Milk in First

[Rowls]

It's come to my attention that many people do not properly understand why you'd put milk in first when making a PROPER cup of tea.

The milk goes in first if -and only IF- the tea has been brewed in a tea pot.

Putting the milk in first means that when hot tea mixes with cold milk, the hot tea has a smaller surface area than the cold milk. This means that the milk warms up gradually and does not scold, resulting in a better flavour. If you do this the other way round and pour the cold milk into the hot tea, the cold milk has a small surface area and is scolded by the heat of the tea.

Think of it like dipping your toe into a bath that is too hot. If you dip your (cold) toe into the (hot) bath, you scold your toe. Ouch. If you were to take a jug of the bath water and pour it over your foot, the water then has a smaller surface area than your foot and it doesn't scold.

You'd also flood your bathroom.

OK - That's for making tea in a teapot.

Apparently, some of you philistines don't bother with teapots. This is why you're so confused about why the best people put the milk in first.

Obviously, if you're making a cuppa with the teabag-in-a-mug technique then putting the milk in first will stop the tea mashing properly. This will make for a terrible brew. Only a troglodyte would do something so uncivilized. However, if you're habitually making your tea in a mug rather than teapot you'll only ever get 'satisfactory' tea. For a real good cuppa a teapot is essential.

We're British: This is something we shouldn't let slip. Please make your tea in a teapot. For the good of the nation.

[jdrobbo]

Absolutely spot-on. My grandma taught me how to do it ‘properly’

[IanMcL]

An informed post.

I'll drink to that!

[A.Claret.Fan]

I'm please that I'm doing everything correctly... Gold Star for me!

[Dougall]

Scald (I know....pedantic!)

[Rowls]

Scald (I know....pedantic!)

*facepalm*

How embarrassing.

[TheFamilyCat]

I was a meeting this week and the brew making technique was:

Boiling water in cup
Milk in cup
Tea bag in cup
Stir

Barbarian

[Tribesmen]

Never take Milk so who cares really .

[Rowls]

I was a meeting this week and the brew making technique was:

Boiling water in cup
Milk in cup
Tea bag in cup
Stir

Barbarian

I hope you got up and left immediately without explanation.

[Rowls]

Never take Milk so who cares really .

Ruffian.

[RMutt]

Loose tea straight in to the mug(not cup). Boiling water from the kettle, a minute to brew then milk last. Tea bags are just made from the factory floor sweepings left over after real tea production and taste like soil/dust.

[GodIsADeeJay81]

I know people who're adamant they can tell if the milk was added before or after the water.

They prefer milk & sugar to go in first and then the water, something about what it burning the sugar if it's added first with no milk

Makes no difference to me either way, tastes the same.

[Hibsclaret]

What a load of tosh…

The best tea is in a mug with the tea bag in first followed by the milk and finally the hot water. If you put the hot water in before the milk the tea is strengthened too quickly and as such tastes too strong. You let it brew with the milk and then water method, for perhaps a couple of minutes and mash the tea bag with your spoon to intensify the flavour.

Using a tea pot is old fashioned and past it. There’s a reason why we don’t watch black and white TV’s anymore and the same principle goes for use of teapot. The world has moved on.

[Bosscat]

Tea is for girls ... Coffee is a mans drink

[Lancasterclaret]

Tea is for girls ... Coffee is a mans drink

I strongly agree with this post

[ClaretMov]

The reason why milk in first was used was because back in the day cup's made from China were so fragile they broke when they got boiling water added, milk in first was to help cool the water.

Moden way is tea in first, add boiling water then leave for 3 minutes no more or the Tannins spoil the flavour then add milk, sugar if required

[Buxtonclaret]

Tea is for girls ... Coffee is a mans drink

And NOT the instant variety.
Proper coffee!

Though have to say, this particular tea is really good stuff.

20220429_115922_1.jpg (694.04 KiB) Viewed 3037 times

[Rowls]

The correct way to make coffee is as follows:

One heaped spoon of Nescafe Original (don't waste you money on the Gold Blend nonsense), add to mug. Add boiling water. Stir. Add milk. Then throw it down the sink and make yourself a proper cuppa in a teapot.

[AlargeClaret]

Sugar has no place anywhere tea . It’s for heathens, philistines and barbarians , and quite likely for those bizzare folk who put milk in first .

[Rowls]

Sugar has no place anywhere tea . It’s for heathens, philistines and barbarians , and quite likely for those bizzare folk who put milk in first .

* except if they've made their tea correct in a teapot!

[fatboy47]

As a 16yo teaboy at Howard and Halstead pie factory in 1974 I feel more qualified than most to comment.

I was instructed to prepare tea for the morning tea break as follows.

Fill the open tea urn with 2.5 gallons of tap water.
Turn gas on full.
Empty pack of loose tea into the urn.
Empty 2lb pack of sugar into urn.
Empty 2 bottles of milk into urn.

Wait until water comes to boil before switching off the gas, and press buzzer to notify workforce that tea is ready.
Stand back as members of workforce approach urn.,to, in turn, dip their mugs and troop off to canteen tables.

[Buxtonclaret]

The correct way to make coffee is as follows:

One heaped spoon of Nescafe Original (don't waste you money on the Gold Blend nonsense), add to mug. Add boiling water. Stir. Add milk. Then throw it down the sink and make yourself a proper cuppa in a teapot.

Never, ever put boiling water on instant coffee (before it's chucked down the sink)
If you were to drink it, it would taste even worst that the pretend coffee taste instant coffee aspires to.
Let the freshly boiled water settle and cool slightly first. Then pour it onto the granules.....? before chucking it down the sink.

[AlargeClaret]

* except if they've made their tea correct in a teapot!

Naturally sir . I was referring to those who put a teabag and milk in a mug and think the resulting milky sludge is tea

[Guitargeorge]

What’s a teapot?

[alboclaret]

I've never had a cup of tea or coffee but I sure know you put the milk or atleast a bit of it in first.... everyone knows that surely

[Guitargeorge]

Coffee, the devil’s drink, responsible for millions of people walking around every day with only one hand free.

[eastcoastclaret]

I ordered green tea recently in a cafe and was offered milk.

I won't be going there again.

[Rowls]

Never, ever put boiling water on instant coffee (before it's chucked down the sink)
If you were to drink it, it would taste even worst that the pretend coffee taste instant coffee aspires to.
Let the freshly boiled water settle and cool slightly first. Then pour it onto the granules.....? before chucking it down the sink.

Being tight (or as I prefer to think of it, economic and sensible) I like to cut the kettle off before it boils rather than wait for it to cool slightly after boiling.

Another money saver is to pour the hot water directly down the drain and cut out the coffee altogether.

[SalisburyClaret]

Real tea would never have milk added to it.

Milk is produced from bovines in order to feed their young. Why anyone would think of putting it their tea is just weird!

[Rowls]

Drinking milk is as normal as normal can be. A dash of it in black tea really takes the edge off the bittneress and gives a little unctuousness to your brew.

A glass of gold top with a bar of cold chocolate is the stuff of dreams.

Not to mention cheese, yoghurts, cream cakes...

[AlargeClaret]

I ordered green tea

With respect sir , your post should have ended abruptly the moment green tea was mentioned and your head hung in shame .

[SalisburyClaret]

Green, Redbush, Camomile, Mint, Nettle, etc etc - you wouldn’t dream of adding milk. That ‘normal’ tea must be pretty rubbish if it needs cow juice to make it drinkable

[superdimitri]

What do you do if you don't have a teapot?
Put the milk in with the tea bag?

[Rowls]

Green, Redbush, Camomile, Mint, Nettle, etc etc - you wouldn’t dream of adding milk. That ‘normal’ tea must be pretty rubbish if it needs cow juice to make it drinkable

There's a little rhyme I made up just now which explains whether milk goes with your tea of choice

Milk goes with some teas but not with others,
So decide for yourself whether,
To add,
The juice of udders.

Not quite Keats but I'm working on it.

Only tea is "tea". The others aren't tea.

[Rowls]

What do you do if you don't have a teapot?
Put the milk in with the tea bag?

What kind of person doesn't have a teapot??????

A normal household should have three or four as a bare minimum.

[Devils_Advocate]

Think of it like dipping your toe into a bath that is too hot. If you dip your (cold) toe into the (hot) bath, you scold your toe. Ouch. If you were to take a jug of the bath water and pour it over your foot, the water then has a smaller surface area than your foot and it doesn't scold.

You'd also flood your bathroom.

Only semi interesting titbit of info I've gleaned from this thread is that Rowls must have a very tiny bathroom if a jug of bathwater is likely to flood it.

[Rowls]

Only semi interesting titbit of info I've gleaned from this thread is that Rowls must have a very tiny bathroom if a jug of bathwater is likely to flood it.

Thank you for joining in with my semi-interesting thread DA.

Your mere presence has upped the interest levels significantly.

Yes, my bathroom is tiny. I live in a modest terraced house in a "deprived" area (though I don't know what exactly I am being "deprived" of).

How quickly my bathroom would flood in the scenario described depends on a number of factors. A giant jug would be sufficient for a flood. Alternatively, multiple pours from a smaller jug could achieve the same effect.

[Colburn_Claret]

Chars for that

[SalisburyClaret]

There's a little rhyme I made up just now which explains whether milk goes with your tea of choice

Milk goes with some teas but not with others,
So decide for yourself whether,
To add,
The juice of udders.

Not quite Keats but I'm working on it.

Only tea is "tea". The others aren't tea.

Enjoy your tea Rowls but you’ve delighted us long enough with the poetry!

[The Enclosure]

the Chinese have made tea making and drinking into an art form..
now then,wheres mi Geisha?

[Firthy]

Teabags are only for when you're in a hurry. Proper tea leaves in a pot with a strainer or for a single cup in a strainer in the cup and don't forget to warm the pot and cup first. With or without milk depending on individual taste but definitely no sugar, it's too sweet and you don't taste the tea.

Coffee is the drink of the devil and the only thing worse is tea with UHT milk

[chipbutty]

There's a little rhyme I made up just now which explains whether milk goes with your tea of choice

Milk goes with some teas but not with others,
So decide for yourself whether,
To add,
The juice of udders.

Not quite Keats but I'm working on it.

Only tea is "tea". The others aren't tea.

More like Teats than Keats!

[buzzclarets79]

What the OP fails to mention though, is that said Teapot should be warmed before use as well, and only ever "rinsed out".

[Bin Ont Turf]

B0llocks, a teapot (of stewed tea) is only required if you've got many folk coming round.

My Grandma used to make us Indian Prince loose tea in a cup, and no straining the leaves.

Putting milk in first in any situation, is the work of the devil.

Look after your tea, not the pot.

[bfcjg]

Tea went down hill when the powers that be and other do gooders banned the PG Tips monkeys from earning an honest crust on the tele .

[Cubanforever]

It's come to my attention that many people do not properly understand why you'd put milk in first when making a PROPER cup of tea.

The milk goes in first if -and only IF- the tea has been brewed in a tea pot.

Putting the milk in first means that when hot tea mixes with cold milk, the hot tea has a smaller surface area than the cold milk. This means that the milk warms up gradually and does not scold, resulting in a better flavour. If you do this the other way round and pour the cold milk into the hot tea, the cold milk has a small surface area and is scolded by the heat of the tea.

Think of it like dipping your toe into a bath that is too hot. If you dip your (cold) toe into the (hot) bath, you scold your toe. Ouch. If you were to take a jug of the bath water and pour it over your foot, the water then has a smaller surface area than your foot and it doesn't scold.

You'd also flood your bathroom.

OK - That's for making tea in a teapot.

Apparently, some of you philistines don't bother with teapots. This is why you're so confused about why the best people put the milk in first.

Obviously, if you're making a cuppa with the teabag-in-a-mug technique then putting the milk in first will stop the tea mashing properly. This will make for a terrible brew. Only a troglodyte would do something so uncivilized. However, if you're habitually making your tea in a mug rather than teapot you'll only ever get 'satisfactory' tea. For a real good cuppa a teapot is essential.

We're British: This is something we shouldn't let slip. Please make your tea in a teapot. For the good of the nation.

Where do you stand on people who hold their little pinky out when they drink there tea?

[tarkys_ears]

I have testicles and aren't 70 years old so I've no idea what you're on about!

[Nonayforever]

Very interesting and informative thread you have got going here Rowls, but you have only covered half the story.

After a decent brew made in a warmed teapot has been savoured and digested there is the small matter of the remaining tea leaves.

Now this opens up a whole new thread or multiple threads.
I had relatives who claimed they could ' read" the tea leaves !
I also had relatives who collected the leaves for compost and , if I remember correctly, I had a relative who claimed the tea leaves deterred cats for depositing their waste in a rhubarb patch.
I'm going to make a brew and try to remember more about my relatives.

[Cabbage]

I was a meeting this week and the brew making technique was:

Boiling water in cup
Milk in cup
Tea bag in cup
Stir

Barbarian

That seems like the similar technique I’ve experienced in America. Tea bag next to a cup of hot water. Water never not enough, that’s why tea taste so bad over there.

[dougcollins]

I always 'prime' the mug (or teapot) with a little boiling water before commencing with my brew.

Whirl it round, tip it out, then go in with your tea/water.