag per cup
- I use an insulated glass or stainless cup for my tea
- I don't scrub or dishwash the cup so it develops a layer of residue which my GF freaks out about, but I find makes it taste better
- use milk not cream if you are add dairy to it
- if you want a sweetener try various options and see how they affect the taste [honey, raw brown sugar, etc..]

Bottom line though is love every cup whatever that means to you.

« Last Edit: March 31, 2015, 05:27:39 PM by Vikb »

Cinder

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #14 on: March 31, 2015, 05:41:11 PM »
And I can empathize with you, OP.  I just spent a week with my mother and she has turned into a disgracefully wasteful person.  Her comment, "Why should I care? I'll be dead soon."

When my DW's Mom and nephew visit, I swear our trash output and water usage either doubles or triples.  There are so many ridiculous things that the nephew 'must have' that all come individually wrapped.  We usually produce one 'kitchen' bag of trash every one to two weeks... When they are there, we typically take the trash out several times that week.   

sheepstache

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2015, 07:32:09 PM »
I'm not normally particular about tea but the Fairway chain has good loose teas and I've become obsessed with the puer (pu-erh?) fermented tea. Apparently it usually comes in a big cake but they sell it in minis that look more like teabags and my SO thinks it's my rampant cheapness that I use them more than once but they're really meant for more than one cup. Mm, rich, chocolatey, almost coffee-like.

I will use one ginger tea bag (Yogi brand) for tea for two because it's quite strong. I try to do it quickly so the SO doesn't notice :)

PurposelyVague

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #16 on: March 31, 2015, 09:32:11 PM »
Steep it until it's too weak to drink!

PhysicsCat

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #17 on: April 01, 2015, 12:00:27 AM »
Loose leaf Earl Grey. Don't really have a clue on the temperature, I just kind of judge by the velocity of the steam coming out of the kettle. Then 5 minutes in the pot. The bag costs me ~$15. I go through maybe 2 a year.

kathrynd

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #18 on: April 01, 2015, 12:30:45 AM »
For most products, I'm not usually too fussy, but I have found tea bags are an exception.
We generally drink Red Rose or King Cole.

We use 2 teabags for our 4 cup teapot, and as the day goes on we add one more teabag and fill the pot again.

Same here concerning ziplock bags..many originally came with flat breads etc.

Saving the Planet is an honorable deed..but for me, it is because it means it is one less product we need to pay for. Using our imagination to repurpose something. It is also just plain fun !

2ndTimer

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #19 on: April 01, 2015, 12:55:39 AM »
If you want to get your black tea on without getting too fanatical here are some ideas:

- try a few different locally available teas to see what you enjoy
- use water that's brought to a full boil....if you are using a pot add boiling water to the pot first and then dump it out to pre-heat the pot
- I use 1 bag per cup
- I use an insulated glass or stainless cup for my tea
- I don't scrub or dishwash the cup so it develops a layer of residue which my GF freaks out about, but I find makes it taste better
- use milk not cream if you are add dairy to it
- if you want a sweetener try various options and see how they affect the taste [honey, raw brown sugar, etc..]


Thank you Vicb.  That was just the sort of into I was looking for.

1967mama

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #20 on: April 01, 2015, 01:23:07 AM »
2ndTimer,

A good cup of tea is often the highlight of my day and I have a whole cupboard dedicated to teas. I have a favourite mug or two that just have the right feel in my hand and the right curvature in my mouth. Sounds hokey but its true!

I have a tea pot with a mesh steeper in it and I can get a full pot out of 1-2 tablespoons of loose tea. I am in the process of comparing prices on loose tea at my local tea purveyor versus store bought tea bags. I do find the quality to be much higher in the loose tea, and I think you get better tasting tea and can steep it more times through and still get a decent cuppa.

I've found there are some tea bags that are suitable for a full 5 minute steep on 1 cup of tea only, but there are others that are more suited to a full pot of tea. For example, a bag of Twinings Earl Grey http://www.twinings.com/home.php could really only do 1 large cup.  A bag of Tetley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetley would be more suitable for a full pot and steeping a bag of Tetley in a mug would make for one strooooong cup of tea, maybe even undrinkable. Try comparing how much tea is actually contained in the bag .. its eye opening!

I love exploring different teas. For example, I can't believe how many variations of Earl Grey I've been able to find. My favourite isn't very Mustachian because I have to mail order it from a far away land <sigh> so I only do this on rare occasions. Its so nice that when people know you love tea, they give it to you as gifts :-)

*ETA: Michread, sorry for the highjack!

« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 01:25:41 AM by 1967mama »

KCM5

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #21 on: April 01, 2015, 07:01:38 AM »
I keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while I wait for it to warm up.  I then use that bucket of water to refill the tank (or half the tank, depending on how long it took to get hot water) after flushing the toilet in the morning.

My husband thought I was crazy at first, but it adds about 10 seconds of effort to the morning.

I've always meant to do this! I just don't have a bucket lying around. I wonder if it makes sense to buy a bucket for the express purpose of saving water. Although i don't have a bucket to clean things, either, so it would be useful for that.

Bardo

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2015, 07:16:31 AM »
I'm a huge tea drinker (haven't had coffee in years), and while occasionally I do re-use teabags, this strikes me as touching on the realm where frugal shades over into cheap so I don't beat myself up over teabag wastefulness.




I'm a red panda

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2015, 07:23:38 AM »
I keep a bucket in the shower to catch the water while I wait for it to warm up.  I then use that bucket of water to refill the tank (or half the tank, depending on how long it took to get hot water) after flushing the toilet in the morning.

My husband thought I was crazy at first, but it adds about 10 seconds of effort to the morning.

I've always meant to do this! I just don't have a bucket lying around. I wonder if it makes sense to buy a bucket for the express purpose of saving water. Although i don't have a bucket to clean things, either, so it would be useful for that.

It's the same bucket I use for water when I wash my car or mop the kitchen floors.  Also we used it to mix grout. A bucket comes in handy around the house.

2ndTimer

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #24 on: April 01, 2015, 07:26:23 AM »
Thanks 1967mama.  Earl Grey is an abiding favorite of mine.

justajane

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2015, 09:08:26 AM »
I have been a "cheapskate" for the sake of the earth since I was a teenager. I have to admit that I've slacked off quite a bit since I had kids and my life has gotten oh-so-much-more stressful, but some habits still endure.

I can't stand running the hot water full throttle when doing dishes. I can't stand the ubiquitous use of paper towels. Use a damned rag or towel already!

While we're talking MILs, it drives me crazy how, when mine goes to get a tissue, she always takes two. I can understand if you are completely full of snot and might need two, but without fail, she takes two, even just for a half hearted blow. Drives me batty, but I don't say anything. Tissues are cheap. I just hate the waste.

Some other things that I do for thrift and environmentalism: use half the recommended amount of detergent both in the clothes washer and the dishwasher, shower every other day, and let it mellow in the toilet. The last one is pretty controversial on here. Bob W. brought it up once, and you'd thought he'd suggested that people piss in the yard!

Regarding tea: I am a reformed tea snob. Life just got too busy for loose tea and I got too cheap to enjoy it the way I used to. But I still love me a good cup of Earl Grey, although I've read that if you drink it all the time, you can't taste the bergamot orange anymore. If you love it as much as I do, I would suggest you go a week without. Then drink a cup. You will be amazed at how much more you taste the amazing flavor. My go to cup now is Trader Joe's English Breakfast.

I will reuse a bag of peppermint tea in a second cup, but black tea? No. It's brown water at that point.

Gone Fishing

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2015, 09:14:11 AM »
Forget the tea, what kills me is when people leave an inch or two of beer in the bottom of a beer and refer to it as backwash or ass.  Don't drink like a two year old and don't leave your beer sitting around for an hour and that last inch or two will be as good as the first!

Faraday

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2015, 09:38:34 AM »
I have been a "cheapskate" for the sake of the earth since I was a teenager. I have to admit that I've slacked off quite a bit since I had kids and my life has gotten oh-so-much-more stressful, but some habits still endure.

I can't stand running the hot water full throttle when doing dishes. I can't stand the ubiquitous use of paper towels. Use a damned rag or towel already!

It would be so luxurious to be around someone MORE frugal than me. When you wrote "Use a damned rag..." I actually heard it in my head and liked the idea of being around someone so clear, direct and frugal, even if they were yelling at me. Mustachianism seems to do away with passive aggression and that's a joyful thought.

Quote
Regarding tea: I am a reformed tea snob. Life just got too busy for loose tea and I got too cheap to enjoy it the way I used to. But I still love me a good cup of Earl Grey, although I've read that if you drink it all the time, you can't taste the bergamot orange anymore. If you love it as much as I do, I would suggest you go a week without. Then drink a cup. You will be amazed at how much more you taste the amazing flavor. My go to cup now is Trader Joe's English Breakfast.

+1 to the TJ's EB and also for their Irish Breakfast. Bagged tea is faster and easier to use in the office, so it's my #1 choice even over the free, dried-out Lipton they keep by the coffee maker.  I've heard the Irish Breakfast is actually Bigelow but that's hard to believe.

One interesting tea blog:
http://www.secondcuppa.com/
I ain't generally as picky as these folks, but there's lots to learn here...


« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 09:47:26 AM by mefla »

Retire-Canada

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2015, 09:38:47 AM »
Forget the tea, what kills me is when people leave an inch or two of beer in the bottom of a beer and refer to it as backwash or ass.  Don't drink like a two year old and don't leave your beer sitting around for an hour and that last inch or two will be as good as the first!

LOL so true. I use beer cozies to keep the beer cold all the way to the bottom. :)

-- Vik

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #29 on: April 01, 2015, 09:39:48 AM »
Forget the tea, what kills me is when people leave an inch or two of beer in the bottom of a beer and refer to it as backwash or ass.  Don't drink like a two year old and don't leave your beer sitting around for an hour and that last inch or two will be as good as the first!

Oh HALE yeah. You write like a homebrewer or craft beer drinker. Rokk on!

Vikb your posting with the photo was spot-on. Tea is always the first foodstuff I pack when going camping. Lordy it makes the experience way, way better. I've been camping without tea and it's like dying and going to hell.
« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 09:42:07 AM by mefla »

Ynari

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #30 on: April 01, 2015, 10:27:12 AM »
I brew my tea multiple times because that's how you brew your damn tea!

For many green teas, the 3rd brew is the best anyway. (Especially with things like sencha, IMO. The first can just be overwhelmingly grassy. 2nd is better, but it really comes to shine in the 3rd brew.)  Even by 5th brew, most quality green teas are going strong.

In China, teas are brewed multiple times (though, probably using around 3 times the "standard" 1 tsp per cup lots of people use in the states) so that you can enjoy the evolution of the brew.  For instance, puerh is usually brewed around 10 times.

The only time I (usually) don't brew tea multiple times is with black teas (and some flavored/herbal teas that lose a lot of the flavor after the first brew). Even then, if I'm in the mood for something weaker (for instance, if I had earl grey in the evening but don't want something caffeinated at night), I'll often rebrew my tea. But that's mostly just me being too lazy to figure out what other tea to have.

I get a bit lectury when people throw out the tea leaves in the pot I've had sitting there for half an hour while I enjoy the first cup...

justajane

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #31 on: April 01, 2015, 11:39:09 AM »
It would be so luxurious to be around someone MORE frugal than me. When you wrote "Use a damned rag..." I actually heard it in my head and liked the idea of being around someone so clear, direct and frugal, even if they were yelling at me. Mustachianism seems to do away with passive aggression and that's a joyful thought.

Haha. I probably wouldn't say such things to your face or anyone else's. I agree with you that that's the beauty of this forum. I think it can take people aback sometimes, but many times people on here will say to your screen what people won't say to your face, especially in the Case Studies.

netskyblue

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #32 on: April 01, 2015, 11:47:47 AM »
I'd never use a tea bag twice, but then, I never drink a second cup of tea.  I'm not putting my used tea bag in the fridge to use in a week or two, or whenever I next decide to have tea!

ETA: and $36k/year is not "not much money" !!  Heck I was making less than that a year ago.  Keeping & re-using baggies is cheapass, and I'd only resort to that if making HALF that.  (And only then if I still had to pay rent/mortgage.)
« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 12:22:31 PM by netskyblue »

FiguringItOut

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #33 on: April 01, 2015, 11:49:08 AM »
I can you one bag of tea for 1-3 cups depending on my mood.

Turning water off while washing dishes is done rarely and only if I am scrubbing something big and bulky.

Turning water during shower is completely out of the questions.  Tried it and it makes for miserable shower. 

kathrynd

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #34 on: April 01, 2015, 10:36:22 PM »
I hate having a teabag in a cup...I find the flavor disgusting.

I enjoy having the tea steeped.
I don't save the teabag, I just don't remove it until the next morning from the pot.
If during the day we want more tea, I add one bag to the pot, and fill the pot again.

It didn't start as a frugal exercise.It started when I was sick one day, and my husband made me a cup of tea, and I loved it.That's when I found out how he made it.

Heating tea up in a microwave is also disgusting.
or drinking it out of a plastic or disposable cup.

pancakes

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #35 on: April 02, 2015, 06:20:02 AM »
I brew my tea multiple times because that's how you brew your damn tea!
I agree with everything you said.

I drink loose teas, mostly oolong and puerh. With puerh I usually tip the first steep out because I don't find it pleasant, particularly ripened examples.

I'm sure many people here would consider the prices to be exorbitant but I don't go for the very high end stuff. A decent tea with the right brewing method should last at least 10 steeps which brings the cost back down.

Ditto also on the frustration of others throwing out your leaves, especially after the first brew.

lise

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #36 on: April 02, 2015, 06:51:02 AM »
I brew my tea multiple times because that's how you brew your damn tea!
I agree with everything you said.

I drink loose teas, mostly oolong and puerh. With puerh I usually tip the first steep out because I don't find it pleasant, particularly ripened examples.

I'm sure many people here would consider the prices to be exorbitant but I don't go for the very high end stuff. A decent tea with the right brewing method should last at least 10 steeps which brings the cost back down.

Ditto also on the frustration of others throwing out your leaves, especially after the first brew.

The original poster was talking about tea BAGS.  I drink both bags and loose. 
But now that this thread is totally off kilter I'm going to chime in and agree the 3rd/4th brew with green/chinese teas seems to be the best!  I never re-brew English Breakfast etc.   

justajane

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #37 on: April 02, 2015, 06:58:15 AM »
I brew my tea multiple times because that's how you brew your damn tea!
I agree with everything you said.

I drink loose teas, mostly oolong and puerh. With puerh I usually tip the first steep out because I don't find it pleasant, particularly ripened examples.

I'm sure many people here would consider the prices to be exorbitant but I don't go for the very high end stuff. A decent tea with the right brewing method should last at least 10 steeps which brings the cost back down.

Ditto also on the frustration of others throwing out your leaves, especially after the first brew.

The original poster was talking about tea BAGS.  I drink both bags and loose. 
But now that this thread is totally off kilter I'm going to chime in and agree the 3rd/4th brew with green/chinese teas seems to be the best!  I never re-brew English Breakfast etc.

Maybe that's why I don't like green tea. It is always too strong and bitter on the first brew. I'll have to try it on the third!

pancakes

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #38 on: April 02, 2015, 07:01:18 AM »
Whoops, us tea drinkers can get a bit passionate. Sorry for derailing.

Back on topic:

My grandmother was a keen tea bag drinker and would reuse bags over and over. A child of the depression and later a single mother, some habits stayed with her for life. She had a little line set up on her windowsill to hang tea bags on and seemed to think that if you dried them out completely first that they would resteep better?

stripey

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #39 on: April 02, 2015, 08:34:23 AM »
Tea bags are not always fully biodegradeable: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jul/02/teabags-biodegradeable

This should compelling enough reason to use loose-leaf. Plus I do not want to steep my hot drink with paper as well as tea!

Faraday

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #40 on: April 02, 2015, 09:03:26 AM »
I hate having a teabag in a cup...I find the flavor disgusting.

I enjoy having the tea steeped.
I don't save the teabag, I just don't remove it until the next morning from the pot.
If during the day we want more tea, I add one bag to the pot, and fill the pot again.

It didn't start as a frugal exercise.It started when I was sick one day, and my husband made me a cup of tea, and I loved it.That's when I found out how he made it.

Heating tea up in a microwave is also disgusting.
or drinking it out of a plastic or disposable cup.

This all happened for me after adopting a low-carb lifestyle. Cutting sugars out of my food restored my ability to taste things.

I could not believe it when one day I started to realize tea tastes different with the bag in it or in a styrofoam cup. I thought teakettles were crap for the longest time until I was given tea from one. WTF's up with the microwave? It must do something to the tea itself before it steeps?

I just tried to re-use one of the TJ's Irish Breakfast tea bags. That's a big NEGATORY good buddy. And trying to "save" the weak teawater with a fresh bag didn't work either. Double-bleah.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2015, 09:05:23 AM by mefla »

partgypsy

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #41 on: April 02, 2015, 10:06:16 AM »
I often re-steep my tea, 2, 3 times. But then while I like hot beverages I don't like beverages that are too strong or bitter. Sometimes I just drink hot water, when I want to warm myself up; so tea flavored water is fine with me too. Having water that is not hot enough is more aggravating to me than a weak but good flavored cup.

Funny about tea and camping. The SAS survival book goes on about how tea is a superior beverage in these circumstances than coffee is. But then again the author was someone from Britain. 
« Last Edit: April 02, 2015, 10:11:13 AM by partgypsy »

sheepstache

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #42 on: April 02, 2015, 10:21:44 AM »
Funny about tea and camping. The SAS survival book goes on about how tea is a superior beverage in these circumstances than coffee is. But then again the author was someone from Britain.

Huh, what was the reason? I'm usually a caffeine fiend but I often don't even bring it on outdoor trips because I get adequate sleep and plenty of stimulation. In survival type situations I can see how you'd want some because sleeping conditions might be bad and you'd want to stay sharp. If they're comparing tea with instant coffee, it makes sense that tea encourages you to boil your water more thoroughly. Or is it that the lower caffeine level is safer? Less of a diuretic, doesn't boost metabolism as much, less effect on blood vessels at the extremities?

partgypsy

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #43 on: April 02, 2015, 10:48:22 AM »
I think the way he put it, hot cup of tea can be restorative and bring alertness, without the highs and lows of coffee. Coffee is a diuretic, tea not considered diuretic (within normal use).
He also says best to reduce addiction to coffee, because you will go into withdrawal and not feel well when without it. Tea drinkers don't experience that to same degree.

« Last Edit: April 02, 2015, 10:50:40 AM by partgypsy »

sheepstache

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #44 on: April 02, 2015, 11:40:02 AM »
I think the way he put it, hot cup of tea can be restorative and bring alertness, without the highs and lows of coffee. Coffee is a diuretic, tea not considered diuretic (within normal use).
He also says best to reduce addiction to coffee, because you will go into withdrawal and not feel well when without it. Tea drinkers don't experience that to same degree.

But, man, I'm an American, I need instant and overwhelming injections of dopamine for something to be worth while! That all makes sense, though.

Kind of reminds me from a quote from this book about the colonial sugar and tea trade: "Tea, which refreshes and quietens, is the natural beverage of a taciturn people, and being easy to prepare, it came as a godsend to the world’s worst cooks."
It was particularly funny as the rest of the book was pretty dry. It made the interesting point that from a home economics standpoint, tea was actually terrible because it replaced beer. Beer was brewed locally and provided much more calories for the money.

partgypsy

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #45 on: April 02, 2015, 11:47:23 AM »
yes, and beer also deals with the potable water problem in that i'm assuming the alcohol makes it safer to drink : ) Least that's what I heard about the Pilgrims anyways.

Ynari

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #46 on: April 02, 2015, 01:07:43 PM »
I think the way he put it, hot cup of tea can be restorative and bring alertness, without the highs and lows of coffee. Coffee is a diuretic, tea not considered diuretic (within normal use).
He also says best to reduce addiction to coffee, because you will go into withdrawal and not feel well when without it. Tea drinkers don't experience that to same degree.

My boyfriend actually takes chocolate covered espresso beans on backpacking trips for the diuretic effect so he can stay, ermm, "regular" after all that trail food.  We always had plenty of access to water, though, so dehydration/"survival" was never a real issue.

Villanelle

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #47 on: April 02, 2015, 01:17:48 PM »
Once a tea bag brews for more than about 3 minutes, it starts to taste bitter.  Unless I was in total debt emergency, I wouldn't reuse tea bags.  Actually, I use loose tea, but the same point stands.  Maybe it is a bit fancypants, but I certainly don't think it is wasteful, especially not if someone actually seems able to taste the difference.   (I drink black or maybe red, generally.  When I drink oolong, I do reuse.)

My mom will brew a few bags in a large measure cup at the beginning of the day.  She makes it super strong and then drinks it, iced, all day adding water to dilute the strong brew.  But she leaves the bags in all day.  I find it isn't as much an issue whenI drink at her house, and my guess is that it is because it is iced. 

Bob W

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #48 on: April 02, 2015, 02:52:08 PM »
I would guess 4?  Here is my simple method

I buy 100 tea bags for $1.35 (price keeps rising!)

I put 2 bags in the coffee maker and run 4 or 5  cups through.  I drink what I like.  Next day whatever is left in the carafe I add some water and run through the same bags again.  It is sometimes a little lighter.   Day 3 throw another 2 tea bags on top and repeat process.   After about   10 tea bag and the water runs pretty clear I start over.

In this manner a box lasts at least 3 months if not longer.   So my annual tea habit is a whopping $5.  Probably about 3/10th of a penny per cup.  I'm sure I could do without tea but at that rate why bother.   

shelivesthedream

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Re: How many cups of tea with one tea bag and other frugal musings....
« Reply #49 on: April 03, 2015, 02:40:22 AM »
One of the many joys of loose leaf tea is that you can use exactly the right amount of tea leaves, unlike the fixed size of the tea bag that PG Tips et al have decided is how you like your tea (those corporate bastards!) I like my tea weak most of the time, so I just have a scraping of leaves rather than a spoonful. But some teas need to brew quickly or you start getting a bitter aftertaste, so then I put more leaves in.

We also have teapots (eBay!) and lovely gold-edged teacups (for free!). These are very important to me as it does make the whole 'cup of tea' event into an experience rather than a functional act. I use a mug if I am only making tea for myself, but it's often tea for two so it's usually a pot. I like the fact that we have to have the same tea then, too, as it makes tea more of a thing.

I've got all wistfully philosophical and aesthetic without meaning to! I'll stop before this turns into a treatise on tea as a metaphor for the ills of modern society...