Problem with our mugs of tea!

[Rory's Dad]

Lidl's tea bags may be cheap but the tea tastes wonderful. I was sent on my way by Yorkshire WSCC with Yorkshire Tea Bags for hard water (amongst many other Yorkshire goodies) and the tea did not taste good .  

After many cups of tea using all kinds of different bags, Lidl Assam came out as the best for us...

...and so cheap as well...

...apart from the bloomin' scuminess!

 

 

[Rory's Dad]

Thank you Buttercup for the first well researched answer.  I'll try some bottled water before the softener.

Thanks again 

[bigals]

Try using filtered water from a filter jug that will take some limescale out of the water or a good old mental kettle will help the scale stick to the kettle . Top descaling tip use a bottle of vinegar.  And keep after use just rinse well afterwards . Save loads on exspsive chemicals 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

I second the filter jug suggestion, although a mental (sic) or metal kettle doesn't help here in the chalky Chilterns. We drink green and/or jasmine tea and always filter the water to make it or we end up with a paler version of your scum. I always know when the filter is near exhaustion because the tea becomes less transparent and at the end it gets increasingly scummy. A filter jug is cheap and so are filters if you shop around. Bottled water can be of almost any consistency, including toxic if you go back to the Perrier debacle with benzene contamination, so I would not bank on that route.

If it is any consolation at all, hard water makes far better beer than soft water does! To brew good beer in soft water areas you have to add plaster of Paris to the wort. Gives the expression 'stiff drink' new meaning!

[pistonbroke]

Have to wonder If that's where the origin of the phrase " getting plastered " ( an old northern adage for "getting inebriated ")  derives from   

 

 

[Robin Parker (Red Spider) - Yorkshire AO]

13 hours ago, Rory's Dad said:

I was sent on my way by Yorkshire WSCC with Yorkshire Tea Bags for hard water (amongst many other Yorkshire goodies) 

 

 

Not got any left, Martin? 

[TableLeg]

Also note that I presume you refer to using a water softener for cleaning only! Soft water contains a lot of brine and is not for human consumption, it'll make you puke, literally!

As you now know the water here is hard as hell. Because of this I've used water softeners for about 25 years.

You could try a culligan type filter on your cold tap in the kitchen.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/bwt-water-filter-kit/14306?kpid=KINASEKPID&cm_mmc=GoogleLocal-_-Datafeed-_-Heating%20and%20Plumbing&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product%20Listing%20Ads-_-Sales%20Tracking-_-sales%20tracking%20url&gclid=CNyn4PuW_NMCFRMTGwod8K8PNg&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CMCurfyW_NMCFXIy0wodKtIE5Q

[Rhett Turner - Black Country AO]

We live in a hard water area and have now been using Brita filter kettles for years and we've found that improves the taste of the tee and coffee we drink and thinking about it we don't suffer the same scumming of the cups that my mom does. If fact we have now purchased on of the kettles that boils water as we need it which is also brita filtered. 

[chris parkin]

Does anyone have any experience of these?

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Plumbing/d20/Water+Treatment/sd2976/Electrolytic+In-Line+Scale+Inhibitor/p79925

I was flicking through the catologue (its kind of a hobby now) and saw it, for £23 I'm also tempted to give it a go! I live in a hard water area so suffer with limescale build up in everything.

[Rory's Dad]

Just to finish my side of the story...

Brita water filter bought and paid for, now working and has delivered two cups of utterly unscummy tea!

Result! 

[Man On The Clapham Omnibus]

The WSCC Massive achieves another success!

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

8 hours ago, Rory's Dad said:

Just to finish my side of the story...

Brita water filter bought and paid for, now working and has delivered two cups of utterly unscummy tea!

Result! 

Excellent news! 

[stephenh]

To add to the useful comments, a water softener might be a good idea (we use one and are happy with it) it wont, or shouldn't affect your tea. That is because the kitchen cold tap should be connected direct to your rising mains supply into your property. All the other cold taps will be connected to your water header tank in your loft space. The water filter should be connected to the pipe which feeds your storage tank, and not to your kitchen tap. This is for the reason mentioned in TableLeg's post, above.

[Rory's Dad]

Depends on where you live Stephen.  Our house here in Norfolk (and our previous one in Harrogate) had mains cold water to the kitchen tap, all the basins elsewhere and the cold water storage tank.  The tank cold water fed the baths and bogs.

We just wanted to deal with the tea!

[SootySport]

You should not have a water softener feeding any taps that are for drinking water.   Best and cheapest method to remove scum is a simple filter jug, just keep t topped up now and again.  It's what mum uses, and mums know.

Best tea for me was PG tips but that's not what it used to be for a couple of years. I've been going through loads of brands trying to find one I like without success, don't suggest Yorshire Tea, Tetley they are  horrid.  Best so far is Tesco Taste the difference Breakfast tea,  so I'll try Lidl Assam.