June 25, 2003, 17:12
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#1
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Emperor
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UK scientists discover perfect cup of tea. Nation united in joy
Scientific formula for a nice cup of tea
By Richard Milne
Published: June 25 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: June 25 2003 5:00
One of the great scientific mysteries - and a cause of social division through the ages - was resolved yesterday, when it was proved that the milk should be poured first for the perfect cup of tea.
Five hundred years after Copernicus posited that the earth revolved around the sun, Dr Andrew Stapley of Loughborough University has demonstrated that it is better to pour the tea on top of the milk to avoid "denaturation" of milk proteins.
Warming the pot, using soft water and letting the tea brew for three minutes is also essential.
The news sparked instant controversy with Tony Benn, MP and veteran tea drinker, who poured scorned the findings.
After tasting the perfect cuppa, which he admitted was "very tasty, delicious", he said: "I take [George] Orwell's view - you put the tea in first, then you know how much milk you need to put in to get exactly the right colour."
Received social wisdom also holds that tea should go in first.
The study, for the Royal College of Chemistry, recommends loose-leaf Assam tea and water at 60-65°C to avoid "vulgar slurping".
Dr Stapley said that degrading the milk proteins by pouring the tea in first caused a stale taste.
The news followed research from China that showed drinking tea could help to reduce cholesterol levels by an average of 16 per cent.
Mr Benn said the tearoom was his favourite part of the House of Commons and a frequent haunt of his during his 51-year political career.
He claims he drinks 10 pints of the liquid a day and has, therefore, drunk a total of 219,000 pints over his lifetime.
"When things are very stressful, if somebody says what we need is a cup of tea, my heart overflows with joy," he said.
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Exult in your existence, because that very process has blundered unwittingly on its own negation. Only a small, local negation, to be sure: only one species, and only a minority of that species; but there lies hope. [...] Stand tall, Bipedal Ape. The shark may outswim you, the cheetah outrun you, the swift outfly you, the capuchin outclimb you, the elephant outpower you, the redwood outlast you. But you have the biggest gifts of all: the gift of understanding the ruthlessly cruel process that gave us all existence [and the] gift of revulsion against its implications.
-Richard Dawkins
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June 25, 2003, 17:15
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#2
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King
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We ought to declare a national holiday in honour of Dr. Andrew Stapely. Let bunting hang from every home in the land!
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June 25, 2003, 17:16
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#3
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Deity
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Jeezus. 10 pints a day? 
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I came upon a barroom full of bad Salon pictures in which men with hats on the backs of their heads were wolfing food from a counter. It was the institution of the "free lunch" I had struck. You paid for a drink and got as much as you wanted to eat. For something less than a rupee a day a man can feed himself sumptuously in San Francisco, even though he be a bankrupt. Remember this if ever you are stranded in these parts. ~ Rudyard Kipling, 1891
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June 25, 2003, 17:18
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#4
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King
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yeah, they had the bloke who did this important research on the today program, of course he then refused to say what made the perfect cup of tea, which was a bit of an anti-climax but there you go.
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"The Christian way has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found to be hard and left untried" - GK Chesterton.
"The most obvious predicition about the future is that it will be mostly like the past" - Alain de Botton
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June 25, 2003, 17:19
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#5
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Moderator
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And with this last great mystery solved, the curtain closes on the field of science.
There is simply nothing more we can possibly learn. 
-=Vel=-
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June 25, 2003, 17:19
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#6
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King
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Tony Benn is a reknowned eccentric, so I wouldn't be too surprised if it were true.
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June 25, 2003, 17:21
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#7
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Warlord
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Hmm... Once I actually experimented with making tea, and decided that milk in first produced a less scalded flavour and better tase. Judging the right amount of milk is down to practise.
Mind you, this research ignores the most important point of teamaking - if you want the best brew, use looseleaf tea.
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Some cry `Allah O Akbar` in the street. And some carry Allah in their heart.
"The CIA does nothing, says nothing, allows nothing, unless its own interests are served. They are the biggest assembly of liars and theives this country ever put under one roof and they are an abomination" Deputy COS (Intel) US Army 1981-84
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June 25, 2003, 17:25
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#8
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King
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christ where were you dragged up from! first the tea then the milk, to do otherwise is just wrong 
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"The Christian way has not been tried and found wanting, it has been found to be hard and left untried" - GK Chesterton.
"The most obvious predicition about the future is that it will be mostly like the past" - Alain de Botton
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June 25, 2003, 17:30
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#9
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Emperor
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It's been known for ages that milk first is better, because the milk has time to warm up with the hot water being poured in afterwards. I did it just this morning at work.
I never drink tea tho, I only did today coz there is only tea and coffee and it is very very cold this morning, so I needed a quick hot drink. 
Truth is, tea and coffee are crappy drinks. But you won't hear a tea or coffee fanatic ever say that (and there's lots of them!)
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be free
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June 25, 2003, 17:34
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#10
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Warlord
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How about doing it like civilised people and not bothering with milk...
Though with PG Tips I can see why you'd need milk.
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June 25, 2003, 17:36
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#11
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Prince
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I always thought Tony Benn believed that proper tea was theft.
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June 25, 2003, 17:42
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#12
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Emperor
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The best tea is poured over ice and served with sugar and lemon.
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June 25, 2003, 17:44
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#13
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Warlord
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Quote:
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Originally posted by C0ckney
christ where were you dragged up from! first the tea then the milk, to do otherwise is just wrong
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Yes, but I thought I'd see which actually made the best cuppa rather than blindly following ritual.
Parents are occasionally economical with the truth - or at least don't reality test enough.
As to where I was brought up - same place you were. And no, I don't mean London.
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Some cry `Allah O Akbar` in the street. And some carry Allah in their heart.
"The CIA does nothing, says nothing, allows nothing, unless its own interests are served. They are the biggest assembly of liars and theives this country ever put under one roof and they are an abomination" Deputy COS (Intel) US Army 1981-84
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June 25, 2003, 17:46
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#14
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Emperor
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You mean that wasn't an Onion article?
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June 26, 2003, 05:02
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#15
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Emperor
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Quote:
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Originally posted by redbaron
I always thought Tony Benn believed that proper tea was theft.
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Boo. 
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June 26, 2003, 05:17
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#16
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Apolyton Grand Executioner
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Quote:
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Originally posted by DanS
Jeezus. 10 pints a day?
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Sounds like my coffee / espresso intake. 
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When all else fails, blame brown people. | Hire a teen, while they still know it all.
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June 26, 2003, 05:25
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#17
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Deity
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Quote:
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Originally posted by Cruddy
Mind you, this research ignores the most important point of teamaking - if you want the best brew, use looseleaf tea.
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Nah, it covered all the bases. 
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(\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
(='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
(")_(") "Starting the fire from within."
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June 26, 2003, 06:05
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#18
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Emperor
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It is all very well to say use soft water but around here you get what the water company pumps down the pipe. Sometimes it is soft, sometimes hard (resist the temptation - we've all heard all those jokes before ).
Personally, I'm going to carry on making tea the way I like it and I don't care for being told by a scientist that there is a "proper" way. I wonder who funded this excercise in pointlessness anyway?
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Never give an AI an even break.
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June 26, 2003, 06:30
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#19
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Warlord
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Quote:
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Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Nah, it covered all the bases.
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Fair enough Urban. They did recommend loose leaf.
__________________
Some cry `Allah O Akbar` in the street. And some carry Allah in their heart.
"The CIA does nothing, says nothing, allows nothing, unless its own interests are served. They are the biggest assembly of liars and theives this country ever put under one roof and they are an abomination" Deputy COS (Intel) US Army 1981-84
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June 26, 2003, 07:30
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#20
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King
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Given today's practice of slapping a teabag into the mug and then pouring over the boiling water to let it brew, the milk is gonna be shoved in last anyway.
Loose tea and teapots ? Ah the quaint old ways often had a lot going for 'em
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June 26, 2003, 08:50
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#21
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Deity
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You almost could not find loose leaf tea (i.e. English red tea) anymore.
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(\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
(='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
(")_(") "Starting the fire from within."
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June 26, 2003, 08:58
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#22
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Warlord
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Quote:
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Originally posted by Urban Ranger
You almost could not find loose leaf tea (i.e. English red tea) anymore.
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In a shop, maybe.
On the Web, I doubt it.
__________________
Some cry `Allah O Akbar` in the street. And some carry Allah in their heart.
"The CIA does nothing, says nothing, allows nothing, unless its own interests are served. They are the biggest assembly of liars and theives this country ever put under one roof and they are an abomination" Deputy COS (Intel) US Army 1981-84
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June 26, 2003, 09:00
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#23
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Deity
Local Time: 12:32
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Most shops here don't have that anymore. Just bland old tea bags.
__________________
(\__/) 07/07/1937 - Never forget
(='.'=) "Claims demand evidence; extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence." -- Carl Sagan
(")_(") "Starting the fire from within."
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June 26, 2003, 12:15
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#24
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Emperor
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I tried something along what they reportedly suggested, and it was nice, though I think I overdid it with the milk.
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June 26, 2003, 12:41
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#25
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Emperor
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So...how does one limit the brewing time to three minutes, in a teapot, with loose leaf tea?
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June 26, 2003, 12:52
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#26
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Emperor
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Quote:
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How about doing it like civilised people and not bothering with milk...
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I also agree with looseleaf tea, I had the privilege of sampling some for the first time just the other day. Heavenly!
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June 26, 2003, 12:55
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#27
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Emperor
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looseleaf tea is great. those paper bags leech the paper flavor into the tea.
any chance that this type of tea will be used in the infinite improbability drives?
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