>>2011645Well, entry level would be teabags, basically. Twinings and Bigelow are my usual bag brands, and fairly common in stores. Be wary of artificially flavored bags though, as some will taste nauseatingly sweet. Bags in black, green and herbal are common, so try a few different ones to see what your tastes are.
Loose leaf can be found in some specialty stores or higher-end grocers. If you see a Teavana, just keep walkin'. While they do have some good picks, the stuff they try to sell you is over-sweet and over-priced, and they'll try to sell you hideously expensive teapots. Their business thrives on a consumer base that doesn't know what they're doing. If you're ordering online, Teasource is a quality supplier. I buy from them a lot.
Be cautious of "health" teas. While many use herbs that do have a noted medicinal effect, they may interfere with medicines you may already be taking. That and they taste kinda gross more often than not. When you hear about people that lose weight on a diet involving lots of tea, it's often because the tea is replacing pop in their daily consumption. I'm not saying don't buy them, just do your homework and make sure you know which herbs are doing what. A big one to look out for if you're on meds is hibiscus, as it lowers blood pressure.
If the tea comes in a Keurig pod, don't do it. The leaves need time to steep in the hot water.
4-5 mins for black teas, and 2-3 for green teas, generally.
