Tea....is great. More and more research says that.

The last couple of years I have gotten into loose tea which is how most of the world drinks tea. Good loose tea is awesome and VERY easy to prepare. On amazon you can get a good 'tea press' basically something that holds the leaves in place to brew for $13. I suggest the 'Kenya' tea press by Bodhan (sp) which is 34 ounces and has a neat way of stoping brewing.

I suggest adagio dot com as a great place to buy and learn about tea. They have a huge selection, customer reviews, different grades of teas, sampler packets, good prices, free or reasonable shipping. My wife and I love their jasmine teas. And their herbal teas....well celestial is good but loose tea will blow you away.

Finally have just started using lipton cold brew at work and home for its ease. 'Brews' a decent ice tea with basically zero effort. The box lists two ingridents: two different types of tea leaves. I tried online to see if there was anything unhealthy about it but could not find any info. So instead of sodas...go for the tea. Gourmet tea is a lot cheaper than gourment coffee and even less than soda. Tastes great and is great for you.

Lastly if you are not that big a tea fan...try loose tea. Apparently the stuff in most tea bags is leftovers from Europe. Stuff they could not even sale. Try a $13 tea press and a couple of teas from adagio. I bet you will end up loving it.

I'm another fan of Adagio tea. I've never been disappointed in their products.

There is a great tea shop here in Denver that sells every loose tea imaginable. I have never found another place in any city (I know they must be out there!) that has what they do. I usually just go for the hibiscus and add a citron honey I get at the Korean market. It's like an herbal remedy and aromatherapy in some leaves!

june,

Is it the one in Broomfield? I really liked that tea shop.

DC area has a few really good tea shops but the one in Broomfield, CO has my heart

Adagio is really good.

No! Which one is this??? I must know! I work in Boulder now, so now I have a reason to go to Broomfield.

The one I go to is the Tea Box in Cherry Creek. Tell them what ails you and they will provide the cure!

There is a tea shop in one of the malls here. I went in there a few weeks ago. We'd just bought quite a bit of tea, so we're using that up first.

I think I'll go brew myself a cup of decaf tea right now.

My coworker's wife works at Celestial Seasonings and we are stocked up until Armageddon. They make a pretty good earl gray, but other than that CS isn't really my favorite.

Celestial seasonings is great and they have a good factory tour.

June,

I can't remember the name and the place isn't very big but they had a large variety of teas. It is near the mall, but in the strip next to the mall where PF Changs, Borders and the movie theater is at. It is closer to Borders and on the same side, kind of diagonal from Starbucks. Of course it has been a few years since I've been there and my memory may be fuzzy.

I've never been to the one in Cherry Creek but then again I never got down to Cherry Creek very often.

There are, sadly, no tea shops here.

There was a great one in Central California when we lived there. The teas were of an amazing quality as was the price! It was a good thing you could buy an ounce at a time.

Some of the best bagged tea I've ever had we bought in the Chinatown in Vancouver, B.C. It was an Oolong. So good! The company (can't remember name right now) distributes in the US, but it's hard to find. I think you can order online. Hold on I'm going to go look up the company... Ten Ren's Teas!

Other then that I agree that loose is almost always better.

Adagio make a tea kettle that I've been wanting. It has different temperature settings, so you don't have to wait for your water to cool when brewing green and white teas.

Thanks I will check it out! I now have the occasion to shop at Flatirons and I know where that PF Changs is, so I will be on the lookout!

One other thing I like even though it doesn't have different temperature settings is an electric kettle. They work great, they shut off automatically and they are faster than putting it on a stove. Probably more energy efficent as well.

If anyone had a favorite brew or two from adagio I would be interested.

I love exploring new teas. What a great way to have a taste adventure with no calories and some health benefits. This morning I enjoyed a Korean persimmon tea that was being demo'd at the Korean market in the fall. It is smooth in a way that reminds you of the texture of a persimmon, and very soothing. I am trying to get to the Hispanic market tomorrow to get some hibiscus flowers to make a cold tea with an add-in of soaked chia seeds for texture. My fall back is to always have a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge. I put 4 to 6 bags of whatever tea I want (or loose, but then have to strain) in a pyrex cup, nuke to heat, let steep. This makes a concentrate that I add to the pitcher and then add cold water to bring up to strength. Maybe not the best taste method, but it is quick and tasty. My neighbors have lemon trees that drop ripe lemons in my yard, so I am set.