Today, I feel the need to update that post, as teas have unfortunately changed, and the quality is different than what is once was.
Apparently, according to my teen daughter, when someone shares "what's going on concerning a person or topic," it is called getting the "tea". So, today I will give the Tea on Tea.
What is our tea judged by? Well, we talked about this in great detail. First, and most importantly, is the taste. It must taste good. It cannot have that "coffee ground" taste to it. It should be pleasant to the pallet. Then, we decided that the cup is of great importance. What your tea is served in is of great importance. You want a cup that holds enough to satisfy your tea desire, but that also can keep the tea ice cold. As your ice melts, your tea becomes watered down. The amount of ice is important too. There is nothing worse than a tea that is luke warm that should be iced! We also judge tea by its "smoothness." Some teas just are "smooth" as it enters the mouth and travels down the throat leaving a pleasantness in your mouth and mind. My wife, for all you sugar people, judges her tea by how much sugar is added. There is a right balance that must be achieved. Their is also the eye test. A cloudy tea equals a bitter tea. The tea must be brewed-freshly. A fountain tea was created after the fall of man and is part of the curse of sin. The final criteria is consistency. By this I mean, when you go to this place and order the tea, can you count on it being good every time? That said, here is our top 10 teas based upon these credentials.
10. WENDYS: Cracking the top 10 this year is Wendy's. Wendy's tea used to be disgusting, but they have come a very long way! The taste is good, and it is brewed fresh. The color is pleasant. The cup is that thin plastic cup, which is less than desirable, allowing the ice to melt way to clip and condensation building up on the outside as well. The condensation runs down the cup and leaves moisture on your desk or in the cupholder of your car-which usually has a small piece of paper in it, which then gets soggy and is virtually impossible to then get out without making bigger mess. Having said all that-well done Wendy's, you are getting better!
9. PANERA BREAD: Not the most manly place to eat; but when dieting, you sure can get a good amount of food that is tasty and low on calories. On Stacey's list for sweet tea, not that good. On my list for unsweetened, pretty good. You control the ice to tea ratio. The "smooth" factor is very good! The cups are too small and flimsy and allow quick melting of ice. There are options for the tea in flavors without the sugar, so I do appreciate it that as well! Consistency is there. Overall, you won't go wrong. Problem is, I like my tea to be there all day. A Panera Bread tea will last through lunch. Thirty minutes later, it is a "Laodicean" mess.
8. WHITE CASTLE: White Castle was a solid 2 on this list before, but has dropped way down. White Castle used to use the ConTea brand, but has switched brands now. The result, a much poorer taste. The consistency is not there anymore. The cups are the plastic cups. The size of the cups is better than most options out there, but it just isn't what it used to be. Being a huge White Castle guy (not a fat reference), I am disappointed. If White Castle reads this, go back to ConTea! Overall, it is o.k., but not what it once was.
7. SKYLINE: If you are not from Cincinnati and you do not know what Skyline is, I am seriously sorry. Now for all you Cincinnatians, Skyline tea is decent. The sweet is VERY sweet if you are into that. The unsweet is pretty good. The color is always a little cloudy. We both feel at times the tea has sat in that large tub a little too long. They never put enough ice in the tea, and should you get a large, you are dealing with a plastic, condensating, decorated cup. It's good. It's too expensive for what you are getting. If you are ever driving down the road and you just want a tea, you can find better places; but don't fear, if eating in, in ordering one of these teas. They made the top 10, but could do better.
6. SONIC: Now to some, you may have expected Sonic tea to be higher on the list. First of all, all the fancy flavors do not interest us as we stick to sweet or unsweet. On my personal list, it would have been higher, but on Stacey's list it is a lot lower. So, we give it a 6 rating. The pros are that the cup is by far the best! You can get a tea from Sonic and have enough to sip on till you go to bed. I recommend going early and ordering your .99 cent Route 44. It's the only way to go! Then the ice, by far the best of anyone else. You just can't beat the small crushed Sonic ice. Where Sonic falls is the taste. For unsweet drinkers, it is fair. At times, the unsweet has no taste at all, almost like water. For sweet drinkers, the tea just isn't that good. Consistency is poor too. Sometimes, you get a good one, other times you are sure that tea has sat there in a pot for a couple of days. Always a danger for the coffee ground taste at Sonic. Not real smooth ever. So, the cup and ice are off the chart good. The tea is fair. In the morning, it is my tea of choice; for my wife, she'd pass every time.
5. McDONALDS: Yes, we are loving it, just not as much! McDonalds tea came a long way from what it once was. Quite frankly, we believe McDonalds is the first fast food chain to start the quality iced tea movement (if there is such a thing). You just never saw a fast food chain push their iced tea until McDonalds. In 2008, McDonalds rolled out their Sweet Tea and it all took off. Why a number 5 rating? Well, the cups have changed. No more styrofoam cups. Truly a disaster. They say it is for the planets health. Seriously, since when is McDonald's concerned about anyone or anything's health? That is not why we come there you crazy clown! Consistency is not what it once was. It is nice to know that pretty much anywhere in the country you go you can count of a pretty good iced tea from McDonalds. Occasionally you will get that coffee ground flavor in a McD's tea, but over all its trustworthy. The sweet tea is above average. The sugar ratio is good for most sweet tea drinkers (if you like Kool-aid. There is a pretty good smoothness to their tea. The color not so good. It probably is the tea we drink the most, mainly because of convenience and price.
4. STARBUCKS: Cracking the top 10 this year and pretty high. I find myself coming here more often for the tea these days. First, please don't give me all the "you are a Christian, you shouldn't support Starbucks." If you only want to support company's that agree with our stands, well, prepare to produce everything at home. I go on....here is why they climbed the chart so quick: Taste! Absolutely one of the best teas you will drink. They use the Tazo tea brand, which is above average good. When I order, I get a Trenta Black Unsweetened Iced Tea. I don't do all those flavors and add-ins. I keep it simple. The ice to tea ratio is pretty good. The cups are those clear plastic, but acceptable. The main draw back is the price. Like everything at Starbucks, it cost too many bucks. Truly, it is a very good tea. I highly recommend it and your driving through to get one.
3. CHICK-FIL-A: Moving up one spot this year in the top 10! No, the "Christian" friendliness has nothing to do with this selection. We only are judging by the tea. The tea is very good here. It has a good taste. The tea always has a smoothness about it. The tea is is very consistent. We have never gone to Chick-fil-a and received a bad tasting tea. The cups are insulated and large enough. Stacey agrees that the sweet tea is consistently good as well. The problem here (and it is a big one) is that Chick-Fil-A puts WAY TOO MUCH ICE in their cups. You can order a large tea (and the cup is plenty big) and drink it all in about four drinks. Now when dining in, those super nice employees are ready "to serve you" and refill those teas; but drive thru and carry out just doesn't work in the tea area. Great tea! Great consistency! Good smoothness! Great cups! Just back off the ice! This review was MY PLEASURE.
2. MIAMI MARKET: Miami Market is a carry out located on St. Rt. 131 in Day Heights near Milford. If you have not discovered this hidden gym of tastefulness, you need to do so today. The food and sandwiches are the biggest and the tastiest around. Their hot plates are delicious and plentiful. Their brownies are to die for....but back to the topic at hand. Behind the cooler near the deli, hidden almost, is freshly brewed iced tea, both sweet and unsweet. The tea (just as the food) is wonderful! The color is perfect. The cups are styrofoam and large, keeping your drink cold and plenteous all day. I have never gotten a bad tea from Miami Market. Truly, you must stop there...frequently. The staff is awesome and I promise it will be the largest bologna sandwich you have ever eaten, if you are into those like me! Anyways, cracking the top 10 and landing at number 2 is Miami Market!
Are you ready for it?
The Number 1 Tea of choice on our list?
We should first state that also receiving consideration were the following: Zaxbys, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King, and more. Did you know that last year America spent over 8 billion dollars in Iced Tea at Fast Food chains? This is serious!!!
OK...her it is...the number ONE choice of Travis and Stacey when it comes to Iced Teas is...
1. McALISTER'S DELI: Still number 1!! What makes this tea stand out? Well first and foremost,
the taste is just out of this world. There is a crisp taste to this tea. It has teaflavor that is perfection. It is by far, the best tasting tea, both sweet and unsweet, that is out there. This is a fine, high quality iced tea. When it comes to smoothness, no other tea can compare. It is the standard of taste and smoothness for all other teas. Consistency is absolute perfection. To have such a great tasting tea, that is perfectly smooth, and it be that way every time you purchase one is quite impressive. The tea to ice ration is always perfect. You can order this tea and eat lunch and sit and talk for 30 minutes and you will still be able to sip that extraordinary tea. The cups are the perfect size for tea drinkers. The only not perfect score this tea gets is the cup. While the size is perfect, the plastic will allow ice meltage on a hot summer day. But, in our minds, its way worth the cup to drink that delicious tea! By far, the best!
Well, there you go. I know everyone was wondering and now you know what teas Stacey and I drink. So now when you are out there driving around and get that hunkering for a good iced Tea, you finally got something to go by. I love my wife, and I am glad she loves iced tea too. Enjoy my friends!
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