What happens when you put a couple of English people in a room for 30 minutes or more?
One of them will suggest "Shall we put the kettle on?"
We drink a lot of tea. Coffee too, but there is nothing like a good cup of tea, and you will find me whipping up a batch of scones as the slightest excuse.
To make a cup of tea you need to start with boiling water.
The easiest, fastest way is to use a cordless kettle. Mine is from
Williams Sonoma....
But I also like this one is from
Target...
Make sure that you buy a cordless one, so that you don't have to unplug it every time you need to fill it up. Whenever I need boiling water for cooking, I always get it from the kettle, its so much faster than waiting for it to heat up on the stove.
Next you need the tea.
I use PG Tips which is available in most US grocery stores. I love teabags, because there is no measuring, just use one bag per cup...
I also love Twinings English Breakfast.
If using a teapot...
Put a little boiling water in and swish it around to warm the pot, then toss that water into the sink. I always add one teabag per person and then one for the pot, so a teapot that serves 6 people needs 7 teabags. Add the boiling water and then allow to steep.
When ready to serve add the milk to the cup, and then pour on the tea, stirring as you pour. There has always been a great debate about which goes in the cup first, the tea or the milk. I prefer to add the milk first.
If making it in the cup...
Place the teabag in the cup, pour on the boiling water and allow to steep. Remove the teabag, and then stir in the milk. It doesn't taste quite as good this way, but if I'm just making a cup for myself then this is the way I do it.
My tea service is Wedgwood Clio.
I also have the coffee service...
I have expresso cups...
and coffee cups...
And I use these as my tea plates....
I started collecting this service when I was in my twenties, and for many years, I would receive pieces as gifts for Christmas or my Birthday, and each time I entertained I would buy something new.
Take your time choosing your own china pattern, and use it. I love my china, and am much happier using it and buying the occasional replacement piece than I would be if it were packed away carefully in boxes.
