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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not keep every type of tea in my kitchen cupboard.

58 replies

ChaosInCamelot · 01/03/2010 19:17

Do those of you who drink different types of tea/hot drink expect others to have them in stock in their kitchen? I just tend to drink 'normal' tea and coffee, and then I just drink plain tap water if I am not having a hot drink. I sometimes have green or peppermint tea in the evening, but if I run out I sometimes forget to replace it for a month or so.

Have a couple of friends and relatives who don't drink tea/coffee. One came round today and when I asked her if she wanted a cuppa, asked what teas I had. Um, just the standard tea sorry. Cue disappointed look and asked me to dunk the bag in the water for literally half a second (actually considered this a bit of a waste of a teabag).

I just think that if I only drank herbal/fruit teas I would keep a couple of tea bags in my handbag for these occasions.

DHs sister only drinks a particular type of herbal tea (can't remember which) but when I'm at hers I just have that. I don't expect her to keep the caffeinated ones in just for me.

OP posts:
JemL · 01/03/2010 21:41

I was embarrased at a friend's house when I asked for a cup of normal tea. She had tons of different bags, but nothing bog-standard. The closest to "normal" she had was Earl Grey. The next time I went round, she had bought some Tetley's. It was lovely and thoughtful of her, but I felt suddenly like her oik friend swilling gallons of workman's tea whilst everyone else sipped fancy brews

TrillianAstra · 01/03/2010 21:50

Fine to ask, rude to make a face.

GoldenSnitch - even if we didn't drink hot drinks I find a kettle v useful for boiling water for pasta, potatoes, etc, much quicker than bringing cold water to the boil in a saucepan.

Takver · 01/03/2010 21:51

YANBU at all, although I do have a few random things in the cupboard as it seems like everyone drinks herbal teas these days (possibly just the people I know?). If you have fresh ginger or fennel seed for making curries either of them make a decent herbal brew, though.

Bumperlicious · 01/03/2010 21:53

YANBU if people are being a bit miffed, but I do tend to have a range of teas, I only drink decaf, but DH drinks normal tea, we also tend to have redbush, various herbal/fruit tea, so usually a good selection. I do tend to keep a small jar of coffee even though DH and I never drink it, and have to keep sweetners for my mum

I tend to leave decaf as places I go to regularly, and usually have some on me anyway.

GoldenSnitch · 01/03/2010 21:54

Yes, the kettle has come in useful - it's much more effiecent to boil water in than a pan - but the mugs just take up space.

And tea and coffee stink!

MmeBlueberry · 01/03/2010 21:59

I have a wooden box that has about 6 verieties of flavoured teas in individually wrapped tea bags. I wheel it out when people come over and let them ponder over what to choose. I never touch it otherwise - builders' tea is what we drink.

clemette · 01/03/2010 22:02

I rarely drink tea, in fact only when I go to other people's houses and gave forgotten the can of Dr Pepper I normally carry with me.
However, what I do find a bit odd is when you accept a cup of tea and ask for sugar (I have a stupidly sweet tooth) and said friend then makes a huge pallaver about finding sugar (generally here in yummymmumyville they end up saying "I'm afraid we don't do sugar here, although we do gave some caster sugar somewhere in the baking cupboard.")

oldenglishspangles · 01/03/2010 22:07

YANBU

Flibbertyjibbet · 01/03/2010 22:19

We keep in a big box of Netto's own red label! We discovered them when we were really skint and everyone says what a lovely cuppa they make...

No yanbu, I dooo keep quite a selection of teas but they are hidden in the back of my cupboard because once or twice a year I place an order for a selection with Ringtons and they are far too expensive to share!!

Original poster
ChaosInCamelot · 01/03/2010 23:21

She wasn't a regular visitor. Maybe comes over a couple of times a year. Interesting to see everyones various tea preferences / habits. Yes, is polite to have something in for regulars- my in laws don't come over to ours much but if they babysit (once in a blue moon), I get in the soft drinks they like.
Like the idea of a tin with a little selection. Maybe I should do that.

OP posts:
Clary · 01/03/2010 23:33

Ah this is me I'm afraid.

I only buy one kind of non-caffinated "tea" for me (tho I keep PG in stock for guests/MiL).

At other people's houses I will take any herbal stuff they have (camomile, peppermint etc etc). If they really don't have any I'll just have water. I don't expect people to have any; but I do find that most people do.

Maybe I just have hippy pals tho

No YANBU

Maybe I will start carrying my lemon and ginger about with me

"beveragal preferences" excellent kurri kurri! Also lol @ "baking cupboard" wtf is that then? Actually granulated sugar is about the only kind I really don't have, but I am sure we could sweeten yr tea here =with something else clemette!

clemette · 01/03/2010 23:35

lol Calry, it's not that I don't mind people not having granulated, it's just the look of pure horror on their face that anyone would be so shabby as to actually put sugar in tea!!

Clary · 01/03/2010 23:38

I don't mind, it's the milk I can't be doing with!

wastingaway · 02/03/2010 00:03

I object to anything being de-caffeinated. Morally.

I drank Rooibos or Fennel when off the caffeine. I'd rather go without coffee than have it butchered.

I bought a box of Earl Grey the other day and I can't wait to brew some up.

We've always had tea and coffee in, but before a year ago people would have to bring milk to our house if they didn't like it black.

legspinner · 02/03/2010 00:10

OP, YANBU...as others have said, it's fine to ask but a bit rude to act disappointed!

I do have a stock of herbal tea for my MIL for when she comes to stay....plus I have begun drinking a lot of the stuff too (DH complains that my tea stash is rapidly expanding and taking over the cupboards).

Sorry for the slight thread hijack but for you redbush tea drinkers out there, do you drink it with milk? (Can't decide which tastes better).

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 02/03/2010 00:11

clemette - I do that! We don't use sugar in anything so I'm generally thinking 'ah feck, what's in the baking cupboard'. Yes I do have one!

I would not be surprised to find out that my momentary panic could be interpreted as horror

YanknCock · 02/03/2010 00:21

I also have a 'baking cupboard' and have to have a desperate rummage in there for sugar if someone wants it as DH and I don't use it regularly.

OP, YANBU.

Is Tetley 'posh' normal tea then? I've only been here 7 years and still don't have a clue about tea stereotyping. Someone want to give me a rundown?

aendr · 02/03/2010 07:47

I didn't used to keep decaf tea/coffee or herbal teas in, but have done since my first pregnancy because my antenatal class went to each others houses for "afternoon tea" (a gossip with cake). Of course, none of them drank them, but then I discovered a friend who visits often does like the herbals. I'm not sure if I'll restock when she's gone through them as they do get stale. I also keep a squash flavour I don't like for specific non-hot-drink-drinking friends who prefer that flavour and come to stay quite often.
On the other hand, I tend to drink decaf when pregnant and but will drink ordinary when there isn't decaf available or take tea bags when I think of it.
On a third hand (well, mums need that extra hand to go with the rear-view eye) people who don't have milk (even UHT cartons) in for hot drinks are just strange . (Though UHT milk tastes very odd, it's better than nothing.)

So, no you are not unreasonable to only store the items you use - it would be wasteful to buy other teas and have them go stale. Where it's just a case of keeping a teabag in a handbag, fussier people probably ought to do so. But, yes, it's fine to ask as some people do stock them.

Like Yank, I have to get the sugar out of the baking cupboard now that I've weaned myself off sugar. It's even more faff when the FIL comes around as he likes brown sugar in his tea and that's usually buried at the back of the baking cupboard in a solid lump. Must get around to getting a jar for it.

TabithaSmith · 02/03/2010 07:50

A few of my friends carry the teabgas they like in their handbag. problem solved.

I can't be catering to every whim for decaf fairtrade jasmine green tea, or whatever...

gtamom · 02/03/2010 08:22

Do those of you who drink different types of tea/hot drink expect others to have them in stock in their kitchen?

Not really. I do have some teas for 2 others, who are regular tea drinkers here.

I usually drink mint or ginger tea but do not expect it to be everywhere we go. I either say yes please or no thanks.

ChairmumMiaow · 02/03/2010 08:33

I drink mostly peppermint tea with the odd cup of earl grey. I keep those in my cupboard, as well as decaf and normal tea for other people (i have several friends who drink decaf so its worth it)

I will ask, as you never know what people having hiding in the back of their cupboard, but I think people assume I am disappointed if I ask for a glass of water if they don't have what I like (sometimes I'll have a normal black tea but only if I want the caffeine). I'm not - I don't expect them to have what I want!

I sometimes carry teabags, particularly if its really cold and I know I will want tea.

mampam · 02/03/2010 08:40

My MIL once refused to have a cup of tea at our house because we didn't have any Yorkshire teabags. It had never bothered her before but she was in a major strop because DH and I had just got engaged

If I go to someone elses house I just drink what ever they have.

The only time I have stocked 'special' tea was when exFIL was having treatment for cancer and used to only drink Green Tea.

kingprawntikka · 02/03/2010 08:48

I don't drink tea or coffee but I always have some in for visitors. I do find it a bit annoying that people assume I'll have tea in for them but have nothing in that I drink when I go there(IL'S) I have one friend who always has some fruit tea for me and I think its very thoughtful of her.

wastingaway · 02/03/2010 09:51

aendr, why would a non-milk drinking household keep milk in? It'd just go off!
We always lived very close to a shop though.

ChippingIn · 02/03/2010 10:52

Wastingaway - I have offered a number of people a cup of tea/coffee then realised we don't have any milk (we don't have it in tea/coffee) - so it's lucky really that a few doors up is a corner shop!! (they do a nice line in emergency biscuits too!! )

aendr - milk in tea - bleurghhhhhhh

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