#QuestionOfTheDay – #InquiringMindsWannaKnow

/ Marcia

I think I’ll start off the new month with a brand new series,  just for fun. Nothing necessarily serious or deeply thought provoking, but instead, little mini-surveys from time to time that might prove entertaining. I’ll make this first one really easy:

Coffee or Tea? 

I, myself, am a confirmed tea drinker and have been since my early 20s. That’s more than fifty years now, but who’s counting, right? I do like the taste of coffee, though only if it’s full of enough cream and sugar to make it the caloric equal of a very rich milkshake. But being a true Southerner, I was raised drinking iced tea at supper every night, and just went on from there.  I also learned years ago that 3 cups of black (as opposed to green or white or herbal) tea a day reduces your chances of osteoporosis by over 30%! And given my bad fall a little while back, I honestly think it may have saved me from a fractured skull and possible brain bleed. (My doctor says I have the densest bones of anyone my age she’s ever seen.)

Bottom line, I love hot tea and iced tea, and drink both straight and unadulterated. My favorites are Earl Grey and Scottish Breakfast Tea, though I have a shelf filled with many others, just in case I want something different for my second and third cups of the morning.

Now It’s Your Turn!
(Feel free to expound on your answer, or not, as the mood strikes you.)

COFFEE OR TEA?

 

 

82 thoughts on “#QuestionOfTheDay – #InquiringMindsWannaKnow”

  1. One cup of coffee in the morning, then tea, tea, tea, and probably some more tea. I take it hot and strong, with a splash of milk. I’m British, you know!
    I did not know that black tea protects against osteoporosis. It’s no wonder the bone scan they gave me when I reached a ‘certain age’ concluded ‘your skeleton is made of alloy!’
    I’ve never got my head around iced tea, but I am from a damp little island on the same latitude as Siberia. We’d be frozen, were it not for the Gulf Stream.
    I have tried iced coffee twice, just to make sure. Both occasions led me to conclude it was the work of the devil. I couldn’t finish either.

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    • Hahaha! I love the way you think, Jackie! Except for adding milk … or any other dairy product … to tea. I mean, it’s perfection as it is, to my mind. 😀 I only drink iced tea once or twice a week, preferring to switch to ice water after my 3rd cuppa tea each morning. (The ONLY two things I drink: tea and water. Period.)

      I do like iced coffee and coffee ice cream, but again, SUGAR and CREAM! So I never indulge in either.

      Thanks for jump-starting this conversation and for sharing your thoughts on coffee vs tea! 😀 ❤

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    • Iced coffee is delicious, but only with lots of cream and sugar. I love coffee ice cream, too, but don’t indulge in either of these any more. (Sugar is pretty much out of my life these days, even if I wanted to.) And starting the day without a cup of Scottish Breakfast tea is unthinkable for me. 😀 Thanks for joining the discussion. I think this new series just might turn out to be a lot of fun. 😀 ❤

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  3. I’ve recently been converted to start my day with coffee. I love the smell but I find the taste disappointing in comparison. From that first cup, all the rest are tea. I like some fruit/herbal teas but others are so bitter I can’t face them – camomile without a good sweetener would be horrific enough to keep me awake all night. Most of the tea I drink during the day is black tea but I always have a glass of water on my desk and I probably drink more of that than anything else. I’m going to really enjoy this series!! 😀 ❤ 😀

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    • I think this series is going to be fun too, Trish! Glad you decided to jump right in. I restrict my caffeine to mornings. Any tea after that point will keep me up all night. When I finish that third cup, it’s water from that point on. I hate herbal teas and only drink a cup of chamomile if I’m having trouble falling asleep. It’s supposed to be good for that, but I don’t find it works all that well. Mark is a confirmed coffee drinker so I have the smell of brewing coffee filling the kitchen every morning, but I do not indulge. Without a lot of doctoring, it’s too bitter for me.

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this little topic. It’s always fun to see what others enjoy! 😀 ❤

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    • Coffee, eh? I would have bet you’d be a tea drinker. Me, I’m tea or water, exclusively. Can’t remember the last time I drank anything else at all. It’s fun seeing how different we all are. Thanks so much for stopping by to cast your vote for coffee, Cathy! Always great to see you visiting. 😀 ❤

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  5. COFFEE!!! … um, did you catch that by any chance?! 😉 But I’m weird because I can’t stand iced coffee or coffee-flavoured chocolates. It has to be hot with milk. The only tea I drink is Redbush, and I’m not really a fan, but I try to be good sometimes! Lols 😂. I chain drink coffee in a morning and then switch to soft drinks and water for the afternoon or that Redbush stuff. If I could get away with it, I’d be coffee all the way 😁

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    • I didn’t quite get my hands clapped over my ears in time, so yep. I caught that, Harmony! 😂😂😂 This is turning out to be fun. I honestly thought all the coffee drinkers would be American, and you guys across the pond would be tea lovers. (See how wrong our preconceived notions can be?) Man, I don’t remember the last time I had a soft drink. It’s been years and years. I’m strictly tea or water, period. Since we’ve been avoiding restaurants the last two years, I don’t even get the very rare vodka gimlet! But I don’t really miss it. Now cut off my supply of tea, and I’d be in serious trouble. Redbush is herbal, right? I’ve yet to meet an herbal tea I liked, but that’s okay. I’m happy with my 25 or 30 varieties and flavors of black tea.

      Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, Harmony! Now I have to think of another good topic for the next time. 😀 ❤

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  6. I like this question and I enjoy reading what others say about their preferences. It is both coffee and tea for me.
    I begin the day with coffee. My favorite coffee is from Puerto Rico and I like it strong, but with a small amount of creamer. I always sip my coffee from a hand-made pottery cup. I love pottery and have a wide selection of sizes, glazes, shapes to choose from. Holding handmade pottery in my hands is a big part of the experience – you can feel the clay and the slight variations of it as the potter’s hands created it. This tactile and personal sense of touch experience is essential to me to fully enjoy my drinks at home.
    For the rest of the day, I’ll have a cup or two of Bigelow’s OOLONG Tea – nothing in it – began drinking it in the 70s when I read Dr. Pritikin’s book. I also enjoy black tea but it MUST BE RED ROSE TEA. I put a small amount of sugar in the Red Rose Tea – and I’ve been drinking it since the 60s. I drink glasses of water during the day – and I nearly always have cranberry juice most days, too.

    As for ICE COFFEE, I love it the way it is made in Austria – the coffee has to be extremely strong, a scoop of vanilla Ice cream in it, and whipped cream on top. But, I love hot or cold Chai Latte that I get at Panera, too.

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    • What a wide variety you enjoy, Lynda! And I love that the cup is important to your daily ritual, too. I collect mugs (mostly Lang, because the designs are so pretty), and start out by picking the one that feels perfect for each day. In addition to the pretty designs, I have several with sayings on them about writers, etc.

      I have some formosa oolong in my tea collection, but it is a black tea, too. (I seem to remember some of it is green, which I’ve never liked.) I’ve had as many as 45 different flavors of black teas in my kitchen, some decaf for those afternoons when I want ONE more cup past my morning deadline.

      Thanks for sharing your tea drinking rituals with us, today. (I do think tea is always better if there’s at least a BIT of a ritual involved.) I’m really glad you stopped by to join in the conversation! 😀 ❤

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  7. I like both, but I think I prefer tea more. I can’t drink coffee black (yet) unless it’s already flavored; I have to have regular coffee with sugar and creamer. And I don’t usually do more than 2 cups a day. And I love frappuccinos.

    As for tea, I love different versions of black, green, and white and usually switch back and forth between them, doing one type for the first cup and another for the second. Earl grey and English breakfast are a couple of my favorites.

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    • I used to enjoy English Breakfast tea, too, Jeanne, until I discovered the more robust and full-flavored Scottish Breakfast tea, and now I can’t start my day without it! It’s interesting to me that for several of you, it’s not an either/or thing, and you enjoy both coffee andtea. I guess if I liked coffee, I’d drink both, too, but I just don’t, unless it’s fully loaded. (And these days, I’d never do that because of the sugar.) For some reason, I don’t care for green tea, and I used to feel bad about that, thinking it would be good for me. But now that I know how good black teas are for your bone density, I’m happier about my choice.

      Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts on coffee and tea, Jeanne! So glad you added to this fun conversation. 😀 ❤ (And isn't Earl Grey just FANTASTIC??)

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        • Scottish Breakfast tea is stronger and more robust than English Breakfast tea, with a “malty” taste to it. I don’t know what Irish Breakfast tea tastes like, but I tend to enjoy “heartier” flavors more than lighter, crisper ones. If you want to try a good Scottish Breakfast tea, check out Adagio.com They have the very best teas I’ve ever tasted, in particular their Earl Grey and Earl Grey Moonlight with a hint of cream flavoring, without the actual cream. Wonderful teas of every kind, including herbals, greens, white teas, rooibos, and lots more. It’s a Tea Lover’s Paradise! 😀 ❤

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          • Irish breakfast tea is similar to Scottish, but not quite as strong, I think. It is stronger than English breakfast tea and also has a robust, malty flavor You’d probably like it. I’ll have to check out that site, it sounds interesting.

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            • Sounds like it’s right in the middle of the two. Yes, I’ll have to order some from Adagio and see what I think. I’ll do a short post soon on Adagio and their teas, and what I’ve tried, etc. Looks like we have enough tea drinkers visiting here, so there could be some interest in what’s available there. Once I discovered them, I quit buying tea anywhere else.

              Oh, and you can even make your own custom blends with them. I’ve made a lot of them, named for characters in my books, and used to take samples to my wildlife talks.You don’t make anything from sales of your custom teas, other than the pleasure of knowing someone like a blend you made, but it’s a lot of fun to experiment with mixtures of teas Adagio always offers. 😀

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  8. I too am a tea drinker. I have a huge variety in my tea chest (black, green, white, red etc) and I can’t tell you my favourite. I like it without any milk or sugar, but will occasionally add a bit of honey. (Earl Grey with lemon and honey when I feel under the weather) I drink a lot of iced tea in the summer. Lately, I’ve been having iced peach green tea mid-afternoon. Yummy!

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    • I’m surprised that so many of you are ardent tea lovers, but I fully understand, for sure. Tea is miraculous, to my mind. I’m glad I don’t need to add honey, since with diabetes, that would not be a good thing, but I can imagine that it would be tasty. However, I love the flavor of each tea all on its own, so I’m okay without it, I reckon. I have some black tea with peach flavoring, and you’ve made me think I should try it iced, but I’d have to have it at lunch, as I don’t do caffeine after noon.

      Thanks for weighing in on this oh-so-important topic, Darlene. 😉It’s a fun way to learn a bit more about each other, and to share some yummy ideas, too. 😀 ❤

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  9. Coffee, bold black, no sugar or cream. Decaf is waste of my time and water. I have cut back but do drink 2 to 3 mugs to pull start my day and another one or two around 4:00.

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    • Okay, I’m counting you as a coffee-only kinda gal, Antoinette, even if I think Earl Grey beats coffee hands down any day, myself. My husband would agree with you, for sure. He has no use for tea hot OR iced. I only drink decaf tea when I’m craving a cup after lunch. Any caffeine past that point keeps me up all night long.

      Thanks for joining in the discussion today. Hope you’re having fun learning more about everyone! 😀 ❤

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    • I was guessing you were a coffee kinda guy, Craig, but it’s fun to know it’s more because of the convenience factor than a taste thing. Me, I drink my 3 cups of tea every morning and almost as much fun as choosing my mug for the day is deciding which flavor for each of the three cups full. (I have a little “HotShot” water heater that boils one cup at a time in about 30 seconds, so I choose a different flavor for each cup.)

      Thanks for joining in the conversation, and hope you’ll check out what the next Question of the Day will be. (I haven’t decided yet.) 😀

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  12. Like some of your other commenters, I start the day with a cup of coffee and then it’s tea or water for the rest of the day. Unsweetened iced tea every day for lunch, and then decaf teas after that. I love this idea for a new series, Marcia!

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    • Thanks so much, Amy! I thought it would be a fun way to learn a bit more about each other, and I could think of no better opening question than “Coffee or Tea?”

      My cup of Scottish Breakfast tea is as robust as any cup of coffee I’ve ever had, I think, so I can skip coffee for the first cup of the day and go straight to my three cups of tea. Of course, it helps that I use a LOT of tea in the infuser. Probably 2-1/2 to 3 tea bag’s worth. (Tea bags are okay for tiny porcelain teacups, but not nearly enough for one of my mugs.)

      It’s funny to see how many things we all have in common, while still having our own unique preferences and choices. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking part in the discussion! 😀 ❤

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  13. I used to love coffee but it didn’t love me. I’ve drank tea for years and earl gray is my go-to as well. Hopefully my bones have that same strength from it!

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    • Yay for Earl Grey! (Nothing like tea with bergamot, huh?) And I hope your bones are much stronger for all your tea drinking, too. I know mine are. (However, I do NOT recommend putting them to the test by slamming the back of your head into a ceramic tile floor. Even without a skull fracture, it was very, very painful!) Just enjoy your tea for its own sake, and stay happy and healthy! 😀

      I’m just finishing up my last cup of the morning. It’s one of my own blends called “Willow’s Potpourri Garden,” a mix of assam tea, lavender buds, and rose petals. I LOVE it! 😀

      Thanks for stopping by today, Denise, and glad to know you found a tea you enjoy! 😀 ❤

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        • It is! Check it out on Adagio teas. They’ll let you order some yourself, though custom blends cost more. But you can order samples, too. (People who create custom blends don’t make anything on them, btw. It’s just something Adagio lets their customers do. And it gives THEM another flavor tea to sell. 😁)

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  14. The last time I went to the dentist, the new hygienist asked me how many cups of coffee I drink per day. (I tend to have more stains than tarter.) I said about 16. She almost fainted. Handsome Husband had his appointment right after mine, and she asked him the same thing. He said about a pot and a half.
    So yeah, it’s coffee for me!

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    • If I drank 16 cups of coffee in a day, they’d have to hospitalize me for severe palpitations. I was NEVER able to drink more than 2, even doctored up a bit. Happily, giving it up altogether was not a problem. But if I ever have to give up tea (or eggs!), I’m in real trouble. 😂

      Thanks for stopping by and casting your vote for coffee! 😀 ❤

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    • I’m really surprised at how many tea drinkers responded today. I’m with you on both types, but I can’t drink anything with caffeine after lunch, or I’m awake all night. Glad you’re able to enjoy it all day, though. Lovely!

      Thanks for stopping by to join today’s discussion, Kass. Always good to see you! 😀 ❤

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        • I agree! If I knew how to fix that, I would. It lets you comment just fine, so it’s a mystery why you can “Like” any more. Sorry for the inconvenience, but always happy to see you commenting. 😀 ❤

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            • Hmmm. That really IS strange. Maybe we need to remove you totally, then sign you up again? I’m not sure if that would work or not. Let me do a bit of research and see what I can find out. But don’t worry about Liking in the meantime. It’s just nice when you can get it to let you comment now and then.

              I’ll get back to you if I find an answer! 😀 ❤

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  16. Um – neither? I always loved the smell of coffee (one of the things I still can’t smell after Covid), but never liked the taste. Tea just tastes horrible to me. Hubby and my boys love both, and Son #2 has a very wide variety. Guess you could say he collects different teas and loves sampling new ones.

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    • I’m with Son #2. I’ve had as many as 40 different teas on my shelves, but I’ve been gradually cutting back to my true favorites, like Scottish Breakfast tea and Earl Grey, and a dozen or so more.

      Sorry about the loss of the sense of smell from COVID. I hope that clears up for you soon, just because it’s IMPORTANT to stop and smell the roses … and the steaks on the grill … and even the smell of percolating coffee, whether you plan to drink it or not. Mark says I have a nose dogs envy, and I’m very aware of wonderful aromas and horrible odors, both. I lost my sense of smell once due to a medication that has since been sued for the amount of zinc in it, which was the culprit. I was miserable for several weeks, but happily, it returned and all is well again. Hope that happens for you, too!

      Thanks for taking the time to join the conversation, Teri! Always great to see you here! D ❤

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    • I’m with you, Sue. And I have one or two teapots, but I display them on my shelves. (One was my grandmother’s, and one was a gift). I never use them, because I heat my water one cup at a time in my 30-second HotShot, because I never drink more than one cup in a row of the same tea. I usually start with Scottish Breakfast as my wake up cup. Then I choose something different for the next two, so the one cup at a roiling boil at a time thing works for me.

      I love vintage stuff, though, and could definitely get hooked on collecting teapots if I started down that road.

      Thanks for stopping by to weigh in on this extremely important questions (😂😂😂) and I’m glad to know you’re yet another fellow tea drinker. 😀 ❤

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    • Iced tea is wonderful on a hot day. It’s the time of year down here when my 3rd cuppa (and sometimes my second) gets poured over ice just because it’s too hot to drink more than one cup hot. But during more moderate weather, it’s hot for me, too. 😀

      Thanks for weighing in on the coffee or tea question, Janet. It does my heart good to know how many folks are enjoying tea as much as I do. 😀

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  19. Surveys are fun Marcia. For me, I need both. I need my Columbian coffee, medium roast in the morning – maybe two, then that’s it. And I need my Earl Grey in the evening, of course with a cookie or something sweet to go with it. 🙂 ❤

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  20. I am a tea drinker, through and through. Green, oolong, herbal, Earl Grey… you name it, I have probably had it. I don’t even have to add sugar. I like it hot or cold, depending on my environment at the time. I never drink coffee. The smell and the taste repulse me (always has – My parents would drink Cuban coffee every morning, and I stayed far away from them.). I also don’t like the addictive nature of coffee, so it’s a good thing I can’t stand to have it anywhere near my olfactory senses. 😉

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    • I think for some of us, tea is as addictive as coffee. It certainly has plenty of caffeine in it. (Excluding herbals, of course). And I NEVER add sugar to mine, either. I love it just as it is, especially Earl Grey. Oh, that bergamot is lovely, isn’t it? 😀

      I do think coffee smells good as it’s brewing, but I have to add so much cream and sugar to it in order to drink it, that it’s kinda like a hot milkshake. So I quit drinking it at all decades ago. Yep, tea all the way now, unless it’s water. I still drink a lot of that.

      Thanks so much for joining the conversation, Yvette. Keep an eye out for future Questions of the Day in the weeks ahead, when I have time to put them together. 😀 ❤

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    • Well, so far, you’re the only one to answer “neither” to the question, Diana, so I’m glad you posted today with a whole different “take.”

      Thankfully, I gave up soft drinks decades ago, which means that now that they are on my “Not Allowed” list, I don’t miss them. 😀 I don’t tolerate milk well, so I leave that for Mark. But tea? It’s sooooo yummy to me, I’m glad I’m allowed to have that one, or I’d be in trouble.

      Thanks for sharing today, and hope you’ll check out future surveys as I come up with them! 😀 ❤

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    • I drink hot tea only-preferably organic decaf of any variety excluding any type of mint. My favorites are turmeric/ginger and chamomile.According to your blog, there are enough tea drinkers to warrant more tea choices in restaurants. Oh my gosh,it doesn’t even need prepared like coffee!

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      • I was pleasantly surprised by how many tea drinkers responded, Nancy, even though some drink both. Yes, restaurants should have a wider variety available than they usually do. While I haven’t found an herbal tea I like, I do like a variety of black teas, and would enjoy having more to choose from, assuming I ever eat OUT again in this lifetime! 😂 And you’re so right. Preparing tea is MUCH easier and quicker than coffee.

        Thanks so much for stopping by to answer this burning question, and I hope you’ll check back as I come up with new surveys in the weeks ahead! 😀 ❤

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    • I’ve been happily surprised at how many tea drinkers responded, Jan, even though many drink both. But a few, like me, are tea drinkers only, and a few are coffee only. It’s been fun reading everyone’s comments, and I’m glad you enjoyed the survey. Thanks for taking part, and stay tuned for more in the weeks ahead! 😀 ❤

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  24. I’ve not really tasted home made icedtea, but we do have it in a bottle here. I like tea and coffee, both are nice. I really like coffee with half milk half water, and my tea with a little milk and a bit of sugar. Have you tried French Earl Grey from T2?

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    • Haven’t tried French Earl Grey, but will check it out. I have 4 different Earl Greys in my stockpile: Earl Grey Bravo (the basic EG, but far better than many brands), Earl Grey Moonlight (Bravo with the “flavor” of cream added, but no actual cream), Earl Grey Lavender (with lavender petals included), and Decaf Earl Grey, in case I need an afternoon cuppa. I would definitely recommend against bottled iced tea. Too much sugar and stuff in it, and it never tastes like real tea. I make a cup of whatever tea I’m in the mood for, let it steep in the cup, and then pour it over ice. YUMMY and refreshing! And YOU can control what you want to add to it, if anything. (Being in control is always a plus, right?) 😁

      Thanks for stopping by and weighing in on this discussion! 😀 <3.

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        • That sounds good to me. I love rose petals in my tea, and one of my favorite Adagio teas is called Summer Rose. It’s lovely.

          Earl Grey is (as we tea drinkers know) flavored with bergamot, which is a citrus, and what I love about Adagio’s Earl Grey Bravo is that it has dried citrus peel added to really enrich the taste. Though they also have one with lavender added, which is pretty good, I’ve never had an Earl Grey with roses. Will see what I can find.

          Happy Tea Drinking! 😀 ❤

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