I'm 34 and I have never tried a cup of tea

[2ndbase]

I don't know where to start, how do you know which tea bags to use? Do I have milk, if so, how much? Sugar?

It's always puzzled me how people already know all this, I think it's what's put me off trying it before now!

I love tea and coffee but if you’ve never bothered I potentially wouldn’t - I get headaches if I don’t have tea or coffee, it’s a drug after all.

But I couldn’t survive without a nice cup of tea. The stronger the better with very little milk.

Go to patisserie valerie and get a pot of tea .

Never squeeze the tea bag! Never!!!

Earl Grey gives me palpitations.

And yet, I started drinking tea with a highly scented tea.
Gosh, isn't it funny how we are all different!

I can't stand black tea (but love herbal ones). Earl Grey is just about drinkable to me. Why don't you just go to a cafe and order a cup of tea. Once you taste it you'll know whether you prefer more milk, a stronger brew, sugar or no sugar etc?

Would Yorkshire Tea be a good tea bag to start with? I'm thinking a little milk and no sugar

“To be honest the replies have confused me even more, everybody seems to like it made differently”

They do...

If you don’t want to get someone to make you a cup, just use any teabag (don’t go too cheap or too fancy)

Put it in a cup, add boiling water, stir it and leave it in there for about a minute.

Then try it, then add some milk and try that too. If it’s ok but could be doing with being sweeter you want sugar. If it’s ok but too strong or not strong enough then you vary how long you leave the bag in the water for.

If you like it then it might be worth going fancy, but there’s no point starting there if you’re not even sure what tea should be like IMO.

Try ordinary tea such as Yorkshire to start with as others are more of an acquired taste. Unless you need a sweet drink don’t use sugar.
Why not go to a tea shop that specialises in different blends etc ? Make it an outing. Cheaper than buying tea bags etc and if you don’t like the taste you can have a nice cup of hot chocolate. Tell the assistant this will be your first cup and you are relying on their expertise as to which one a beginner would find most palatable

Wow, how did you manage that op? Weren't you ever curious?!

If you're ever in north Yorkshire go to Betty's - best tea ever

Would Yorkshire Tea be a good tea bag to start with? I'm thinking a little milk and no sugar

Yes, assuming you like milk in general. If you don't like the taste or smell of milk then I'd start with a green tea.

@RebeccaCloud9

'I put the milk in first (just a splash)'

m.youtube.com/watch?v=FtK_vfp8po8

I don't drink milk but started with something like Yorkshire - just a regular tea. I now drink Yorkshire (but not Yorkshire Gold) or Dorset tea.

there's a big difference in taste as well depending on whether your water is hard or soft.

Cakemonger I was curious but I never got round to it as I didn't know which tea bags to use, or to use milk, sugar, etc. With soft drinks it's usually just a case of you open it, then drink it. No messing about with ingredients

Well don't get too excited... :o it's not the most mindblowing experience, but you should try it!

Get some basic, but nice quality teabags like clipper breakfast. (I love Earl Grey but agree you don't want to start there.)

Boil kettle. Get 3 mugs and put a teabag in each. Add boiling water, leave 1 for 1 minute, 1 for 2 and 1 for 3. Get teabags out with a teaspoon. Add milk in gradually increasing amounts (from just a splash, to approx 1/4 the amount of tea is the normal range) and try each one until you find tea you like. If they're all vile, try adding sugar.

Once initiated, try Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Green tea etc.

I hated tea when given it as a child and didn't drink tea or coffee until my 30s.

I gave up coke in 30s and had coffee for the caffeine instead - I'd always liked the smell but not the taste. It's an acquired taste I'd say >> I like it black.

Based on that and a long term ambivalence towards milky things or well milk TBH, I tried tea WITHOUT milk and it was nice.

So now I drink bleack earl grey sometimes and enjoy it. And also feel like Captain Picard on the Enterprise which is a massive added bonus!!!

In summary >> you need to experiment. And it's OK not to like it! (Even in a family like mine where no tea = what a freak :D)

Soft water here. What's the difference between Yorkshire Tea and Yorkshire Gold?

No, not Yorkshire - English Breakfast. (Ducks and runs away...)

Ok start with it black then adjust until you like the taste (if you ever do, I think tea is rank!) Dp likes pg tips. Brand choice is something you just have to change until one suits your personal taste just like any other product.

Boil kettle
Add water to cup with teabag in it
Leave for a couple of mins until flavour is leeched out.

Leave to cool enough not to burn your mouth.

Taste
If you don't like it add a bit of milk
Taste
If you don't like it add half/one spoon of sugar
Taste

If you still don't like it you can add more sugar or milk until you do or decide hat tea isn't for you [vom]

Do the same with coffee because lates are fucking rank but I love coffee.
I have a big spoon of coffee and a tiny bit of milk. Too much milk makes coffee really bad (to my taste buds)

Any of the big brand ones or the supermarket own brand mid price range ones are much of a muchness.

I mean yes they’re different and yes people have their preferences, but it’s a bit like cola or something in that respect - as in people prefer different brands, but, they all still taste recognisably colaish

I'm another hot drinks non-fan, although every winter when I'm still drinking cold water I do think I must train myself to like them one day

Bloodcurdling said basically what I tried to say but better!

Still try coffee properly though, all the fancy coffee shop versions are terrible, late, flatwhite, cappuccino, etc although you might like a mocha because that's I think a bit like hot chocolate and coffee mixed together.

Try English Breakfast tea or any 'normal supermarket own brand (usually in a red box) or PG Tips.

(Not Yorkshire, it's VILE imo!) But lots of people do like it!

It's always puzzled me how people already know all this

That's like being puzzled about how people know how to make a sandwich. Someone teaches them of course.

Oh and if you don’t like tea or coffee and you’re after a hot drink, winter spiced Ribena is nice.

PG Tips or other standard tea bag, not Earl Grey or anything unusual. No sugar. Just cover bottom of cup with milk. (Although I like mine black most people don't!)
Tea bag in, hot water onto teabag. Stir until it is an acceptable brown colour - but like weak coffee.
Drink and enjoy!