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I’ve decided I wanted to start drinking tea. I’ve never drank coffee or tea before. I went to David’s and the staff member was very helpful. I knew nothing but she pulled down a bunch of canisters and answered my (probably dumb) questions.  
 
I bought a few that seemed good and they smelled amazing! When I drank it though, I didn’t care for it. I still liked how it smelled but the flavour seemed very watered down.  
 
Am I just not cut out for tea drinking? Is that just how all tea is? It wasn’t awful but I don’t see why so many people like to drink tea? I’m just wondering if I’m doing it wrong haha

There might be a few things you could try to see if it tastes better..  
Are you using filtered water? I find our tap water has a bad taste to it and filtered makes better coffee/tea, personally.  
Did you use enough tea? They recommend how much to use on the package per cup of water, so if you’re using a big mug make sure you’re using more tea too!  
And also, are you steeping it long enough? It’s between 3-7 minutes for most of the teas I’ve used.  
Hope this helps

Never consider a question dumb, when we don’t know, we ask questions.  
As for the strength of tea did they give directions for making a good cup of tea, I don’t put my teabag in the boiling water but pour the boiling water over the teabag, whether in a cup or teapot. The amount of time you allow your tea to steap also will affect the strength of the tea.  
At our house we are both tea and coffee people, and have our own ways to make either regarding the amount of tea bags and with coffee the amounts of ground coffee used.

I love all things chai. With david's tea, you definitely have to let it steep for the recommended time. But not too long because sometimes it gets bitter. Maybe make it into a latte to start? Then you can start making stronger from there?

I consider myself a tea snob - lol . The water has to be boiled, not just hot [hear that restaurants?] Loose tea - not in bags.  
 
I'm also not a fan of the fruity teas or green teas. They smell great, but I don't really like the flavour. I prefer a bold tea and let it steep four to five minutes.  
 
Flavours I like are English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast [although I hear David's has discontinued this], Assam [used to be able to get it at Bulk Barn] orange pekoe [but steep a little longer].  
 
Everyone has a different preference and it will take time for your tea-taste buds to develop. If you can, just get the sample sizes so you can try out at home before buying too much.  
Cheers!

Herbal teas will not get bitter unless you are using a bitter herb, but teas made from the actual tea plant (or a bitter herb) will. For example, chai has a black tea base. Green, white & of course, black tea all come from the same plant. They are just aged to different stages. The black teas may be sold under different variety names in stores (Earl Grey, Orange Pekoe, Assam, English Breakfast, etc.). Sometimes the name has to do with place of origin. This can be one determining factor for flavor. Loose leaf tea will give you a better flavor as well.  
 
With tea, you do not use boiling water. You let it stop boiling, then pour it over the leaves. You steep black teas only 3-5 minutes. More & it gets even more bitter (I am not a fan of bitter teas). The general accepted rule is 1 tsp./cup of tea, but more can be added if one wishes.  
 
You let herbal tea sit anywhere from 7-15 minutes. If you want a stronger flavor with your herbal teas, you can either add more tea initially to your pot/cup or make a hot or cold infusion. There is lots of online information on how to do this. You will also find information on medicinal teas. There is an abundance of information on those, and it can be quite fascinating!  
 
David's Tea, and some other companies, have many products that have artificial flavors added. That could be part of what you are experiencing. It can change the flavor by giving it a chemical taste. I don't care for those.  
 
What flavors did you try? Chamomile smells sweet but has a mild taste. Mints are strong smelling & tasting. Black, white and green tea bases will always have some bitter aspect to them. All teas, to be at their best, should be used within 1 year of harvesting them.  
 
One of my favorite herbal teas is sweet basil, chamomile, & lemon balm. I like to make my own. This combination smells wonderfully sweet, tastes clean and has soothing qualities. I also like organic outer citrus peel (so, rasped) or lemongrass, mint & chamomile.  
 
It can be fun to experiment & combine various components to your own tastes. Dried berries can be an interesting addition.  
 
Adding a 1/2 -1 tsp. honey instead of sugar can enhance tea flavor in a more pleasing way. I don't add any sweetener to some of mine. It depends on how I feel at the time.  
 
You may need to experiment a bit to find what you like...and you might find that drinking tea won't be your "cup of tea" after all. Haha It isn't for everyone.  
 
Now if after all of this you go the coffee route, it can go from simple to quite complicated depending on the flavor & quality that you are after.  
 
Edited by Flutterby, 2019-09-10 16:15:03

Same... I made up an apple cider smelling tea once.... oooh smelled divine!!! And tasted like disappointment.  
If you are accustomed to coffee, try starting with Orange Pekoe steeped for about ten minutes... it’ll be strong flavour. Then try diluting it more as time goes by if you want to try “fruity” flavours. They tend to smell strongest but taste weakest.

I absolutely love tea, or the idea of it anyway....the smells, the health benefits, the warmth on a rainy day, oh how I would be an avid tea drinker......until I actually taste it.....I HATE the taste!!! I've tried all types of teas, cold iced tea, hot tea, lukewarm tea, tea with honey, tea with sugar.......everything under the sun,.... I can not drink it....I try again after a couple months, but nothing changes.....I just don't think my body likes it.... "they" say you can either be a coffee drinker or a tea drinker, but not both....I do like coffee, but don't drink it.......,. All that being said, my bestfriend (like my mom) brought me a masala chai (chai tea, but the real stuff) from someone from India who makes it by scratch, and I hated it initially. But honestly, every time I see her, she brings it for me, and I have grown to like it, maybe soon my "like" will turn to "love". I have no real words of advice, but just so you know you're not alone in the hunt to like tea! Lol I will be watching this thread like a hawk and try some of the suggestions!  
 
Edited by PowerOfaMom, 2019-09-10 17:09:26

As someone who has drunk tea for 60+ years, I think that when and why you are drinking tea can make a difference to whether you enjoy the taste or not.  
Most English people drink tea bag tea as a normal cuppa. The speciality teas are for different meals or occasions.  
Tea should be made, as stated in a previous post, with freshly boiled fresh water in the mug/cup or teapot. One bag per person and one for the pot. Other than the speciality teas which are drunk without milk (never cream) milk (preferably not homogenised) is added after the tea is poured or brewed, do not add with the teabag as the fat globules block the perforations. Tea bag tea is really almost dust and needs only a short time to brew, basically to colour and flavour the water.  
Jasmine tea is great with a Chinese meal, seems to aid digestion and cut the grease. Earl Grey, drunk without milk, is very refreshing and has a smoky aroma, good with Indian cuisine.  
I personally do not like the flavoured teas but each to their own.  
As far as coffee goes I find North American tastes seem to err on the strong bitter side whereas European coffee is milder.

Www.lana.gelmoment.com  
They are priced good

I have simple tastes when it comes to tea. Possibly to the point that I am missing something (?).  
 
I've never set foot in David's Tea in my life, nor have I bought any other specialty teas. I've had good luck with many off the shelf brands, caffeinated or not. My favourites in the caffeinated category being chai (or double spiced chai) and lady grey, and many favourites in the herbal tea category. One that I miss in this category is chocolate mint, which used to be sold at the supermarket under the PC brand name. But I haven't seen it there (or at shoppers) in at least a year.  
 
I love tea.  
It got me through an entire month when I quit coffee (just to see if I could do it). And herbal tea helped me wean off pop to the point where I rarely have the craving anymore.  
 
One thing is for certain . . . there is something for everyone whether they be the simple options of someone like me or the more specialized options of other posters here.

I just started drinking tea a couple of years ago. I received a bunch of different kinds from David's as a gift and they did smell wonderful but I hated the taste of all of them.  
I found I prefer green tea with a bit of sugar, english breakfast and lemon ginger (when I'm sick) Sometimes I branch out with a spiced chai or apple cinnamon. My advice is to keep it simple.

I bought tea from David’s and it was a similar situation, I loved the smell of it, but when I actually tasted it, I didn’t like it.  
 
I have been drinking tea for a long time though, and recommend going to the classics to see what your preferences are. As I don’t like all teas.  
 
I’d recommend trying Orange Pekoe, Earl Grey, peppermint, chamomile, a fruity tea and green tea, to start. You can find these at the grocery store which are less money and come in bags, not loose tea.  
 
Once you find your ideal taste, you can explore more options that are a similar type, and make the experience more pleasant.  
 
Happy steeping!

I miss that tea place that was in the Thomas Mall. They had the most excellent teas (much superior to David's Tea) and they were so helpful and knowledgeable. I still have some loose stuff that I've hoarded and dole out only as necessary - the Arabian Mint especially is sooo tasty but I save it for upset tummies as the mint and ginger seems to help settle them. But sadly, it looses it's potency.  
 
All really good ideas on this thread. I'm generally disappointed by fruit teas too. If anything, the bagged grocery store ones are usually the best in that regard, and they're so cheap I can double up on the bags if I need to and not feel like I'm wasting my money.

The place in Thomas Mall was Its About Tea and they were awesome. They are the ones that got me onto Irish Breakfast - its great if you are tying to kick coffee and want a strong, get you outta bed tea.  
 
I've searched for a replacement tea supplier and think I am going to order from Canmore Tea Company https://canmoreteacompany.com/ They have a nice shop that is similar to Its About Tea.  
 
I'll have to pay shipping but its worth it when you find something you like.  
 
Happy Tea Drinking!

They have a few that are similar to my regulars I used to get at It's About Tea that I can't seem to find anywhere. Thank-you for sharing that! I will have to order them.

It was so good and the owners so knowledgeable!! Davids tea is the Walmart of tea stores. I've received a few teas from there and hated them all to be honest. Some smell fantastic, but especially with David's teas, I find the actual teas are not as flavorful and I am fairly certain it has to do with the oils they use being lower quality for volume sales.  
 
As for the comment about restaurants not steeping at the correct temperature - of course they cannot do it properly, otherwise you would hear horror stories of more people dumping their tea on themselves in their car and then running to the media for their drink being too hot. They can't win.  
 
A few things that might help the OP - there are a few rules for the correct making of tea. (I have British grandparents...LOL)  
 
1) Loose is best, and it really should not be in a tea ball, so that it can properly "bloom".  
 
2) Always warm your pot with hot water before hand.  
 
3) Take the kettle to the tea if it is green or herbal, take the tea to the kettle if it is black. What that means is black and stronger teas need to be steeped at the rolling boil, so you should pour it into the tea immediately. With green or herbals, it should NOT be dumped over the tea at a full rolling boil, hence the "taking the kettle to the tea". It is best in that case to wait a few moments before pouring.  
 
4) A "teaspoon" is not a measure of weight or liquid, it is in fact the correct portion of loose tea for a proper tea cup. (Those tiny things with the fancy handles and saucers)  
 
5) Watch the following episode of my fave cooking show ever...  
 
https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/good-eats/episodes/true-brew-2-mr-tea

Thanks for all the advice!  
 
I’ve been using filtered water and steeping for what the package says (usually no more than 5 minutes and take the tea bag out). I tried both ways: pouring hot water over bag and putting bag in the cup of just stopped boiling water.  
 
Maybe I’ll try adding honey. I’ve only had two cups of tea so far (just beet it and flamingo fresca). The other flavours I got were green passion fruit, pomegrateful, pitaya power, goji green, sunny c, forever nuts, blue raspberry.  
 
I don’t think I’d ever go the coffee route. I’ve never been interested in coffee (or tea) but if I’m going to try anything it’d be tea because it seems healthier or more relaxing lol.  
 
I like the idea of doubling up tea bags if you feel it’s too weak. I’d try that with other tea just not David’s bc it’s too expensive.  
 
I guess I’ll try a few different kinds and different stores and keep it simple!

Let us know how your journey is coming! I'd like to see what you try and what you find works for you. I too am on the hunt to some day enjoy a warm cup of tea lol

No luck yet! I haven’t found one I like from the ones I got from David’s. Will have to try the ‘normal’ teas found elsewhere before I give up. It’s not looking good for me as a tea drinker though :p

is what I now use. I've been a tea drinker for decades & have found that Yorkshire Tea brand is the most flavourful . I like an extremely "boisterous" / strong tea i.e. not like a slightly brown swill like many people like. Also Twinnings English Breakfast blend is nice but not quite as strong.

This post inspired me! I bought a box of orange pekoe (sp?) , and I am tolerating it! Yay! That's more than I can say for all previous attempts of any tea, other than chai. I too like a strong tea....that being said, I just don't think that I can be an avid tea drinker either....it's just not in me

Try some herbal teas, start simple.  
Many people enjoy mint or raspberry leaf tea. Apple cinnamon is another favourite. Many teas can also have medical qualities. Green tea helps with weight loss. Mint is great for headaches. Chamomile helps you to sleep better. Raspberry leaf (only raspberry leaf, not what most stores call Raspberry) is great for menstrual cramps and pregnancy. Ginger helps with the lymphatic system. There are many more, but I cannot remember them all off the top of my head.  
 
If you have a friend who is an avid tea drinker, raid their tea selection. You basically only need a bag of each type.  
 
With Christmas coming up soon, Winner's will be getting their sampler selection of teas. (Popular gifts.) So that is a great way to get a variety for a reasonable price while only have a few bags of each type.  
 
If you do not like it plain, try either a sweetener (sugar or honey), or a lemon or orange slice, or a bit of milk. Do not recommend all at once. Lol. I did that once. Lemon just curdles your milk.

I PM'ed you.

It sounds like we would get along well in the herbal tea department. I like to read about the benefits of various teas. It is amazing what some can do.  
 
Maybe we will have to meet & chat one day...over herbal tea!  
 
Or, maybe we all need to have one large "tea party" event somewhere, just because. "Brandon Largest Tea Party."

It’s about tea? All about tea? I love going into that place, the fellow was friendly and knowledgeable and was such a relaxing place. I certainly drank a lot more tea then. That said, I like Rooibos teas, vanilla nutty  
Also, I remember the fellow saying that it’s important to smell the tea leaves and if you like the smell you will likely enjoy the tea  
 
If you ever get a chance to go to Murchies in Victoria BC , also a great tea experience!  
 
Edited by BROCLAEVE, 2019-11-11 10:01:24