Are you a tea snob?

In my life I have found this to be true:

Tea drinkers are beverage snobs.

Yes, yes, before all you tea drinkers who think of yourselves as the democratic, 'for the people' types, begin waving your tea bags and crying foul, I will say that not ALL tea drinkers are snobs. But most are. Sorry. It's true.

I am a coffee drinker. Hubby gets up very early on his days off and puts on a pot of coffee and the enticing aroma of that burbling, dark liquid draws me out of bed hours before I actually want to get up. I love me some good coffee.

If you were to drop by my house I would ask you, do you drink tea or coffee? If you say tea, I will offer you plain tea or an assortment of herbal teas. I will boil water and ask in your cup, or one of my Value Village funky tea pots? Do you take cream, milk, sugar or honey? I am a coffee drinker and yet have made ample room in my life for the tea drinkers who walk, zombie like, among us.

But go to a tea drinker's house and do you know what happens 90% of the time? They don't even ask you what you drink. They assume, snottily, that you drink tea. If you say you do not drink tea, that you would rather dip something out of their toilet bowl than drink tea, they sniff and maybe offer you some instant coffee made with tepid tap water. They never have cream in their house. Oh no. Why would a thin, dry, parsiminous tea drinker, sipping their tasteless swill add anything as rich and fat laden as cream? Why that might bring joy and pleasure to their tea poor life, and we can't have THAT now, can we?

And why is this? Because tea drinkers are closet SNOBS! They do, in fact, think their tea drinking ways place them ever so slightly above their coffeed counterparts. They feel it gives them some refined edge. What it really gives them is a crispy, stingy life outlook. Tea drinkers will NEVER be the open, gregarious, boisterous group that coffee drinkers are. They live shallow, small lives, fingers clutching their little, wet, drippy tea bag. Perhaps, they think, I can wring one more cup of insipid swill out of the little, soggy, packet. Blech!

No great Canadian Donut chain was founded on a good cup of tea. Why? Because there is no such thing as a good cup of tea! It all sucks! Every last, tasteless, over-watered, gaggable gulp of it!

So, in the spirit of live and let live, go ahead and drink your tea. But know this. Your glaring prejudice against the coffee drinkers, your inability to hospitably brew a pot for those who do not share your miserly tea habit, marks you as a true and hopeless SNOB! And you will stand forever on the outside of a great brotherhood, looking in. Reform yourself, tea drinker, go forth and buy a coffee maker, put some ground coffee in your freezer. OWN CREAM! While all those years that you drank tea and inflicted it thoughtlessly upon your guests, are gone, and you can't get them back, you can make amends. You can heal the trauma. Get thee some Nabob and sin no more.

Get thee some Nabob and sin no more.

I don't think I've had Nabob since I left my parents' home. Does Nabob still come with the bonus gifts to lure tea drinkers away from a cup of tea prepared with scalded cream and the correct dosage of sugar?

We are serious coffee drinkers made with fresh, manually ground beans. Tea is an evening or afternoon drink with a good cookie.

I personally don't drink either.....hubby loves it when we have company spend the night, especially if they drink coffee. For only then goes the Tim Hortons coffee pot make a stand on our cupboard. Lol I always have coffee, both perk or instant, a variety of tea reg and herbal, hot chocolate for those like myself, or powdered ice tea as my kids love that hot

You, Uno, are a coffee snob, and that is just fine.
We love all the warm drinks in this house. Freshly ground organic coffee beans with fresh goat cream. Hot steaming chocolate with mountains of freshly whipped and sweetened cream. Hot steaming mugs of freshly prepared chicken broth. Or a lovely refreshing green, black or even white tea pressed through the Bodum to get every last delicious drop of flavour and youth giving antioxidants -lol
Go ahead, call me a snob too. I reveal in a delicious alcohol laden drink of chocolate or coffee too! It must be Frangelico though, so here I show my true snobbier!

I like teas, but really I am a coffee snob. I will not drink anything out of a can. Most people's and restaurant coffee tastes like dirt water. I am spoiled. Doug imports beans, roasts them, grinds them in a proper grinder, and makes a rich delicious cup every weekend morning. Mmmmm. All other coffee pales in comparison.

You telling me that a cup of lemon tea with honey isn't good for my sore throat ?? Dang ! wrong again I guess Thank you Uno for opening my eyes to the wrong that I have been doing to myself all these years ..........wish I had known this years ago ...........

OH no! Uno shhh I didn't want everybody to know that I'm a hardcore coffee lover I loves me a good cup of coffee. Tea on the other hand makes my stomach cramp and twist and turn into knots of pain. I'm not even remotly kidding the pain it takes for me to drink a cup of tea is huge. Yes I have tried it every way with sugar, honey, cream, milk and even plain which just drys out my mouth

Now I do still have different teas in my pantry and I do really love the packaging of some. The smells are amazing I will brew chia tea just for the scent. I do make sure to have most bevies on hand for when I get that imprompto visitor.

THis is not a question of enjoying tea or enjoying coffee. This is a question about hospitality. Most coffee drinkers have made household provisions for tea drinkers. But I find very many tea drinkers have NOT made provisions for visiting coffee drinkers.

I am a coffee drinker but always, ALWAYS ask my guests, "what can I make you?" But in a tea drinker's house the approach is often a bit more sisniter and hostile, passive aggressive. They say, "Would you like some tea?" Which leaves you to say ," no, I do not drink tea." The poorly yet deliberately worded offer of a tea drinker is no offer at all. IT sets you in a bad light. YOu either have to happily accept their weak, drippy tea, or look like a cad for refusing their hospitality and insisting on a classless cup of coffee. "What would you like?" is a true and generous offer. "Would you like some tea?" is the thinly veiled threat of a bully. Oh yes...the subtle difference is not subtle at all! OFfering someone a range of choices (coffe, tea or a flick of my bic) is to me the epitome of gracious hospitality. But offering them one choice, tea, is a glaring lack of hospitality. And tea drinkers, for some reason, are convinced that they will never have a coffee drinker visit, and thus sure as heck never need to cater to one!

Who mentioned hot iced tea? Ooh, secret pleasure of mine!

But to be clear, drinking tea in no way makes you a snob. BUt how you present your beverage choices, or NOT present them to guests is what determines your level of snobbery. Drink what you want. But do not inflict it upon hapless guests with the excuse, oh, I have no coffee in the house, I only drink tea. (no wonder you have no friends!)

Well then by that notion I am a good hostess.

Ruffled, I'm on my way. Shall I bring donuts or cake?

I invite people over for coffee. If I know you are a tea drinker, then tea. If I'm unsure of what you like, and know in advance you are coming, I will have a pot of coffee (I love to buy coffee beans and grind them myself) ready to go, and a kettle of hot water heated.

I love my coffee, but can only handle about 2 cups a day, before it upsets my tummy. Love my coffee with sugar and cream Also am guilty of loving International Delight. I just try and not think about what goes into it that makes it taste so good or last so long in the fridge. Just sip and enjoy! If you come for coffee, I will also try and have regular coffee cream.

A Tea Snob, I am not. Although I like tea and have lots of different flavors, I don't use a tea pot. I think I have one packed away somewhere, but am not exactly where, or even if I still have it. Once friends having tea, asked me where my tea pot was. Come to my house for tea, I will offer you a variety of choices, and the tea bag will be put into a mug with hot water poured over it. Steep as long as you like and you can remove your own tea bag. No big tea ritual at my place. If you want to leave your tea bag in your cup, fine by me. Heck, if you want to suck on your Chai tea bag, go for it.

I must admit, Hot Iced Tea is pretty yummy.

I do like both but as far as equipping oneself to make something you never drink? Hmmm, that's a tough one.

Tea: 1 tea bag, 1 cup hot water
Coffee: Ground coffee, filters, coffee maker (which takes up space somewhere).

What if guests want fresh squeezed orange juice. Maybe I should get a juicer as well.

Yeah, Fowler, and plant an orange tree!

uno wrote:This is not a question of enjoying tea or enjoying coffee. This is a question about hospitality. Most coffee drinkers have made household provisions for tea drinkers. But I find very many tea drinkers have NOT made provisions for visiting coffee drinkers.

But to be clear, drinking tea in no way makes you a snob. But how you present your beverage choices, or NOT present them to guests is what determines your level of snobbery. Drink what you want. But do not inflict it upon hapless guests with the excuse, oh, I have no coffee in the house, I only drink tea. (no wonder you have no friends!)

Well, I guess I am a tea snob (until recently). I don't drink coffee, can't make coffee, don't even like the smell of coffee. Hubby refuses to drink the percolated stuff that Canadians drink by the bucket load, which is fine by me. It is then not stinking up the house. He does enjoy a fancy coffee most days but will not drink what he calls Canadian black tar.
He will not drink Tim Hortons coffee, when we came back to Canada this whole Tims thing was a very interesting phenomenon to us.

I have to say I am not a big tea drinker either. I did drink a fair bit in Australia cause the houses are a bit cool in the winters and a warm drink is nice. Did it their way down their with cream and sugar, like the Brit ancestors. If I do have a warm drink it will be tea.

But, here is the snob part, loose tea. I enjoy fresh, loose tea that has been lovingly steeped. You say you provide tea to your guests, but if you don't drink it yourself, it is some dirty old tea bag that has been sitting in your cupboard, way in the back for weeks, months, years! How is that better than me offering you instant coffee?!

I don't drink a lot of loose tea now, I do enjoy Chai Tea especially in the Latte format. If I have a warm drink that is usually what it is now. I have to say I get my black tea sent to me from Australia they have lovely tea down there, see, tea snob.

I said I didn't make coffee until recently. I used to only have instant in the house but now we have one of those single serve coffee makers. I made very BAD coffee and admit to it, but now I only get complimented. Hard core coffee drinkers that come to our house now enjoy fresh, how they want it coffee, made specially for them. I have nothing to do with how it is made, but get all the compliments for how good it is! Hubby likes it cause he can have one cup of an Espresso or Latte or whatever strikes his fancy and I can have Chai Tea or a nice hot chocolate if I desire it.

So as a tea snob I am now providing very nice coffee to our visitors, Uno are you still giving your tea drinkers dirty, old stale, dried out tea bags?


(after re reading this, I hope I do not offend coffee drinkers or Tim Horton fans, I know there are many of you!)

[quote="silkiebantam" If you want to leave your tea bag in your cup, fine by me. Heck, if you want to suck on your Chai tea bag, go for it.
[/quote]

Nice SB.

Uno you can bring whatever your heart desires!!

NAH just hand them an orange, Fowler LOL

Ruffledfeathers wrote:

silkiebantam wrote: If you want to leave your tea bag in your cup, fine by me. Heck, if you want to suck on your Chai tea bag, go for it.

Nice SB.

Uno you can bring whatever your heart desires!!

NAH just hand them an orange, Fowler LOL

Ooh, there's an idea.

I wonder if I could do my Grandmother's old trick. She milked cows since she was little. She said that, right after she got married, she could cut an orange and just squeeze it for the juice. I don't think I could do it but I bet it would make your guests be quiet. "Yes! That orange juice it great! Just don't kill me!"

Nabob? *shudder* Never will such a brew pass over my lips ...

I am both a coffee snob and a tea snob. Tim Horton's coffee does horrible things to my innards, so I avoid it whenever possible. We have a big Cuisinart machine that brews coffee from K-cups, of which we have a large variety. They come out with new flavours on a seasonal basis, and husband must try them all.

Said machine also brews tea, hot chocolate, or just dispenses hot water so you can make your own tea. It even has an adapter thingy that you can use to brew loose tea. Or, arguably, loose coffee grounds.

I can't drink tea that comes in a tea bag any more. All I can taste is the paper. My BFF introduced me to the wonder and delight of loose tea, and I am never going back!! Chai and Peppermint and my favourite, Earl Grey Creme ... mmmmmmm!

Either way, we ALWAYS have 18% cream in the fridge, along with whole milk and 2%, a container of the powdered creamer for the lactose intolerant, sugar, honey and lemon. If you want a dollop of whiskey in your cup, we can certainly make that happen.

If you give me an hour's notice, there will also be hot baked goods to go with your beverage of choice. Muffins in the morning, cookies or pie in the afternoon.

uno wrote: Drink what you want. But do not inflict it upon hapless guests with the excuse, oh, I have no coffee in the house, I only drink tea. (no wonder you have no friends!)

Hahahaha - so THAT's why I have no friends! Epiphany, courtesy of Uno!

I've never made coffee in my life. I think an offering (passive aggressive or not) from my extensive, and very snobby, collection of loose tea would be preferable to what I might manage to brew in the way of coffee.

My name is Kendra, and I am a tea snob.

Way to own it, Kendra! You go with your bad tea snob self.

Coopslave. YOu accuse me of having a dried up tea bag in the back of my cupboard? Ha! How little you know me. I keep my dried up tea bags in a drawer! So there!

In fact, Horse Daughter is a tea drinker (genetic throwback) and favours loose teas from the local tea merchant. Has special teapots with little baskets you lower into the hot water. We have coloured foil packets of rooibos, or something like that, and other goodies, all of it tastes like dirt.

SoSipSue, you say your HUbby roasts his own? Tell us more about that. Does this happen in your own home oven? I have been told that roasting coffee does not smell good and must be done in areas where you can have commercial venting on your roasting facilities. Once it is roasted it smells good, but they say getting there is a pretty raunchy odour. BUt this is just what I hear.

I admit that I think our tea tastes awful due to our water. We soften the water heavily, I cannot stand to drink it like that so doubt that it would make good tea. COffee see,s less affected by the weird softened water taste. I think our hard water right out of the well would make better tea, it's wonderful to drink that way. But as straight run well water, it is death to all heating devices! Gunks up kettles, coffee makers and even marks up my pots if I boil it. Leaves a weird sheen on top of the coffee or tea. But forget I said that or we'll have a discussion of the impact that water has on tea and coffee...which is huge!

Yes! I, too, must know the secret of home roasting coffee! There is a local cafe that does it and mine is swill by comparison. Please tell us!

I am a coffee snob I cannot drink Timmys (Blech!) and I'm not even into starbucks etc. I love my kicking horse beans, ground right before percolating in my dinosaur of a coffee maker. My parents came visiting this Fall with stories of how great my brothers fancy hot drink maker is but nope not gonna buy cups of "stuff" I don't know what went into. Nor can I imagine a good cup of coffee can be made in 30secs

I do have tea in my cupboards in case someone stops by but mostly I just have the fruity teas because I make ice tea with it (choking dusty yucky powered stuff no thanx )

So I thought I wasn't a drink snob but I guess I am However, if you stop by for visit I always have coffee or tea and if you want juice I have oranges and apples in the fridge I even started making my own St. Remys a la creme and lots of cookies and muffins in the freezer

I'm not a tea snob, excluding iced tea. After living in the south (Georgia) for many years, I have become accustomed to and picky about 'Sweet Tea', and will not accept Iced tea

Sweetened, explain the difference, please.

SerJay, I also use fruity teas to make my own homemade ice tea in the summer. Two dry, nasty tea bags of the regular tea and one fruit tea, sugar and lemon juice. Yum! But in winter I do drink that powdery stuff, hot.

Coopslave you have to check out "Mimi's Tea House" in Enderby next time you venture up that way. You might find something you like! There has to be at least 100 different loose teas in that little shop.

Sweetened, how did you ever make the transition from Georgia to Saskatchewan??

farmchiq wrote:Sweetened, how did you ever make the transition from Georgia to Saskatchewan??

Without the entire story to go along with it, I was born and raised in Canada until the age of 14. I moved 3000 miles from BC to Georgia and lived in the US for 10 years. During that time, I lived in Georgia, Florida and Wisconsin. I moved back for many reasons, however the kick in the rear was my immigration denial papers or "Get out of dodge" notice. Anyway, I've been back up here now for... 5 years. Canadian through and through, just an iced tea snob now