I drink Lipton's Tea by the gallons. Always wondered about loose leaf tea, but would need instructions too. Were your choices hot or would they be good cold?

 

I'm with you, I drink roughly a gallon of tea a day. I have never tried anything other than pre-made tea bags and make a gallon at a time.

What's the rule here? Is it considered brewing your own tea if you use tea bags? I love iced Earl Gray. I am picky about the brands I use and I let it sit longer than the instructions call for it to.

What's the rule here? Is it considered brewing your own tea if you use tea bags? I love iced Earl Gray. I am picky about the brands I use and I let it sit longer than the instructions call for it to.

 

I think it's totally up to the individual's taste. There's been some teas that I've used where I've gotten distracted and they've sat for twice as long (maybe more) than they probably should have. Some I noticed became bitter and not really pleasant to drink, but others were just a little "stronger" in their flavors. So, if you like the taste of brewing it longer, I say stick with it.

 

I will say that my venture into tea has me doing two things slightly different than before (when I'd just pour boiling water into a mug with a tea bag). One, is that I "pre-heat" my mug ahead of time. After I pour the necessary hot water into my diffuser with the tea, I'll pour extra water into the mug and just let it warm it up while the tea steeps, then dump it when the tea's ready.

 

The second thing is, I use honey as my exclusive sweetener now. Don't know why or how it happened, but it just seems to me that I like the honey-sweetened versions more than sugar-related ones. (This is for hot tea only, though.)