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Original poster

Dp has started adding the milk to mugs of tea while the teabags are still in there brewing.

33 replies

DorotheaPlenticlew · 04/08/2010 22:50

He puts the bag in, pours boiling water on, adds milk, lets milky horrid soup sit for ages (until it's not even hot enough for my liking, humph), then serves.

I am emphatically against this, but am struggling to convince him that it's misguided because tbh I don't really know why. I wondered if the milk would sort of clog up
the flow of pure water through the bags (Scottish Blend, pyramid-shaped, natch) but that sounds like bollox even to me.

Do please tell me what you think.

OP posts:
Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/08/2010 22:51

I think you should use leaves in a teapot and therefore circumvent the problem entirely

BEAUTlFUL · 04/08/2010 22:51

That's emotional abuse! Leave him immediately!

MrsBadger · 04/08/2010 22:51

personally I'd be filing for divorce

adding the milk too early lowers the temperature so the tea won't brew properly.

MmeLindt · 04/08/2010 22:51

I think that it is grounds for divorce.

scurryfunge · 04/08/2010 22:51

It is not the correct way to make tea but it does stop tea staining in the cups.

SixtyFootDoll · 04/08/2010 22:52

Ring your local womens aid , grow a pair and move on.

Heartsease · 04/08/2010 22:53

I also object to this in the strongest terms. In my mind, the fat in the milk 'waterproofs' the tea, so it can't ever achieve its full potential in union with the water. I think this idea may go back to when my Home Economics teacher described rubbing in fat for pastry as creating 'little macintoshes' for each grain of flour.

Anyway, I agree with you that it's an outrageous way to behave, and in my head that is why.

MmeLindt · 04/08/2010 22:54

Are you packing his bags yet, Dorothea?

Did he really think that you would put up with this?

Original poster
DorotheaPlenticlew · 04/08/2010 22:55

We're not married. Should I get a lawyer to draw up some paperwork re: finances before I leave him?

Scurry, our cups don't stain anyway (maybe because Edinburgh water is quite soft?) so it cannot be houseproudness motivating him.

Ali -- you're so right, but we are too knackered with the small dc to fiddle with leaves & pots. I intend to do that in our twilight years though

OP posts:
Original poster
DorotheaPlenticlew · 04/08/2010 22:56

Ooh, I love the "little macintoshes" notion. I'm going to use that.

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 04/08/2010 22:57

Yes, you definitely need a prenup stipulating that milk should not be added to tea cup until tea bag has been removed.

BEAUTlFUL · 04/08/2010 22:58

They call this kind of thing "gasTwining".

Habbibu · 04/08/2010 22:59

Burn the witch. It's black magic.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 04/08/2010 23:01

Ah but Dorothea it is so relaxing to make a pot of tea, a calming little ritual. And the second cup is just there ready and waiting when you want it without having to boil the kettle again.

Sorry I am a little fussy about tea.

SuzieHomemaker · 04/08/2010 23:01

Tea wont brew properly if milk is added unless there is also sugar.

Sorry - I work for a tea company! It's something to do with osmosis I believe.

fiziwizzle · 04/08/2010 23:02

I don't like it when DP adds sugar before taking the teabag out. At the back of my mind I feel that the teabag will soak up some of the sugar, thus making it necessary to add more to compensate. Surely the proper order should be teabag, water, teabag out, milk, sugar.

It's his tea, I don't know why it bothers me...

fiziwizzle · 04/08/2010 23:03

Aargh Suzie cross posted, don't tell my DP he's right after all...

MmeLindt · 04/08/2010 23:03

I want a cup of tea now.

Ilythia · 04/08/2010 23:06

Just drink coffee, tea is disgusting.

Original poster
DorotheaPlenticlew · 04/08/2010 23:08

Well, I'm drinking wine (DP is having tea) ...

We've just discussed it. I read out some responses but he's having none of it, and can't explain why he's suddenly started doing this mad, mad thing. All he could muster was "It's handy," by which I think he means, you get it all done at once and don't have to wait for the brewing and then come back and get the milk out etc, you actually get it all over with at once. Corner-cutting taken to an unacceptable extreme, IMO.

I said "I thought I knew you". He just laughed.

OP posts:
caramelwaffle · 04/08/2010 23:17

You pair O'Heathens: tea should be brewed in a teapot

caramelwaffle · 04/08/2010 23:20

*random "forward slash"

Suggests the Plenticlew family adds brandy to said tea to REALLY stir (ahem) things up

SuzieHomemaker · 04/08/2010 23:31

Dorothea TBH tea made with milk & sugar will brew (just about) but isnt a 'proper cup' ie one which will stain the cup and preferably the dishwasher!

Yorkshire tea ceremony - 'do you want sugar?' 'No' 'Dont stir it then'

hatwoman · 04/08/2010 23:31

yabvu. people who use teabags have no possible grounds for being prissy about when the milk gets added. the outcome is papery tea lacking in flavour whenever you add the milk. get a tea pot and some loose leaf assam and then you might start to realise what a decent cup of tea tastes like.

Heartsease · 04/08/2010 23:34

This has the makings of a Dickensian tale of decline, in which the words "It's handy!" become an increasingly tragic refrain. First the genteel and sober ritual of tea-making is allowed to degrade ("It's handy!"), then you are driven by this pale imitation of tea towards wine ("It's handy!"), now there is talk of brandy ("It's handy!"). He would not be "just laughing" in the final, deeply affecting, tableau.