Infusers // The Tea Ball

There are countless strains of tea and combinations of infusions out there. One thing that does stay fairly similar for most people is their selection of infusers with which to make their cups of awesome. The question is, which one do you use? Which kind is the best? For those who are only looking to make a single cup at a time and not break out the teapot (Why not? Call a friend and make more tea. JUST DO IT), infusers are an easy way to make the perfect amount of tea for a single  cup.

Let's start with a stereotypical infuser.

The tea ball. A lot of people new to the tea world will pick up one of these little dohickies as an afterthought once they finish their first purchasing experience. They're usually right next to the register, and only cost a few bucks. Let's be honest. You just dropped $60.00 on tea, what's another $3.00?  These little metal casings are a convenient size for most teas (oolongs and other large leaf teas may have some issues expanding to their full potential in them) and they are fairly easier to clean. Pop open the hinge, dump the used leaves into the compost, rinse, and make another cup. Easy enough right?

Well, that's when your problems arise with these buggers. They are usually advertised as stainless steel tea balls, which is partially true. The mesh is stainless steel, but a lot of the time the hinge components are made out of aluminum, which does not do well with being dunked into hot water and then left to air dry while you finish writing your next screenplay. If you've ever owned one of these little buggers (Or paid way more attention in chemistry than I did), you know that this means that the hinges will quickly rust, corroding away the important bits until the tea ball literally fall apart. Another cruddy part of this construct is that the mechanics required to open and close the hinge also creates a small space between the two halves, even when closed. For tea leaves, it's not that big of a deal. But if you prefer CTC tea over full leaf, or other herbal infusions like rooibos, a tea ball is going to leave all kinds of dregs in your cup.

GOOD THINGS

-Cheap $$

-Easy to clean

-Easy to acquire

-Keeps out most particulate from tea leaves

-Various sizes fit into more uniquely shaped teapots

BAD THINGS

-Cheaply made

-Components corrode

-Gaps allow a lot of dregs out

-Doesn't allow large leaves to expand

-Can be messy

All in all, if you're looking to buy a device to make tea, should you invest in a tea ball?

Let's ask the expert.

HE HAS SPOKEN

Toodles!

An Update // Tea Shop

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their patience during my short break from posting. The time off was definitely a good way for me to get some posts queued up, opportunities to think, and to spend some time with Style. During this break, I also came to a rather abrupt decision. With school starting again, I was accelerated in making my choice between continuing my degree for a few years, or simply finishing my bachelor degree and beginning a passion project of mine that has been stewing in my brain for a few years now. Because of the deadline of registration, I chose to follow my passion. I will be finishing my degree this year and figuring out how to open up my own tea shop.

I've always heard it said that you shouldn't just do whatever job you can for a career. You're supposed to do what you love, what you're supremely passionate about, and figure out a way to make money doing it. It might be difficult to start, it might even be difficult for your entire life. But doing what you love makes it worth it. I love music, and I love teaching music. But there have been times throughout my degree that I have lost that spark, that necessary component of teaching. During these moments of doubt and disinterest, I have never lost my passion for tea. It's always been interesting to me, comforting no matter the situation.

One of the jobs I've had as an adult was working in a tea shop, selling bags of looseleaf tea. It was an amazing experience that I learned a lot doing. Part of being hired for that job was taking a class all about tea. I even discovered that you can get certificates in tea knowledge (That I will most likely be pursuing later). Anyway, the owner of this shop moved to another provence, as the store was more of a hobby for him instead of his career.

With the closing of my beloved local teashop, the only place that sells looseleaf tea in my city is a poor excuse for a store, a mass produced chain store. Don't get me wrong, I see the appeal and purpose. It's not a terrible place for people to start their adventures into looseleaf tea. But for someone who has moved beyond the taste of artificial flavours and sweeteners, I can't really enjoy the tea from there anymore. This strands me, and people with similar palettes, without a place to buy good looseleaf tea. This planted the idea in my mind that I could open a teashop.

One aspect of local shops, of any kind, I've always loved is how welcoming they can feel. Like how you can just walk in one afternoon and spend a couple of hours there, reading or talking or whatever. This is very reminiscent of the teahouses of Asia, and something that my city is very much lacking. This is my vision for my own shop. I want a place where you can walk in, sit down in a nice chair, order a cup or pot of tea, and spend some time enjoying yourself. Too much of life is rushed through, not enjoyed. I want there to be a place that has great quality tea, a relaxing atmosphere, and a place of community. That's the goal for my shop.

If you have any ideas, suggestions, or requests regarding the shop, please leave a comment or message. Know a great kind of tea you would like to see served? Let me know! Have an amazing artist who wants some art publicized? Shoot me a comment and a contact! Really, all ideas are welcome.

Toodles!

Caffeine and Tea

Caffeine has become a huge part of Western culture. People make clothing about it, food infused with it, and (not surprisingly) some become addicted to it. That said, caffeine is naturally a part of a lot of things, including coffee, chocolate, pop, and tea. As tea is included in this list, I thought today would be a good opportunity to throw some information about caffeine in tea at you.

Available on Thinkgeek. Just saying...

FACT

There is less caffeine in a cup of black tea than in a cup of coffee. A British study showed that a typical 8 ounce cup of black English breakfast tea contains 40mg of caffeine vs the 105mg found in an 8 oz cup of drip coffee. There are studies that try to say that coffee has less caffeine than tea, but they contain misinformation, comparing coffee and tea in their dry forms. In this state, yes, tea has more caffeine, but the amount used per cup is what makes the difference. On average, 2 grams of dry tea is used verses the 10 grams of dry coffee per 8 oz cup.

FACT

An amino acid found in tea (and only found in tea, not in anything else), is called L-theanine. It reduces stress and works alongside the caffeine in the plant to calm the body while allowing the caffeine to keep the mind attentive. Tea is unique over coffee in the way that it creates "calm alertness".

FACT

The high amount of antioxidants actually help to even out the rate that caffeine is absorbed into the body. Coffee and pop deliver a high amount of caffeine quickly to the system and have nothing to bind to chemically, so the caffeine is quickly used and the body crashes soon after. The caffeine in tea binds to the antioxidants and absorb slowly, allowing the body a longer duration of alertness without crashing.

Another common myth about tea is that black tea has more caffeine than green or white tea. This is untrue. The oxidization process has ZERO impact on the amount of caffeine. What makes the difference is the process of brewing the different types of tea. The amount of caffeine that gets transferred from the leaves to the liquid is determined by the temperature of the water and the length of time the leaves are infused. A cup of black tea contains more caffeine because it was steeped for LONGER PERIODS OF TIME and in HIGHER TEMPERATURE WATER. Green and white teas use lower temperature water and shorter steep times; they have less caffeine in a brewed cup.

Caffeine content in a cup of properly brewed tea

One last little tidbit about tea is that decaffeinated tea has doesn't actually contain zero caffeine. Different processes can be used to leach some of the caffeine out of the tea leaves (CO2 being an incredibly effective method that retains a lot of the tea's taste), but none of these processes remove ALL of the caffeine. A cup of decaf tea will retain around 5-10mg of caffeine. In order to drink something without any caffeine, you have to switch to an herbal infusion like rooibos, peppermint, chamomile, or fruit infusions.

Now that you are a little better informed, go forth and enjoy the calm focus of tea!

http://robthedoodler.deviantart.com/

Toodles!

FORLIFE Teaware

One of the defining features of a good teapot is to have a spout that doesn't drip. I can't even begin to explain how annoying it is to make a pot of tea and have it spill all over the place. Enter the solution, the best line of tea products I've ever used: FORLIFE. I've been a supporter of this line of teapots ever since I began getting into tea. My favourite little teapot is a pretty little black thing, it holds two to three cups of tea. The best thing about my teapot, and every teapot that FORLIFE makes, is that the brand has a guarantee that all of their products will not drip. 

Another great thing about the brand is the huge amount of colour choices you can get their stock in. All of the items on their website (aside from the glassware) comes in a variety of colours that you can choose from. For those looking to acquire a full set of cups and pots, you can get all your purchases in the same colour if you like. The matching set thing appeals to some people.

I highly recommend that for anyone looking to buy some teaware check out either the FORLIFE website or an authorized seller. The products are amazing, well designed in both use and aesthetics, and backed by the best kind of guarantee a teapot can have. Check them out!













Toodles!

Plantie and the Fallen

Plantie sits, surrounded by the remains of his fallen brethren. Do not fear Plantie, their remains shall be given the honour they deserve.

Titles Are Important

There's a number of things I'd like to talk about today. The first being that I am going to split up the pictures I have been embedding into my posts. That way, if you just like Plantie, or random Poros, you can just look at those without having to scroll through my rantings.

The second thing I'd like to discuss is the name of this blog. It is called Repetitive Motions, and I chose that name because of how things in life tend to go. One of my passions is tea, and the process of making it is quite ritualistic (considering there are ceremonies based around it, that isn't too surprising). Certain steps followed in order, performed in similar ways. Another big aspect of my life is music. I'm working towards becoming a music teacher, and I specialize in percussion instruments. This particular branch of musical instruments is massive when it comes to gear and techniques you can learn. BUT, at it's core, there are basics that you apply to most areas. And honestly, nothing is more repetitive than practicing doubles on snare drum for an hour.
There are many aspects of life that could be quite monotonous if you let them. The things you love can become boring if you don't find ways to maintain your passion for them. Making the same pot of tea, every day, the same way, could be taken in two ways. It's either a comfortable tradition you can depend on, or a rut that you lay in without progressing. Realizing the difference between the two is probably on the list of the most important things you will learn in life (Pushes glasses up my very unexperienced nose).

Now, so far this blog has just been a way for me to dump out what's on my brain at the time. I have no idea how many of the views I've received are actually interested in my thoughts or just misclicks. So, in an effort to include the peoples of the internet, I open myself up to you all. Leave me questions in the comments of a post, tell me how a story relates to you (or doesn't), suggest future topics for post, art you'd like to share. WHATEVER. I'm interested in your lives. Truly.

So. Yeah. POST STUFF FOR ME TO SEE.

Toodles!

edit: The irony of this post is that I forgot to put the title on it before posting it originally... I'm so good at this!

A Matter of Stoneware

As I come to the second day of blogging, I've come to the realization that people who do this full-time are massively impressive. To come up with a new topic for every post already seems like a difficult task, let alone to do it every day. It doesn't help that watching a particular episode of How I Met Your Mother has left me wanting to make every sentence rhyme.

I drink a lot of tea. Like, A LOT a lot. Some people have to work to make sure they drink enough water in a day. I easily exceed the recommended amount, and only have to make two pots of tea to do it. Having a 5 cup capacity teapot and drinking green tea (which you brew more than once) helps immensely. I'm sure there will be a post at sometime or another about that teapot, but I need to keep my options open so I can post every day.

Now, for the matter of stoneware. I was recently in Winnipeg visiting family. While I was there, I was able to attend a pop-up shop set up by my sibling, Ash. In case you're interested in some really cool knitting, getting yarn, or patterns to make yourself, check out Sunflower Knit.
They were selling yarns and sewing creations at a local artist shop downtown. At this particular artist shop, Tara Davis Studio Boutique, there was tons of pottery. I am a sucker for mugs, which helps feed my tea addiction. While gushing over this mug or that one, I noticed a corner of the store that had taller mugs. Upon closer inspection, I discovered the amazing part of the store that housed their collection of stoneware. I love how stoneware feels with tea. The weight of the mug, the texture of cup's lip, the way heat transfers from it to your hand. Uuuung.

I'm I geek. Shut up...

Anyway, this particular mug was beautiful. I love the difference in colouring on the inside compared to the outside. A mug with a well-designed handle is a wonderful thing that I don't think everyone truly appreciates. A badly made cup can ruin a lovely drink all on it's own.

Here is the mug in question, along with Plantie. Plantie loves mugs too.

Today's Poro is pretending to be a barbarian. Because reasons.

Toodles!

Dealing with Maté

One of the other presents I received for the holidays this year was a bombilla set and a large amount of Yerba Maté. For those who are unaware, Yerba Maté is an African drink, made from an herb found locally there. It is very powdery and is available for fairly cheap in a lot of places. It also comes in a wide variety of flavours.

The traditional way to make Yerba Maté is quite a complicated process, but the short version is to add the tea to a gourd (called a Maté), place a special straining spoon (called a bombilla) in the gourd, add a little bit of cold water to clump the tea, then under-boiling water to make the tea. Sounds simple enough, right?

My first attempt at making this tea was not very successful. I tried to make the cold version of the tea, but ended up adding the water too quickly. This ended with more than a little bit of the tea to make its way up the straw. Because I didn't want to waste the tea, I ended up simply placing the straw inside of a tea bag and then into the cup. This worked to keep the leaves out of the straw, but is definitely not the right way to do it. More research on the process will probably help.

The little research I have done on Yerba Maté has revealed a little of the culture behind the drink. Drinking Yerba Maté is apparently a common social component of a gathering. The person who is making the tea makes the first cup, and drinks it quickly. Yerba Maté is not a sipping drink. After finishing their first cup, they make the tea again, using the same leaves, cup, and straw. They hand this to the next person, who quickly drinks it, and so on until everyone has had some. Seems to me like the person making the tea becomes very busy for the duration of whatever event is happening.

Mishaps aside, once I wasn't spitting out pieces of tea, it was a very nice drink. The bag I received is a mint blend, and tasted very refreshing as a cold drink. The hot version will be tried at a later date. It had a distinct mint taste, but also has the caffeine taste that coffee has, albeit a lot less intense. Overall, a nice tea, with a process that will take some mastering.

And One for the Holidays

First off, a merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. To other holidays occurring today, enjoy yourselves too.

Secondly, keeping my promise about tea. Not only did I try a lovely tea today in the holiday spirit, I received a great combination of two of my passions; a tea pot/kettle that boils water to the specific temperature based on the type of tea and steeps for recommended lengths of time. Since technology and gadgets are a love of mine, this was definitely the best gift I received from my family. The tea I made to christen the new teapot was called "Santa's Secret", a black tea with bits of candy cane in it. The peppermint flavour was very noticeable in the tea, and very refreshing. The teapot brewed it very nicely, though it is a bit of a hassle to clean. The trade off is definitely worth it. I also tried making a flavoured green tea, Japanese Lime, and it was wonderfully done. Not bitter at all, the keep warm function worked perfectly. Any further developments with the teapot shall be posted.

Finally, to any nerd readers that stumble upon this (perhaps quite literally), if you manage to find an equally nerdy significant other or even just one who is willing to learn, hang tight. They're worth every moment of your time.

Happy holidays to all,
-Life's a flam

A Pre-Holiday Posting

Everyone celebrates some kind of holiday around this time of the year, so I wish them a happy/merry holiday. It never really feels like the holidays in my house until we are sitting in the living room, drinking our respective hot beverages, and listening to the Chipmunks Christmas cassette. Despite the lifespan of technology in our house, a cassette player has still survived this long and still functions. Another technological miracle is that the tape still plays, after the countless time it has been played, rewound, moved in and out of the player, and survived more than a decade and a half. Most people now have problems keeping a CD or DVD for a few years.

On the topic of tea, Buckingham Palace Garden Party (Yes it's a mouthful to say) is a blend of black and green tea. As mentioned earlier, this requires the tea to be brewed at the lower temperature to avoid scorching the green tea. The tea turns out to be a nice dark orange colour once steeped. It tastes a lot like a standard orange pekoe tea, but is smoother because of the added green tea, as well as the bit of lavender that's in it. The tea also tastes heavier than a straight black tea, making it a good option for a breakfast tea.

Tomorrow I'll be trying the Christmas teas I recently acquired, so expect a post or two about them.

-Life's a flam

The Wonders of Tea

After a brief (and fairly pointless) argument with my significant other last night, I removed myself from the situation and made a cup of tea. While staring at the tea as it steeped, I came to a realization. This blog shouldn't be written the way I have so far. People don't an anonymous crap if I type with proper grammar, or use eloquent sentences. I can write this in my own style of writing, with my own preference for sentence structure, whatever I choose. If I decided to code my computer so that it wrote in the Draconic script from Skyrim, it wouldn't matter. This is my little corner of the internet; I'll write however I damn well want to.

On a slightly different note, chamomile tea is a wonderful thing to have at one in the morning, after an argument and when you need to quiet your mind. Chamomile tea, although having a distinct smell that many people dislike, is very soothing. It's a smooth tea, slightly yellow in colour. It also tastes best when freshly made, allowing it to sit for any length of time to cool is not a good idea.

Speaking of tea, it was an odd feeling when I realize that I know more about tea than some of the people who work at the stores I buy my tea from. Chamomile is an herbal tea, specifically it's a flower. Herbal teas like this, as well as black teas, are steeped with boiling water (98 degrees Fahrenheit). White and green tea cannot be brewed with water this temperature, as the leaves will singe and create a bitter flavour. The reason I explain all of this is because a tea I recently purchased contained chamomile and both black and white tea leaves, among other things. The combination of leaf types led me to assume that I should use the water temperature for white tea, so as to not ruin the flavour. When I asked the worker who recommended the tea, he replied along the lines of "Use boiling water. The white tea won't burn, but the chamomile might. Since there isn't much chamomile in this tea, it should be fine with boiling water." Short of recommending flavours of teas I have yet to try, I don't think I'll put much weight into employees opinions of teas.

Tea is a wonderful thing, with a blend for just about anything. I shall make myself a pot of it now.

-Life's a flam