i've been making tea for some 20+ years mostly lipton and now luzianne and no matter how i prepare it ie coffee maker boiling water and let steep 5 min or 4 hours it never taste "GOOD" i've tried to go from teflon pots to stainless steel pots yet it never taste like any resturants i've got it at.
can someone give out their suggestions on how to do it properly? pleeeeeeeeease??

I have been using a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Pot for about six years. It is similar to a drip coffee maker.

I use two small Lipton Green Tea bags and one large Lipton regular tea bag. I go through about a pitcher a day.

hmmmmmm sound like it's worth a try!!
what is the green tea bags....green tea?

Yeah, it is green tea. It is suppose to be good for us, but I just like the taste of this blend of the two kinds. The taste isn't too heavy or strong.

cool i'll try it....how long do you let it sit or steep....or do you just pour it up when it's done?

The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Pot works just like a drip coffee maker. Once the water finishes dripping through the tea bags and filter it is ready. It uses a drip coffee filter.

Here it is. I have the TM1 model
http://www.mrcoffee.com/Products.aspx?cid=46

Hmmmm...ok you two, turn in your man cards at the door please. :-)

alright ralphy......but ya know...sometimes when you want it done right.....ya gotta do it yourself

Could it be the water? Try some bottle water. Hook-em

I run my tea back thru a 2nd.time.It makes it better, but is still not as good as some resturants.

Hook-em thats a good idea....i know my water is hard but as much as i drink i'd go broke trying to afford bottled water...lol and bowfin i'll try that one 2nd....starting tonight

Here's what you do:

Next time you're out driving around,
pull in the drive thru of that fast
food chik'n place that all the holsteins
seem to have such a problem with and
buy yourself a gallon of thier tea.
It's good.
Either that or get yourself a women that
likes iced tea. But the drive thru is cheaper.

PK

We use a 4 cup measuring cup filled with about 3 cups tap water and 3 of the family size Luzzianne tea bags then heat in the microwave for 5 minutes.

Put 1.5 cups sugar in the pitcher and dump the tea in the pitcher. Then use a wooden spoon and mash the teabags to get what you can out of them. Stir it up real good and put 3 or 4 ice cubes in the pitcher. Let it sit a couple of minutes until the ice has melted then add water.

Had many a folks compliment me on my tea.

lol pk.your right...im on my third ok nascar im on it tonight....let cha know later

Yea that Chicken Express in Lindale has real good tea.Its good and sweet and you get a huge cup for $.99

I use bottled water from a dispenser at a grocrey store near me. It is 35 cents per gallon. I just boil water add the tea bags, let cool and mix with the rest of the gallon of water. Much better than tap water.

Cain's tea is the best tea in the world...you can't find it any store... but if you see the dispensor's in most restaurants it says Cain's tea on it... They have a distributor warehouse on 360 in Arlington where you can buy it!

I always get the sweet tea when I am there (Benbrook location), but a couple of nights ago I bought a gallon and it was horrible...

What I do is I fill up one of those hospital pitchers with water, (we have a lot from when my grandpa was in the hospital for a long time), drop in a tea bag, I use the standard off-brand Wal-Mart decaf tea. Orange pekoe cut. I microwave it for 5 minutes on high, then I put 2 1/2 cups of sugar in a clean gallon pickle jar, (our tea jugs around here), let the tea steep in the microwave for about 4-5 more minutes, then strain it with a slotted spoon, letting the water go through the tea bag, but don't mash it cuz it will most likely bust and get the grains all in your tea. Then I fill the jug up the rest of the way with water. Stir a lot, then leave at room temp, cuz refridgerating it will make it sweeter. Pour over ice in a glass, everyone in my family loves my tea!! But to each their own, might be worth a try though...

I have to add a trick that no one mentioned. This is a secret from the older woman in my family.

First off, just boil the water stove top. Go ahead and just throw two or three tea bags in there while the water is cold. The water heats up slowly and gets the tea bags going..

Here's the biggest part of the trick. As soon as you put the water on the stove, go ahead and mix in your sugar until it dissolves.
How ever much sugar you want. About a cup per two quarts is what we use. Maybe a cup and a half for a gallon.

I don't know but for some reason, this makes the tea taste better than when you try to mix in the sugar later.

Also, we have an old rival cook pot that we only use for tea. It's been passed down for generations. Maybe it's seasoned just right.

It could be your coffee maker. I'm no expert on tea but where it relates to coffee, most drip coffee makers simply do not get the water hot enough. It should be just off the boil to get the maximum out of your beans or leaves.

You might consider a tea press pot to get more from your leaves.

http://www.espressozone.com/4337.html

Keep your leaves fresh. Use bottled water and water from the stove just off the boil.