Cozy Up to a Nice Hot Cup of Tea
If you are serious about your tea, then you already make use of a teapot to make tea. The disappointing thing is though, that if you want a second cup, it won't be as hot as the first one because the tea will have cooled down in the pot. This is exactly why tea cozies were invented.
They come in various shapes and sizes. You can knit then, crochet them and even sew and quilt them - or just go online and buy them.
They can be plain or fancy - there's a cozy for everyone's taste. A friend of mine crocheted one for me and it took her about an hour and it does its job wonderfully - I use it every day. It should be easy to use and be easy to wash. The ones that are like a hat are great because you just plop them over the teapot and the whole teapot is covered whereas the others have to be actually put on or around the teapot and usually the spout and the handle are not covered. These will get stained eventually from pouring all that great tea but the teapot is always covered. The hat-like ones keep cleaner because you have to take them off to pour.Not all teas are candidates for cozies though. They first became popular in Britain where most people drink black tea because it is enjoyed when it's piping hot. Black tea could be a blend of various black teas or single blends like Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam, Nilgiri and Earl Grey, just to name a few. These teas require hot boiling water.
However, green tea, some Oolongs and some white teas should not be steeped in boiling water - they are more delicate so the water should not be brought to the boil but poured over the tea beforehand to allow the full flavor and taste to develop. This also applies to jasmine tea and flowering teas. These teas are also not served hot but are enjoyed when they are slightly cooler. Because of this, there is no need to keep the tea in the teapot hot so a tea cozy would be counterproductive. Tisanes or herbal teas as they are also called are also delicate and follow the rules of green tea so they do not need a tea cozy.
If you do enjoy hot black tea, then take my advice and get a cozy - you'll enjoy your tea longer and it will be hotter plus you'll have a nice cozy to look at.
By Sandra Fierling
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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