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

[ChaosInCamelot]

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.

I have two teas...round bags and pyramid bags!

I do keep a random selection of teas in but I have a bad habit of assuming everyone wants a cup of tetleys, fairly strong, milk no suger (the way I like it!) - I have often been chatting away making 3 or 4 cups, with various friends and relatives desperately trying to signal that they want a glass of water or a coffee or some sugar!

I do the same with red wine, merrily pouring out a glass for everyone without checking if they actually want any first!

I'm not a natural hostess

I cleared my tea cupboard out a few weeks back and found 30 different sorts . All my friends laughed at me; none of them keep different teas in (and I don't mind at all, though I do ask them to waft it for 30 seconds for me). Nobody else I know has a tea cupboard. I keep a box of "builders' tea" for my mum and those friends

passionberry - in my book, anyone that pours me a glass of red wine without asking is an excellent hostess

we had builders in all of last year ( still pop in occasionally ) so the sugar is always easily accessible. all 10 or so of them have 2 each.

I agree with Taffetacat re good hostessing

I only drink Clipper fairtrade myself and will walk out if offered anything as uncouth as PG Tips

In addition to that, we have a jar of instant coffee (DH and I never drink coffee so this is purely for guests) and usually have green tea and peppermint as we very occasionally have those, but like you OP sometimes we've run out and not replaced it. I think there might be half a box of dessicated raspberry leaf from when I was heavily pregnant and desperate too. If that doesn't suit guests they do without - it's a concession enough on my part having the vile smell of coffee in my house when we have guests to visit .

OP - YANBU.

However, I do currently have practically every type of herbal tea known to man in my cupboard including Aloe Vera Green Tea (WTF?), Rosehip, Fennel and something that seems to be branded as wimmin's only (am desperate to feed it to DH to see if he grows breasts and learns to multitask). My SIL is a mega herbal tea obsessive (refuses anything with caffeine or tannins) and seems to have decided I am the same because I happened to have camomile in the house once (another gift) so she gave me a whole crate of the stuff for Christmas! I can guarantee it will all be unopened until she next visits, so OP your DH's sister is welcome to come and live off my herbal teas if she wants: then there is the double benefit of her not pulling funny faces at you and me getting some cupboard space freed up!

I have a selection in my cupboard because I like a variety of teas but I wouldn't expect other people to.

I remember I had a mobile hairdresser visit my house and when I asked her if she wanted a tea or coffee she asked for a peppermint tea. Fortunately I did have peppermint tea but I did think it was rather presumptious of her, I'm not running a cafe after all.

I have been known to do a cat bum face in a restaurant when they didn't 'do' fresh mint tea. I like to buy fresh mint leaves to make mint tea with, and usually have in some jasmine tea and periodically some Earl Grey or Lady Grey (which I hate but DH loves). We don't generally 'stock' coffee tho. DH only drinks 'posh' coffee so we sometimes buy beans and grind them at home, but he is too tight-fisted to buy it regularly so often the choice at our house is tea, tea or tea. And with skimmed milk (which horrifies a lot of people, including my mother who won't drink my tea - we have Twinings Everyday - as she says it's like 'maiden's water') Also we don't take sugar so if you want sugar it's either 'rummage in the baking cupboard' for caster/demerara sugar or amber crystals that DH occasionally buys for his coffee.

Offering a hot beverage is a minefield these days.