Last week while browsing a military magazine, I found this little gem from a 1942 booklet entitled ‘Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain’.
“The British don’t know how to make a good cup of coffee. You don’t know how to make a good cup of tea. It’s an even swap.”
And 70 years later, how times haven’t changed. It is still difficult to get a good cup of tea, or even a cup of tea at all, in America. And as an ex-pat Aussie (we love our coffee), I can confirm that most of the coffee sold in cafes around the UK is repellent stuff.
Personally I love both. The main think that other nations get wrong when making a cup of tea is to pour the water first. Fail! The hot water needs to be poured over the tea bag or leaves. Of course there are loads of rules about how to make the perfect pot, but really, the only rule you need is bag first, then water, then jiggle. Easy!
Coffee is marginally more complicated depending on how you like it brewed, but the simplest thing is just to find your favourite type of grind and then use a cafetiere (or plunger, as I less elegantly call it). Avoid wretched chains like Costa, Starbucks, and Nero at all costs.
The difference between a coffee pot and a tea pot is that a tea pot is normally short and fat to allow the leaves to circulate, while a coffee pot is tall and thin to allow the grounds to sink to the bottom.
Now Tea, Coffee… I think it is time to hug and make up.
1960s polka dot mod dress by Berketex
1970s green and red tartan knit jumper dress
1960s black and white check blanket dress
1970s floral print hippy smock dress by Emanuelle
I love both tea and coffee too, though i prefer green tea to builders. i have a serious cafetiere and teapot addiction and no less than 23 teacups, could be worse I suppose:)
I do love a cup of tea. I’m not much of a coffee drinker unless it’s made proper like. Instant coffee is vile.
I adore that German coffee set though.
xx
I can’t be doing with coffee, just don’t like it but dear lord above don’t get between me and my tea! I actually go to America with my own teabags which my friends out there think is hilarious. I will get the restaurant to give me a pot of hot water and I make my own.
god, i love tea! I find the water often makes a real difference, which may have somthing to do with the lack of good tea in some places (i mean, it’s not hard is it?). Though I’ve heard that in some places in the US you have to specifiy that you want hot tea, and if you just ask for tea you get some strange ice tea like thing.
oooh, I do like a good pot of tea. But I do like a cute vintage coffee pot to look at too. Usually with a bunch of flowers shoved inside.
I’m American, and though I’ve gone through tea phases, I’m a coffee drinker. I like it black and unsweetened, and ideally, iced! And strong. (I drink it hot when the weather’s cold, but even then, I’ll have an iced one in the afternoon sometimes.) That German coffee set is really neat!
Coffeeee! And only coffee!
I LOVE coffee and drink it regularly, but drink more tea as I grew up drinking it, though it was at special times. I have a coffee and tea station from my grandmother that I just love!
Coffee – ack! Tea – mmmmmmmm :)
Oh I’m rubbish at making coffee but know how to make a decent cuppa. Lovely selection of tea & coffee sets. The pewter pots are gorgeous.