Have you ever had this discussion with a friend or fellow tea drinker ? I know it's something that can split people into two very different teams. Some say you should use the microwave for making tea, because it's fast and convenient. Others get goosebumps at the idea, and maintain that a kettle is the best and only true way of making tea properly. Both are right, though, and I can hear both sides groaning. It depends on what you're aiming for with your tea. Let me explain. So which is best for tea, a kettle or a microwave ? The best way ...
How Long Do Coffee Beans Last ? A Word On Fresh Coffee Beans
Sniffing your coffee beans to check if they're stale ? I know the feeling. I'm especially sad whenever I walk past a coffee shop with the coffee bags in full view, opened and beautifully arranged. It smells odd, and the flavor is often gone when brewing coffee from those kind of bags. Now let's see when are coffee beans bad, or stale, and if they ever do expire. And how to tell if they've gone or not. So how long do coffee beans last ? Freshly roasted coffee beans can 3-6 months, in an airtight container and away from heat and direct ...
Are Coffee And Chocolate Related ? About Your Favorite Drinks
If you're anything like me, you are friends both with chocolate and with coffee. But why do we love them so much ? They seem awfully familiar, like some sort of cousins. would this mean chocolate and coffee are related ? Their taste definitely would lead you to think so. As it turns out, there are some clear differences between the two, and we'll discuss them here. You can always mix the two in your brew, and we'll discuss that here too. So are coffee and chocolate related ? No, coffee an chocolate are not related. They come from two very ...
Why Is My Green Tea Brown ? Here's What's Really Going On
Ever made a cup of green tea and was met by a yellowish-brown tea ? I know I have, and there is a definite difference between teas that come out green and those that come out yellow. I actually made a cup of green tea I had on hand, to check if this one was yellowish too. It was. Delicious, but still not green. The I went to an actual Japanese restaurant and had green tea. Here's what I found. Why is my green tea brown ? Green tea can brew brown if the tea is of inferior quality, or if you've brewed it for too long or used water that is ...
Can You Put Honeycomb In Tea ? Here's How To Use It Safely
Honeycomb is an amazing source of fresh and unpolluted honey. Some use it in foods and sweets, some use it for cosmetics. The beeswax in it is edible, even if it's not exactly tasty. What about using it in tea, though ? Would honeycomb be safe to use in tea ? So can you put honeycomb in your cup of tea ? Yes, you can add honeycomb to your cup of tea. You can put the whole comb, honey and wax all together and let it melt there. Just be warned that your cup of tea should be at or just below 42 C/107 F , in order for the healing ...
Can You Freeze Tea ? (Both Brewed And Loose Leaf Tea)
At times you might want to store your tea in the freezer. It's sometimes a good idea, sometimes not. It depends on what type of tea you have, and whether it's brewed or not. Let me explain. So can you freeze tea ? Yes, you can freeze tea, whether it's loose leaves, tea bags, or already brewed tea but you will lose a lot of flavor. When thawing the tea leaves and bags, you're slowly steeping the tea so you will need to brew it right away. Reheating a tea (frozen or not) will reduce its flavor even more, as it escapes through the ...
Sugar And Cream In Your Coffee ? Their Effect On Caffeine
Do you add sugar and cream to your coffee ? Milk ? Honey ? Anything else ? You might be wondering what effects these flavors will have on the caffeine in your coffee. From someone who also takes her coffee with a lump of sugar and quite a bit of milk, let me tell you how your coffee will differ from, say, a black coffee. Let me explain. Do cream and sugar affect caffeine ? No, sugar and cream do not affect the caffeine content in your coffee, or its effect on your body. They may change the taste and make it seem more palatable, but the ...
Does Coffee Lose Its Caffeine Over Time ? Here's The Truth
Ever made a cup of coffee and forgot it on the counter ? Then you know the taste can be very different after a few hours. What about the caffeine level, does it go away after a while ? It seems some things are a given with coffee, and one of these is how long caffeine lasts in your coffee, brewed or not. Let me explain. So does coffee lose its caffeine in time ? No, caffeine does not evaporate. Unless you specifically remove the caffeine from the beans to make it a decaf version, your coffee will retain its caffeine. If you brew a cup of ...
What Causes Tea To Be Bitter (Especially Black Or Green Tea)
If you've ever brewed a cup of tea and found it to be way too bitter, this is for you. And for me, since I have a sort of love-hate relationship with green tea. It's the most sensitive tea, and it shows its bitterness easier than its black sibling. So what causes tea to be bitter ? Tea can be bitter due to tannins and theophylline, which are naturally occurring polyphenols that also double as antioxidants. These polyphenols seep out of tea leaves the longer you let the tea steep, and the hotter the water. Too many of these particles in a ...
Decaf vs Regular Coffee - Why The Difference Matters
Reading this, I'm assuming you want to know more about decaf coffee, why it's different from the regular one, and why everyone's going on about it. I honestly didn't really know very much until recently when I looked up some health benefits for decaf. But here's what I found out, and I hope this article will help you make the decision between the two types. Let me explain. What is decaf coffee ? Decaf coffee has had almost all of its caffeine removed via chemical solvents. The remaining caffeine, around 3%, is nearly undetectable for most ...
Can You Drink Green Tea Cold ? Here's What You Should Know
Green tea is delicious, but an acquired taste. While it's usually served hot, some people like it cold. Iced, actually. Is it good though ? Is it okay to drink cold green tea ? Depending on what part of the world you're from, the question might sound either silly, or very serious. So can you drink green tea cold ? Yes, you can drink green tea when it's cold. Iced, even. The taste of freshly brewed green tea is a bit different than cold green tea, but the health benefits and overall effect are the same. Some parts of the world ...
What Is Black Coffee ? Here's Why Everyone's Stoked On It
You might not find this in a restaurant menu per se, but baristas everywhere will ask you if you want your coffee black. You might hear other talk about how they only drink their coffee black. Which sounds odd, what else color does a coffee come ? Well, as it turns out, black coffee is both simple and a sort of rite of passage for any coffee drinker. Let me explain. So what is black coffee ? Black coffee is simply brewed coffee without any added sugar or milk or flavorings. It is the pure form of brewed coffee, and it has the strongest ...
Does Brewed Tea Go Bad ? Here's How Long You Can Keep It
Have your ever made a big batch of tea and somehow had lots of it left at the end of the day ? You've probably wondered if you can drink it the next day. I know I have, and I know I've tried. The thing is, there is no fixed answer to this, because tea can be kept in many ways over several periods of time. Let me explain. So does brewed tea go bad ? Yes, brewed tea can go bad if you don't store it in an airtight container. It needs to be kept in a very cold place (like the fridge), and out of direct sunlight. In the fridge, brewed tea can ...
What Is Drip Coffee ? Brewing Your Perfect Cup Of Joe
If you've ever had coffee, you know there's ways and ways of brewing it. Some love espresso, some swear by instant coffee, some ask for drip coffee and everything in between. I for one have a filter machine (drip coffee) and I've cycled through almost every way of making coffee before settling on this one. It's not necessarily the best way to drink coffee, but it's one of the ways. Let me explain. So what is drip coffee ? Drip coffee is coffee that has been brewed with hot water and ground coffee, directly into a filter. The ...