Customer Reviews

The Green Tea User's Manual

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I wish that more things in life came with a nice, compact, informative manual. :-) I recommend this book to those just beginning their adventure into green teas and also for those who enjoy green tea but don't really know much about finer greens. It starts out by covering the absolute basics like what tea is, how to appreciate it, potential health benefits, brewing basics, etc. I really liked her descriptions of how to brew in a cup/mug, teapot and guywan. Also, she's spot on with infusion baskets. Tea balls or clamp spoons are terrible and she doesn't mind saying so! She then moves on to explore some of the world's most enjoyed green teas from "Gen Mai Cha" to "Yin Hao". She does an excellent job of explaining what to look for in each tea, how to brew them and infuses her personal experiences to further broaden understanding. And, not one to leave it at that, she also talks about tea bags, what to do with spent leaves and liquor, using tea as dye and tosses in some green tea recipes that sound fantastic. I put this book on the shelf right alongside the classic "Tea Companion" by Pettigrew and "The Book of Green Tea" by Rosen. Happy tea drinking!

I love this little book! Green tea is all the rage, and I keep seeing articles on its health benefits. But it's also a bit of mystery - how to brew it, how to buy it, even what it is (as opposed to black tea). This small but mighty guide explains those mysteries one by one. There's a lot packed in here. The author is an expert - a "tea sommelier" (who knew such a thing existed?). But her tone is unpretentious, encouraging, charming and fun. I would recommend this book to anyone who's interested in exploring green tea but doesn't really know where to start.

Inspiring & practical. Demystified the world of green tea for me. Nice to read, nice to hold, & nice to have on hand as a reference book. Unpretentious & charming. I'd love to have tea with the author.

Part encyclopedic, part anecdotal, The Green Tea User's Manual has something for everyone. The author writes from personal experience at both ends of the spectrum, which makes for a fascinating way to read a wealth of information. Anyone who enjoys green tea (or black, for that matter) will thoroughly enjoy this little gem.

This little book on green tea is written by an experienced, well, maybe professional I should have said, tea drinker and pratitioner in the US. You will get lots of information on this little book. It will turn you into a *knowledgeable* tea drinker overnight.
Helen gives a brief survey on the popular and finer green teas as well as on tea preparations and teawares... It would be a great pleasure to read. However, I wish she would make the description more elaborate. For example, if she could give a more detailed description on the Dragon Well, High Mountain (Dong Ding--Cold Summit) OOlong, Bi Luo Chun, ...the finer teas, then a greater pleasure to read.
Also you can find many useful and trustworthy resources from which you order quality teas. I highly recommend this book to any tea lovers as well as anyone who wants to give it a shot to tea!

Very hard to read. Vague instructions on how to brew different green teas with lousy drawings. I would prefered a more straight to the point approach about what you need to buy and how to brew the specific green teas described in the book. Goes back and forth non stop to the point that you dont want to read this book anymore. I would not recomend this book. Boring and confusing.

I started drinking green tea some time ago. I found I enjoyed it very much. But I was a bit overwhelmed with the offerings I found on the internet, and at that time, didn't know who I could ask. Dragonwell? Gen Mai Cha? Bi Lo Chun? Huh?

I picked up several books at the library, and found this indispensable as I began my journey enjoying green tea. Gastafson explains how to prepare green tea various ways, from using no special equipment at all, to buying a teapot, to preparing in and drinking green tea from a Guywan or Chung.

Sixteen types of green tea are described, representing the major greens of China and Japan. There are chapters on tea bags and bottled/canned tea. Interspersed are interesting tidbits about the history of tea and some anecdotes.

This is a small book, but it isn't a small package. It is perfect for the beginner, and well worth keeping on hand.

There are a few internet resources listed in the book. If some were added to update the edition, and if there were photographs of the teas, I'd give this 5 stars. For me, it really is 5 stars, but it is lacking in those areas.

Armed with this, the new tea drinker, or someone interested in purchasing green tea as a gift for a tea lover can make informed choices and build a foundation of green tea knowledge that will serve well over the years. Highly recommended!