Tea vs Coffee

DoubleRistretto

Tea consumption has been declining as a result of the rise in coffee, apparently
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/why-teas-turned-into-a-has-been/story-e6frea83-1226526167759

askthecoffeeguy

Oh yah - I can understand why: the problem with tea is that it has a high fluid content which means that it interferes with my coffee consumption / I mean I don't go to sleep at night dreaming about tea, nor do I wake up and think to myself what I need now is a good cup of tea!

Kelsey

I frequently go to bed looking forward to waking up in the morning for a coffee.

freeferty

I find myself drinking tea when I know the coffee will be rubbish!

UNM

I  often drink tea.  I frequently think 'what I really want right now is a nice cup of tea' And do you know why? I happen to like it, thats why.

Lacehim

I love tea, and my wife is nuts about it.  We buy leaf tea, and you won't find a Liptons or Bushells in our house I'm afraid.  I much prefer black tea, but my wife is into all sorts, like Chai teas and stuff. It's a very interesting pass time, just like coffee you can do your own blends, and there is an endless array of types and styles and grades.  Here on the sunshine coast I have found that there are equally a good places to have a nice cup of tea as there are decent coffee roasters.  Silver Spoon in Cotton Tree http://www.thesilvaspoon.com.au/  and the Two Old Ladies Tea Shop in Pomona (which is a nice little town north of Noosa) Also the likes of T2 are popping up in major shopping centres and the whole tea experience is going old school, where tea bags are yesterday again, and it's all back to the way it used to be served, in a pot, with lovely cups. So while you may think that coffee is taking over the planet, I still love a cuppa (I have one every morning and every night before bed). I think you might see more of a shift away from tea bags etc in stupidomarkets and a lot more boutique places appearing just like we've seen with coffee.

Brett H

on 1354170528:

I find myself drinking tea when I know the coffee will be rubbish!

Welcome Freeferty!  I do exactly the same. 

Koffee_Kosmo

It's no secret that I have made mention that I enjoy black tea I often have tea in between coffees breaks  :coffee2:

UNM

wife brought back some fancy schmancy stuff from T2 Chadstone the other day.  Oolong was the stuff daughter commented that she could have bought it from pretty much any of  the local shops. some of it would be better quality too.

beanflying

Give it another couple of years and I think you may find the Tea wars. T2 is a very slickly marketed product and I would think a few more similar players will see them making good money and want a bit of it for themselves. Commercially I reckon there is as much or more money to be made from specialty Tea currently with a whole lot less competition. Tea has come from the pot lovingly brewed and enjoyed to become the floor sweepings in a porous bag and bunged in some boiling water for a couple of minutes for most Australians. Currently I would put the average Tea consumed where coffee was 20 years ago at the International Roast/Bushells era. Some of the same stuff rehashed here http://www.hospitalitymagazine.com.au/beverage/coffee-rules-as-aussies-make-it-part-of-the-cultur and interesting side note on average coffee pricing. Will be interesting to see where Cafe Tea heads in the next few years.

Lacehim

on 1354484306:

Will be interesting to see where Cafe Tea heads in the next few years.

I agree BF.  I've see a bit of a change where even coffee places are offering a number of leaf tea's.  There's a lovely place in the CBD of Brisbane too, it was near the ATO when I went there a few weeks back. I think tea is more of a sit down experience, take the time to relax with a lovely tea & scones type thing as a treat rather than grab a takeaway. One of the critical things with tea is water temperatures though and then there's the old reboiled water thing.  I can't stand it when folk get water out of a coffee machine hot water tap for a pot of tea, especially when your paying top $$$.  :tearhair:

beanflying

And then this pops up today randomly on the net One of our early members psaigh AKA Mr Ian Callahan from Bar9 Adelaide has just opened this venture. Certainly worth checking out for the Adelaide members. http://www.justbrewed.com.au/ "Retail current crop teas Retail single estate coffees Brewed tea, brewed coffee, everything available by the cup, no espresso."

psaigh

Thanks for the mention, really appreciated.  I think there's been a wonderful shift from amongst the specialty cafe scene to start taking tea more seriously. Essentially worldwide there are more tea drinkers than coffee, and they've been drinking it for longer... much longer in fact. I'm relatively new to tea but I really love learning and exploring all that the specialty tea scene  has to offer  (yes, there actually is one!). We've dived in wholeheartedly and there are new and exciting cafe's and even bars who are taking their tea program seriously.  This year in fact, was the establishment of the first Australian Specialty Tea Association.  I think there's certainly a growing trend and the very best thing, is that is perfectly compliments/contrasts specialty coffee so well.

UNM

NO ESPRESSO! If I am in Adelaide, I will drop in, just on that basis. Nothing against espresso, I do enjoy it, but it is nice that a place serving (hopefully) decent coffee doesn't feel the need for an espresso machine.

Lwowiak

on 1354769656:

Thanks for the mention, really appreciated.  I think there's been a wonderful shift from amongst the specialty cafe scene to start taking tea more seriously. Essentially worldwide there are more tea drinkers than coffee, and they've been drinking it for longer... much longer in fact. I'm relatively new to tea but I really love learning and exploring all that the specialty tea scene  has to offer  (yes, there actually is one!). We've dived in wholeheartedly and there are new and exciting cafe's and even bars who are taking their tea program seriously.  This year in fact, was the establishment of the first Australian Specialty Tea Association.  I think there's certainly a growing trend and the very best thing, is that is perfectly compliments/contrasts specialty coffee so well.

Congratulations Ian, I hope it all goes well for you. I look forward to enjoying some of your brews on my next visit to Adelaide. I do miss the luscious ristrettos you served in the past from "Luigi".

madpierre

I also love a good cup of tea, having always kept a supply of leaf and a single serve sieve in the cupboard. I go back to the days living out in the bush where we'd go camping or out with my Grandfather for a week (he was a pro shooter) and we;d just grab a billyful of water from the bore drain or river, boil it up, whack in a handful of leaf, three times round, three times back, and three times round again. I don't know whether it was the whole 'part of the experience' thing, but back then there seemed to be nothing better.

UNM

I like tea I like coffee Experiment time

Koffee_Kosmo

It should pointed out that in my case I don't take milk or cream or sugar in my tea I particularly hate tea infused with stupid flavours My wife likes her tea with milk & no sugar Different brands have deferent fermenting methods hence the different tastes and names of teas e.g. Earl Grey, English Breakfast ect KK

Koffee_Kosmo

As an aside to bring forth some broader knowledge of tea Diferent  cultures use a variety of plant life to make tea In my case with a Greek heritage I particularly like the wild teas as I grew up drinking them and still do The teas I drink are - Camomile tea and a Greek wild mountain tea Wild tea is also known as shepards tea, it's made from a wild plant called  iron wart and its absolutely wonderful from its aroma to the taste That reminds me I better get some more KK

ringo

I'm a tea fan and I want to provide the same respect to it as we do to coffee. Anyone know of a good place for tea cups that stand out.  I want people having tea to get the feeling they are special but not at the level of high tea.

Lacehim

ringo.  Where do you live? Personally I love a good cup of tea.  There are a few places around here, but my biggest bugbear is the fact that they use a espresso machine as an urn! I'm seriously considering opening a tea shop when my wife retired.  She loves tea, and has a fair bit of knowledge about it. I think tea is starting to make a bit of a come back personally.  It took a hit with the old tea bag came to town.  A bit like when instant took over from traditional coffee making methods.  Now I think there are some consumers like us coffee fanatics, that are seeking the ultimate cup of tea.

ringo

Far away from you mate.

Lacehim

on 1362481270:

Far away from you mate.

Informative. T2 sell some cups online, they are pretty unique designs. Otherwise try second hand stuff, car boot sales that sort of thing.  Sometimes you happen across some unique stuff that you won't find in the shops, and it will kick the arse off anything in the shops these days quality wise.

ringo

Didn't realise you wanted to help with the shopping thought you wanted to come in for a brew. Yeah there is a old school tea shop around from me and i'm going to pop in and see what they've got. Would like something modern but exciting.  The old stuff can be a bit flowery if you get me.