Choosing the Right Tea Kettles

There is nothing like the smell of fresh hot tea served to reinvigorate you on a busy day. It does not matter if your cup of tea is made from the convenience of a teabag or from the classic spoonfuls of loose tea leaves; your perfect cup of tea should start with the right water temperature and taste. As you sip your afternoon tea, think about the fact that all the flavor and aroma filling your senses are made possible by the perfect equipment, the tea kettle.

Tea kettles were made not only for decorative purposes in your kitchen. Tea kettles were actually invented so that hot water for your tea could reach the ideal temperature that will eventually steep your tea into the ideal concentration. Truly, tea kettles make tea preparation so much easier without spoiling the flavor of the tea leaves.

There are various types of tea kettles in the market. From the overly stylish to the plain functional ones, tea kettles are basically classified according to the material they are made from. Choose form the following list the type of tea kettle that is most convenient for you; and remember that with proper care, a tea kettle will serve you the perfect tea for many years to come.

Stainless Tea Kettles

Stainless tea kettles are the most durable ones around. Stainless steel is relatively thicker and will not bend easily like copper. Also, a tea kettle made from stainless steel definitely outlasts one which is made from glass. As for the taste, stainless tea kettles do not tarnish the taste of boiling water which commonly happens with copper tea kettles.

Stainless tea kettles can be cleaned in a jiffy; therefore they are not difficult to care for. Depending on the thickness of the base, some stainless tea kettles heat fast just like the ones made from copper.

Copper Tea Kettles

Tea kettles made from copper are the most practical. Copper heats very quickly that is why it is the most conducive material to make tea kettles. The efficiency of copper tea kettles result in fast tea preparation without necessarily increasing fuel or heat.

In fact, a copper tea kettle should not be placed over high heat for it to have longer service life. If you are using a lacquered tea kettle, you can maintain its polished look by using cleaning solution that is not abrasive to copper.

Glass Tea Kettles

Glass is very light and easiest to clean. Tea kettles made from glass tend to be very stylish, with mostly modern and minimalist designs. For obvious reasons, glass tea kettles may not be as durable as the others. In fact they can have, somewhat, delicate caring procedures.

When boiling water with a glass tea kettle, it is best to sandwich a piece of metal between your stove and the base of the kettle to avoid direct heat contact. Never allow glass tea kettles to dry up while boiling as this may leave a stain at the base. With all these constraints, using glass tea kettles may result to slow boiling of water; hence, slower tea preparation.

Cast Iron Tea Kettles

Tea kettles made from cast iron are much heavier and definitely thicker. If only rust can be kept from cast iron tea kettles, most probably they will be the most durable too. Fortunately, when boiling water using cast iron tea kettles, a sort of protective layer of minerals build up on its base overtime. With this layer, these kettles will not easily take in rust.

Nostalgic of the farming countryside, some of the most beautiful tea kettles around are made from painted enamel cast iron. These tea kettles require special care to prevent the paints from chipping off. They should never hit on other hard objects and in no occasion should they be left boiling dry. Some painted enamel cast iron kettles have even become expensive collectors’ item.
To prevent rusting, keep your cast iron kettle dry as much as possible. Take out the water immediately after boiling. If you ever spot rust on the base inside, boil on it some water solution with baking soda and lemon juice. Do not use abrasive cleaning materials as these can cause scratches that can take in rust.

Health and Healing Properties of Tea

For more than 4000 years now, tea has been a faithful staple in many cultures and countries around the world. Used as a sustaining liquid for those suffering from infectious disease, there are many believers who have always asserted that tea holds powerful healing properties.

In some cases, they believe that tea can actually cure ailments and sickness. New emerging studies are elevating these assumptions from myth to scientific reality, providing significant evidence that tea is indeed a source of health and contains legitimate healing properties.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world, second only to water, and in many parts of the world, green and black teas are mass produced from the plant Camilla Sinensis. Because of the way the beverage is brewed, it is also one of the safest beverages made on the planet. This is because it is made with boiling water until it is sterile. It is this process that eradicates just about every type of bacteria or virus commonly found in water.

For centuries, tea has not only helped promote health, it also has served as a as a social outlet (tea time), battlefield sedative (the British for years served their wounded tea on the battle field as a way to calm them), and has played a major role in at least one revolution (the Boston Tea Party).

Pirates used to raid tea ships and bounties were put on these pirates’ heads, sometimes even surpassing the bounties placed on pirates that raided gold and silver ships. Rumor has it that this beverage was so popular in England and the colonies that during the American War for Independence, tea was still served in many of the thirteen colonies under a collection of aliases.

Throughout this time, however, tea was also believed to possess qualities that promoted good health and it was believed that tea could help a sick or injured person heal. For centuries, this was merely attributable to antidotal experience, with no scientific foundation on which to base those beliefs. Recently, however, detailed research done by an array of colleges, universities, and research centers have focused on teas positive properties.

Japan and China initially carried out the lion-share of this research, which primarily focused on their tea-of-choice: green tea. Europe and the United States, though, have begun to get in on the act, focusing on green and black tea and the results have been nothing short of astounding.

Not only have many of the alleged healthful properties been certified, researchers have also identified other, previously unknown qualities of tea that have proven that the beverage possesses qualities that can fight prevent the introduction of free radicals into the body. This results of these tests indicated that because teas possess a high level of the antioxidant tea polyphenols, it is a great disease fighter.

As researchers have discovered these properties, they also have been able to map out the chemical composition of tea and pinpoint what they believe are the critical properties of this near wonder-drug.

These findings have allowed researchers to begin to understand what makes tea so effective in healing and promoting health. The most productive tests have come in the form of multi-disciplinary approaches, which consider data from epidemiology and field studies, laboratory tests in animals and historical accounts that are compared to current testing results.

Researchers have tested tea against many different ailments and the results have shown that it is one of the most effective methods that a person can employ to ensure that they are able to adequately fight against any of these sicknesses. The jury, however, is still out, as tea’s potential is only just now beginning to be understood.

Removing Caffeine from Tea

Do your teas have caffeine?
Yes, all real teas have caffeine.

In general, Green tea contains the least caffeine, Black tea the most due to the oxidation process, and Oolong falls in the middle range.

Also tea steeped in hot water for a longer time will release more of its caffeine than tea steeped with cooler water for a shorter period. A smaller leaf tea will release more of its caffeine than a larger leaf tea.

A Department of Nutritional Services reports the following ranges of caffeine content for a cup of tea made with loose leaves:

• A cup of Green tea (6 oz) contains 8 to 36 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of White tea contains 6 to 25 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of Oolong tea contains 12 to 55 mg of caffeine.
• A cup of Black tea ranges from 23 - 110 mg.
• Coffee generally contains 60 - 180 mg of caffeine.

How can tea be a healthy beverage if it contains caffeine?
Caffeine in moderation can actually be good for you. It stimulates the nervous system and promotes blood circulation. It also works as a digestive after a heavy or greasy meal.Caffeine increases the body's metabolism for up to four hours, which may be part of tea's weight loss attributes (don't drink your tea with sugar if your intention is weight loss).

You can also decaffeinate your own tea.

Removing caffeine from tea
Tea has a relaxing effect and can be easily decaffeinated:

• Add hot water to loose leaves and steep for 1 minute.
• Discard the liquid.
• This first brew contains most of the caffeine of the tea.
• Add water to your teapot and let steep for 2-3 minutes and drink that infusion that has only small amounts of caffeine.
• Over 80% of the caffeine is removed during the first wash of the leaves.

Consuming Green Tea

More people are embracing green tea and consuming it like never before. Green tea is regarded as a supplement that can be used in the weight loss regiment. And it’s so popular worldwide because of its natural ability to help shed extra pounds.

These days there has been increasing awareness about antioxidants and their role in the body metabolism. Green tea is one rich source of antioxidants and indeed there are some clinical trials that have proven its medicinal properties on malignant cells.

Some important beneficial effects of consuming green tea are as follows:

1 Weight loss
2 High energy levels
3 Enhanced memory
4 Elimination of body toxins

In a 24-hour period, consumption of green tea increases body metabolism rate by up to 5%. This is attributed to the surplus quantities of catechins (flavones) and polyphenols present in it and these biochemicals help in the oxidation of fat (or simply fat burning) and thermogenesis (process of body generation of heat/energy due to increased metabolic rate).

Green tea is believed to also regulate glucose levels and thereby checks fat absorption. Some reports says that a single-time consumption of green tea will burn about 60 calories in a day and that should equal to a light workout effect.

When green tea is included in a weight loss plan, it complements and hastens the fat burning process and the result is quicker weight loss while maintaining high energy levels. You can depend on this all-natural medicinal drink to get spikes of energy while your weight loss pills try to calm down your hunger urges.

A Long History of Tea

Discovered in China, tea has exerted a profound influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. The tea story begins in China around 5,000 years ago. the legendary Emperor of China and inventor of agriculture and Chinese medicine was drinking a bowl of boiling water some time around 2737 BC when a few leaves were blown from a nearby tree into his water, changing the color. As a scientist, the emperor became intrigued by the liquid, drank some, and found it very appetizing and was pleasantly surprised by its flavor and restorative properties. He immediately gave the command that tea bushes to be planted in the gardens of his palace.

Thus the custom of brewing fresh tea leaves in hot water began and it quickly spread. After the creation of tea, consumption spread throughout the Chinese culture. In 800 A.D. Lu Yu wrote the first book on tea, the Cha Ching. His work was so explicit and complete that it projected him into near sainthood within his own lifetime. Tea production in China, historically, was a laborious process, conducted in distant and often poorly accessible regions. This led to the rise of many apocryphal stories and legends surrounding the harvesting process.

Until the fifth century A.D., tea was primarily used as a remedy, due to the medicinal benefits attributed to it. From this time onwards, China's upper class adopted the fashion of presenting packages of tea as highly esteemed gifts and of enjoying drinking tea at social events and in private homes. At around the same time the Chinese tea ceremony began to develop and the tidings of tea began to spread as it reached Japan.

Advent of tea in the west
Tea arrived in Europe via Dutch and Portuguese sailors at the beginning of the 17th century. The tea trade was a significant factor in establishing connections between east and west. In China, tea leaves were used as a substitute for coins. In Europe, tea was used as a symbol of high status and as a stimulus for many technological developments. The locals had to make do with tea dust to make their brew. Finding the flavor strong, they experimented with milk and spices, sugar etc. thus their was a whole new evolution to the methodology adopted for the preparation of tea.

At the beginning of the 18th century, tea arrived in Northern America, quickly becoming a desirable drink there as well. However the British later levied taxes on the tea commodities which greatly angered the general public. They exposed their frustration in the form of demonstrations and boycott movements that denied the ships carrying the tea items unload. One famous case was that which occurred in Boston, where a group of locals boarded one of the cargo ships and threw all their shipments into the sea. This famous occurrence in this regard was named the "Boston Tea Party"

A significant rise in tea consumption resulted from the appearance of tea bags at the beginning of the 20th century. With the various varieties of tea discovered, it is only but obvious that the entire world delves itself in the rich aroma of the brew. During the 20th century, the source of tea crops spread throughout the world, from Japan to Africa and South America. Towards the end of the 20th century, an additional rise in the western world's tea consumption occurred and also in evidence was a demand for quality teas.

India, which is the largest producer of tea (off late, its position has been displaced by china) did not drink tea for pleasure till the British introduced the culture. It was primarily considered a medicinal herb and with the British establishing tea plantations along the borders of Assam, the tea culture was thereby introduced in India.

Whatever be the origin, tea has now spread across classes and ethnicity to every of the world and continues to evolve even as you read this.

Health Benefits in a Cup of Tea

Tea is the dried plant Camelia sinensis. True tea includes black, green, white and oolong teas. Drinking two or more cups of tea a day can provide many health benefits. What is in tea that makes it so special?

EGCGEpigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a powerful antioxidant, has shown remarkable health-promoting properties in laboratory studies. Included are anti-viral actions, which offer more cold protection than either vitamin C or Echinacea. It is thought that the chemicals in tea stimulate gamma-delta T-cells that boost the body’s own natural immunity against both bacteria and viruses. Tooth decay or gingivitis causing bacteria are also killed. EGCG is very effective at destroying free radicals.

Flavonoids
Flavonoids, more antioxidants, lower LDL cholesterol levels benefiting the heart and circulatory system. These powerful antioxidants protect against hypertension by suppressing the production of a hormone, angiotensin II, which can contribute to high blood pressure. Further protection against heart attacks and strokes comes from actions that inhibit the abnormal formation of blood clots. In addition, anti-oxidants show effectiveness in lowering blood sugar and protecting against diabetes.

A diet rich in anti-oxidants can to slow the aging process by attacking free radicals before they have the opportunity to damage cells. Anti-inflammatory properties of these anti-oxidants also protect against arthritis. A diet rich in anti-oxidants can to slow the aging process by attacking free radicals before they have the opportunity to damage cells. Anti-inflammatory properties of these anti-oxidants also protect against arthritis.

Minerals
Drinking tea provides important minerals such as zinc and folic acid. An eight-ounce cup of tea provides 25% RDA of manganese, a mineral essential for bone growth and body development. Drinking tea hydrates the body and, as a good source of potassium, helps maintain healthy body fluid levels. Fluoride strengthens teeth and bones and can help protect against osteoporosis.

So the next time you need a break, make it a tea break with a warm, soothing cup of anti-oxidants and minerals!

Cha No Yu, the Buddhist Ritual

The “Cha No Yu” meaning hot water originated as a Buddhist ritual. Eisai, the Buddhist Monk was famous for creating the Zen of this ceremony, as well as for planting the first tea plants in Uji, a region near Kyoto Japan. These tea gardens are now famous, and tea is a way of life for the Japanese. Tea, therefore; became popular throughout Japan and by the mid fifteenth century, Japanese monasteries had copied communal living from China. These “Sung” rules or rules of living included how to prepare and consume tea, and were held in special tea houses throughout Japan.

The preparation and drinking of tea includes the Cha No Yu ceremony. The rules of this ceremony were founded by Murata Shuko (1422-1522), which includes inviting a few esteemed guests or drinking the tea alone. There is a pattern or ritual which is closely followed when preparing and partaking of the precious tea. This highly refined art form includes the Zen, a philosophy that symbolizes purity of spirit and soul, which become joined together when sipping the tea. The Cha and the Zen are also linked in the ceremony. Guests meditate and find peace within their souls as they sip their tea. The Cha No Yu reflects the values and culture of the Japanese, and takes place in a beautiful yet simple teahouse.

Murata Shuko’s original teahouse was lightly decorated to reflect the true meaning of the tea ceremony; showing a simplistic way of living. The teahouse in Japan today is called a “Chashitsu.” To reach this pavilion one must walk up a garden path reminiscent of a mountain path. The simplistic surroundings of the teahouse includes tatami mats, paper panels and wood. A painted scroll is above the alcove, flowers are placed in a vase and the kettle sits within a sunken hearth. Fine porcelain is imported from China and includes stoneware dishes, ladle, spatula, bamboo whisk and cast iron teapot. After a light meal, the host serves “Matcha” a green fine powdered tea called “Gyokuro” and is whipped with hot water to make “Koicha” tea. Strong tea is served first; followed by a weak tea; sipped slowly to find inner strength and harmony.

The Cha No Yu is an art perfected today in Japan, and is taken with great care and attention to detail. Over the century Cha No Yu’s rules have been perfected and refined. Tea masters have spent many years studying this ceremony, but the essentials have always remained the same, which are defined as serenity, purity, harmony and respect, otherwise known as “The Way of Tea.”