Basics of putting tea in flasks....

[user1471523870]

We had a lovely day out at the beach today: sun shining, lovely breeze, a nice walk with the baby and few stops for a quick tea. Every stop involved a long queue as everybody clearly had our same plan for the day. Hence the eureka moment: next time I will bring tea in a flask, so that we can stop on a bench anywhere we want to enjoy it (also, I feel more comfortable breasfeeding the baby far from the crowd).

And my question is: how do you make the tea for the flask? Do you leave the teabag in?I guess not or it will be too strong. And do you add the milk straight away or do you just pour the tea and you take the milk with you to be added just before drinking it?

Do you have a teapot? I make a pot of tea with three bags, then add to the flask followed by milk (and sugar if everyone takes it). Otherwise it will be stewed and awful. I think it's fine to add the milk to the flask in advance, but my dad used to have a Thermos flask with a special milk bottle that sat inside the mug so that he could add his at the last minute. I suppose whatever works for you!

Make it in the teapot, not in the flask or it will taste Wrong. It is ok to add milk in the flask but you will fit more tea in if you bring the milk separately. Wash the plastic bits as soon as you get home or they will smell manky.

I make a massive cup of tea in a 2 pint measuring jug, with three teabags, using a tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. Add milk and remove teabags as usual. Put some boiling water in the flask while I make it to warm the flask, tip this away and pour in the tea when it's done.

Fill the flask with boiling water and take teabags and milk separately (I use a plastic water bottle) to make the tea when you want to drink it.

There is only one way ... make tea in teapot .. pour into flask when well stewed. Milk separate in a wee container. NEVER put milk in flask

All fantastic suggestions, thanks so much. It's now way clearer. I will be down to my allotment tomorrow and will bring tea with me in the flask (but I also appreciate the suggestion of bringing hot water and make tea separately).

As to people who say make tea later with boiling flask water ... NO ... the water isn't hot enough to make tea .... tea must be made with water just boiled from the surface of the sun, i.e. 1 million degrees

ThereIsIron such a relief to hear someone speak the truth about tea!

I make it in the flask, take teabag out, add milk.

it's a saviour later on when you spend many boring hours supervising dc on the playground/football pitch/dance lessons...

I’m sorry everyone, I’m a ‘make tea with water from the flask’ person. I find that if I put tea in the flask then the tea tastes of flask. It’s bearable if it’s just hot water in the flask.

I don't mind tea with milk in the flask (though its the only time I have sugar, I think it channels picnics of my childhood), but if I'm packing tea for more than just me I do a flask of tea (I make it in the flask as its wide mouthed so I can easily fish the teabags out and you don't lose heat) and a flask of milk.

Don't leave the bag in it will stew.