Love and an electric kettle

By naomi / in Products from two leaves and a bud, Uncategorized / February 8, 2017

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a little tale about how an electric kettle can save a relationship:

Once upon a time (about a couple of months ago, in fact), a writer who regularly does some work for a local tea company (ahem) noticed her husband was drinking a lot more tea than she'd ever seen him drink before. The telltale signs of his burgeoning relationship with tea were everywhere: soggy post-steeped tea sachets sitting in the kitchen sink, more mugs gathering in his home office than usual, and clear sleeves that keep tea fresh littering the kitchen counter.

Picking up around the house on behalf of her betrothed was nothing new (truth be told, she's not the neatest housemate, either), but she was curious about this sudden uptick in tea consumption. "What's up?" she asked him, as he ventured into the tea cabinet one afternoon. "I'm trying to cut out coffee to see if it helps with my sleep," he said. "Drinking tea instead of beer or wine in the evenings is helping too."

"A noble endeavor," she replied (or something like that), and as weeks went by his tea drinking continued unabated. He tried new tea blends and enjoyed throwing a tea sachet into a water bottle to cold brew the tea during workdays, but one seemingly simple bit of brewing tea escaped him: boiling water. Not satisfied with how long it took a full kettle of water to reach a boil on the stove, this husband began placing just a bit of water into an open pot, where it was ready for brewing tea much faster. But now and then as the open pot was on the stove nearing a boil, he became immersed in his work, or an important phone call, and the water in the pot would bubble away. And the pot would sit there. Empty. On a lit gas burner.

In this story the husband may or may not have been a volunteer firefighter in the small town where this couple lives, and so the wife may or may not have shamed him for this lack of supervision when it comes to boiling water. It became part of his routine to set a timer to remind him to check on his water, and that helped for a while, but after one more pot was scorched and a few more accusations were hurled across the kitchen, a day of reckoning arrived. People have been safely (and not so safely) brewing tea for thousands of years ... wasn't there a solution for a busy family of tea drinkers here in the 21st century?

"Duh," thought the wife, who has been writing for a tea company for years. And so it was that she invested in an electric kettle, one that could boil water quickly, without an open flame, and features an automatic shut-off so that its gentle "click" can summon her husband to refresh his tea, all while keeping their humble abode from burning clear to the ground.

The moral of the story: There is a solution for every tea conundrum out there somewhere in the long-lasting tea industry, including solutions that will delight the tea lovers in your life.

At Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company, we love a happy ending! If you're still on the prowl for a thoughtful Valentine's Day gift for someone in your life, consider the broad variety of tea, mugs, goodies and more on our website ... and live happily ever after.

Hot enough for ya?

By naomi / in Tea Education / April 23, 2015

"Tea is as easy as boiling water," they say. "Just add boiling water to the tea and let it steep."

"Meh," you say. "I don't like green tea because it often tastes bitter."

"Ah," they say. "Sounds like your water was too hot."

"... I thought this was supposed to be easy?" you say.

Uh, yeah ... about that: We at Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company are interested in demystifying all types of tea, so it certainly doesn't help when someone criticizes your ability to boil water, right? Soooo ...

Presenting the simplest guide to correct brewing temperatures we've ever written! You won't even need a thermometer. Answer a quick question, and then follow these instructions:

What kind of tea will you be preparing?

Green or white tea: Easy does it. When the tiny bubbles begin to appear at the bottom of the pot, you're good to pour. Once the bubbles get big and start to break at the surface, you risk "stewing" your delicate tea leaves, leading to bitterness. You'll also lose all the delicate flavors of these teas, and that's a big no-no. (If you're gonna get a thermometer, you'll want to see 170 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Oolong: This is the middle ground, because Oolong leaves can be oxidized like green tea or like black tea, so watch for the little bubbles on the bottom of the pot to have a bit of movement, and the water to have a good amount of steam rising. (180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit)

Black or herbal: Boil, baby, boil! A full, rolling boil — when your tea kettle is screaming and steam is racing out of the spout — is just fine. (208 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit)

With practice, you'll be able to tell what temperature the water is based on the sound your tea kettle makes ... and a rule of thumb: When it doubt, err on the side of cooler. Some specialty teas, like a lovely first flush Darjeeling, may be considered more delicate than your typical black tea, and you wouldn't want to stew those teas either.

Any questions?