Is fancy tea much more expensive than standard commercial tea?
Most good tea is not very expensive; and it may be cheaper than you think. When you buy tea in bags, most of what you pay for is the process of putting the teas in the bags, and the brand name advertising. Fancy tea is generally sold loose, and the price per cup is often lower than for commercial tea. Of course, as with most things, you can spend a lot for tea if you try. But if price is a concern, start small. Some truly fine teas retail in the United States for less than US$20 per pound, which means less than 10 cents per cup. (I’m told that tea prices outside the United States are roughly comparable.) Unfortunately, high quality loose leaf tea is typically not available in supermarkets; you will probably have to seek out a specialty shop or a mail-order company.
Most good tea is not very expensive; and it may be cheaper than you think. When you buy tea in bags, most of what you pay for is the process of putting the teas in the bags, and the brand name advertising. Fancy tea is generally sold loose, and the price per cup is often lower than for commercial tea. Of course, as with most things, you can spend a lot for tea if you try. But if price is a concern, start small. Some truly fine teas retail in the United States for less than US$20 per pound, which means less than 10 cents per cup. (I’m told that tea prices outside the United States are roughly comparable.) Unfortunately, high quality loose leaf tea is typically not available in supermarkets; you will probably have to seek out a specialty shop or a mail-order company. 2 Why use cold tap water? Wouldn’t hot tap water boil faster? Household water heaters heat water for washing, not for drinking. Water out of the hot tap generally has health-threatening levels of heavy metals (such as lead),
