To think that this tea SHOULD taste nice? (trivial)

[SaggyOldClothCatPuss]

Ok. I'm stuck on a freezing market stall, with limited access to food/beverages. So I decide I need a cuppa to warm me up. I went into McDonald's. They put a pg tips t bag into hot water and gave me full cream milk and sugar. This is exactly the same teabag, milk and sugar as I use at home. SO WHY DOES IT TASTE SO BLOODY AWFUL??!!

That would be the cream ...surely?

Nothing is as good as a homemade mug of tea.

If you like tea. I prefer coffee !

You know what should taste lovely and smells lovely but is actually 'meh' when you drink it ?

Vanilla tea. I thought I would love it as I love vanilla, and thought I would enjoy it, but no.

Do you use UHT milk at home?

I find that they give tea in cups that are too big for one tea bag. It ends up tasting like ants piss because the water to tea ratio is all wrong.

Did they use boiling water?

Normal milk. I hadn't thought of that! Although it doesn't say uht and they keep it in the fridge. I'm going to bring my stove tomorrow and make my own! I can huddle around the flame for warmth then too!

It's the way it's made, maybe?

I prepare the tea by putting the sweetener and teabag in, then the boiling water, stir it up til it's nice and dark, remove teabag and then put the milk in.

Some people do wonky things (imo) such as put the milk in with the dry teabag and then add water... I think that makes tea taste horrible but I found people easily get narked if you challenge their method.

It wouldn't be so bad if you could just get away with politely refusing their offer of a cup of tea and make your own, but that seems to get their goat too.

Odd.

go to asda or similar and buy a metal flask that way you can do your tea the way you want dosent cost an arm and leg and you get more than one cup of tea simples

...and if anyone moans at you for bringing your own tea tell them to call the police if they care that much.

Is it in a polystyrene cup?

IMO tea always tastes funny if it's in anything other than a proper cup. It tastes plasticky if I have it in my thermos mug or any kind of take away cup.
Paper ones are sometimes ok though!

I was going to ask what sort of cup it was in as well. Anythinng but a proper one and its just not right

Its the water!!!!!! We live in the south of England and in my opinion the water is RANK. I buy bottled water for my tea. Cant be doing with bad tea.

It was the same when I lived in Dublin. The water in the city was awful, couldnt drink tea in work. Yet outside the city it was lovely.

Think it is down to how hard the water is, the amount of lime in it etc.

My MIL will not drink the tea I make her unless I've used the teapot. If I make it while she's in another room, and say 'yes, of course I used the teapot', she never notices the difference in taste. The cup and the teapot have to be warmed first. Of course.

I agree with the tea bag/cup ratio. Also, they use 'boiling' water from a tap and it's probably not truly 'boiling'.

Gave up on tea on most places long ago. Now have my flask....hot tasty and I also bring a nice cup. Great for days out. Don't know how they manage to make such awful tea but they do with regularity.