Good morning and a happy holiday weekend for those of us celebrating! And for the prompt this weekend I thought I'd try something a little different.... a debate! Tea vs. Coffee i can't wait to see your responses.

//"Is there any coffee?" "We're out, Jason. Can I get you some tea?" Shuriken comes out...end of ficlet.//

I think you may be right, Daniella!

[unrecoverable text]

DT: LOL GGO: Well, if you're REALLY fussy about tea, different teas actually require different temperatures. And LOL on the end, there. I totally hear her. I love hot chocolate and I'm so fussy about it. Given Princess's acumen she might actually be able to modify something for hot chocolate, but then no one else might realize that part was for hot chocolate and start complaining about the bad coffee.

Originally posted by ChrisW DT: LOL GGO: Well, if you're REALLY fussy about tea, different teas actually require different temperatures. And LOL on the end, there. I totally hear her. I love hot chocolate and I'm so fussy about it. Given Princess's acumen she might actually be able to modify something for hot chocolate, but then no one else might realize that part was for hot chocolate and start complaining about the bad coffee.

I didn't know that about the different temperatures (probably because I'm not that fussy about tea - just make it strong enough that it fights back when you try to stir the sugar in and if you're making it in a billy can, make sure you swing the billy properly so that you don't get leaves in the cup.) As a drinker of the black-style teas made from camelia leaves, I'm fussy about the tea being made properly with the water at boiling point. I'd either be impossible to deal with in a high-altitude location or (the more likely scenario) I'd drink coffee instead. One thing that always amuses me is the way people boil chai at sea level. Chai has its origins in the Himalayas where water boils at about 80 degrees Centigrade so you have to boil it to extract the tea. At sea level, sure you can boil the spices, but then remove the pot from the heat and add the tea! Herbal tisanes and infusions, on the other hand, are not tea, and they happen to other people. The closest I get to a tisane is Lady Grey, which is a bit like Earl Grey with balls. I suspect that all Princess really has to do to get a decent cup of hot chocolate is to ensure that a superior brand of chocolate (such as Lindt flakes) is loaded in the machine and then use the milk frother, but the machine is a bit of a smug bastard and will make it as difficult as it possibly can until Zark sweet-talks it with his FOSDIC. And that was your disturbing mental image for the day. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all week!

Here's an article on the tea thing: The right temperatures for different kinds of tea

There are correct temps of tea. I let kettle go off boil for a few minutes so its not bitter. Then there are brands... Princess pours her bitter brew down the sink glaring at the culprit who had the nerve to pour boiling water onto her expensive tea leaves gifted by the tea factory they recently saved. "What?" Marks bewilderment only drives her to hand him to cup to start over. "Making tea is an art form like making explosives." She sighed. He boiled the kettle once more. "I didn't know it was going to be this hard." He measured out the right amount, placing it into the strainer. "You were the one who brought it up when the tea factory was attacked by a giant tea pot mecha." She reminded him. "Yeah, but, add boiling water..." "Water at ninety degree's." "What happens at ninety-one? It explodes?" "Don't tempt fate Eagle." "But what about green tea?" "Cooler water again. Its a science... eighty-five Celsius is acceptable for mots herbal tea." Princess picks up loose tea bag, the paper crackling as she scoops another spoonful. "This is the tenth cup of tea you've poured down the sink. I'm not as fussy as you obviously." The Eagle's brows knitted together in thought. "That surprises me...since I'm a perfectionist." The kettle boils, and Mark instead puts straight coffee beans into the cup. The Swans jaw drops in horror. "What now?" He throws his hands in the air, along with the cup, beans and hot water. "We should never have brought that coffee pod machine for the shack..." She picked up the grinder. "Tea bags are sin..." Jason by now was choking on his own bitter brew.... "Ahhh...Prin, I always make his brewed coffee, Mark can't boil water." Jason informs her. "He tries, but its usually for cheesy mac." "Is that all you eat at Shack?" She raises a delicate eyebrow, green eyes narrowing, as she purses her lips. "I'll have to come out and go through your pantry. Artifical products are bad for you, along with sugar...and your tea bags... coffee pod-" "What? Touch the coffee pod machine and you'll have to deal with more than Spectra next misison." Mark looks to Jason for back up. "This is touching on controlling. Prin give up the heath kick for all our sakes." "That's why you're perfect for each other. I'd like to see how that one plays out when she drops by to take you grocery shopping." The Condor freights the perfect poker face, takes another sip of his coffee, picks up a racing magazine pretending to be occupied. The Eagle finds a seat, places his head into his hands and declares he's taking up drinking scotch... gotta better than tea & coffee at this rate.

GGO -- I'm not much of a tea drinker, although I've nothing against it. Your fic certainly answered the question of why I shouldn't be using the coffee machine to heat up the water for tea! Duh. ES: I share the sentiments about the coffee pod machine -- I have my own coffee machine at the office, strictly off limits!

Ebonyswanne: One day I'm going to get one of those kettles that you can set to a specific temperature!

Me too. It wasn't in the buget last time. I like tea in a pot with loose leaves the best. It annoys me at cafes with tea when they serve it in a tea bag and charge a fortune for it. I went coffee tasting with a friend recently and discovered I am more of tea drinker.

When I think about it, I suppose the water temperature must drop a bit when I warm the pot, then make the tea. I have to admit, though, I'm a bit of a pleb when it comes to tea. No subtlety at all. Just make it strong, and I actually don't mind that hint of bitterness that you get sometimes. ES: I chuckled out loud at the mental image of Mark putting cofee beans in his cup and Princess' reaction. I have to say that I agree with Princess' views on processed food but I'm with Mark where the coffee pod machine is concerned. Does your iteration of Mark has one of those Nescafe Dolce-Gusto machines where you can buy those gosh-awful pods with the powdered milk to make an alleged latte or cappucino?

Bitterness levels or tannins in tea-- Depends on the tea too. Some teas are more bitter naturally. I drink my normal caffeine tea strong with a dash of milk and often its more bitter than the herbals. White tea from China is lovely. Japanese green tea and peppermint tea. (I grow my own herbs. mostly depends on the time of year.) I imagined an Eagle first thing in the morning with foggy with sleep, barely able to see in front of himself feeling walls aiming for his coffee pod machine cause its the most he can handle at that hour after a long mission. I think he'd have the ones with powered milk to save time and energy. I've often had Princess as a health fanatic with a juicer and some weird green drink in her hands with the boys taking bets on its ingredients... she's into mediation and I bet yoga too.

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne I went coffee tasting with a friend recently and discovered I am more of tea drinker.

I can't stand any form of coffee, even when it's in ice cream or chocolate. I just can't handle the bitter. Even with teas, I don't lean toward the more bitter ones (in part because I like to have my tea plain without anything in it).

Originally posted by ChrisW

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne I went coffee tasting with a friend recently and discovered I am more of tea drinker.

I can't stand any form of coffee, even when it's in ice cream or chocolate. I just can't handle the bitter. Even with teas, I don't lean toward the more bitter ones (in part because I like to have my tea plain without anything in it).

Dad and I would have "arguments" about mocha -- he'd say that the chocolate ruined the coffee, and I'd (correctly) state that the coffee ruined the chocolate.

Originally posted by ElectricWhite

Originally posted by ChrisW

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne I went coffee tasting with a friend recently and discovered I am more of tea drinker.

I can't stand any form of coffee, even when it's in ice cream or chocolate. I just can't handle the bitter. Even with teas, I don't lean toward the more bitter ones (in part because I like to have my tea plain without anything in it).

Dad and I would have "arguments" about mocha -- he'd say that the chocolate ruined the coffee, and I'd (correctly) state that the coffee ruined the chocolate.

I put a teaspoon of coffee into my chocolate cakes, or baileys, liquours. It enhances the flavour of chocolate. When making butter cream I put a tablespoon of baileys or coffee liquour of some kind. Brandy for plainer buttercreams. Brings out the flavours. Thats years of cake art for ya. My chai tea cupcakes are popular.

I like my coffee with coffee -- this is one thing that I'm totally in agreement with Jason (although I'm sure his coffee addiction is fanon, not canon -- rights?). Any sort of coffee that doesn't have too much milk or foam is fine -- filter, espresso with a dash of milk, espresso freddo with a dash of milk on the beach. Here in Cyprus I even got addicted to drinking Cypriot coffee (think Greek/ Turkish coffee) after lunch. But then, I drink Campari, so coffee doesn't taste too bitter

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne When making butter cream I put a tablespoon of baileys or coffee liquour of some kind. Brandy for plainer buttercreams. Brings out the flavours. Thats years of cake art for ya. My chai tea cupcakes are popular.

I put a "whoops" of Kahlua plus a dash of coffee in my Old Gold chocolate mousse tart - it's very popular. (A "whoops" is when most people say you should put about a shot in there and you go, "whoops!" Nobody complains.)

Originally posted by GrumpyGhostOwl

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne When making butter cream I put a tablespoon of baileys or coffee liquour of some kind. Brandy for plainer buttercreams. Brings out the flavours. Thats years of cake art for ya. My chai tea cupcakes are popular.

I put a "whoops" of Kahlua plus a dash of coffee in my Old Gold chocolate mousse tart - it's very popular. (A "whoops" is when most people say you should put about a shot in there and you go, "whoops!" Nobody complains.)

There is a connection to Aussies liking to put liquor's into everything. lol. If its not liquor its beer onions on the BBQ or heck toss it into the stew...

Originally posted by ElectricWhite Dad and I would have "arguments" about mocha -- he'd say that the chocolate ruined the coffee, and I'd (correctly) state that the coffee ruined the chocolate.

Amen.

Originally posted by Ebonyswanne I put a teaspoon of coffee into my chocolate cakes, or baileys, liquours. It enhances the flavour of chocolate. When making butter cream I put a tablespoon of baileys or coffee liquour of some kind. Brandy for plainer buttercreams. Brings out the flavours. Thats years of cake art for ya. My chai tea cupcakes are popular.

If that teaspoon is detectable I wouldn't be eating any of those where you used it. However, I do love baileys! And chai cupcakes sound amazing.

GGO: Why am I not surprised that Mark would know that about coffee? (having to be a certain temperature,etc,etc.). DT: Not only the end of the fic, but might also be the end of the person who was in charge of properly stocking the coffee! Ebony: LOLOL. I wholeheartedly agree with him!