According to a recent survey, the perfect cup of tea needs to be poured straight from a teapot, made from loose tea and sipped from a china mug.
Almost two thirds, 64%, agreed that a teapot would be ideal, with 35% happy to use a mug. Just one percent opted for a tea infuser.
For 29%, a teabag was preferred, with many confessing they’d never used loose tea and had no idea what all the fuss was about. Although the rest who did like loose tea did so because it reminded them of their childhood, in particular having tea with grandparents.
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Just under a half, 47% would love to sip their tea from a china mug, with 34% opting for the traditional cup and saucer. Almost one in five, 19%, would use a mug.
As for the all important question, - how long should you brew? - 48% said between two to three minutes was the perfect length of time for the loose tea in the teapot to brew, with 41% opting for one to two minutes. Only two percent said they preferred under a minute.
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Best British Biscuits
Bourbon Biscuits(01 of11)
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Also known as bourbon creams, these sandwich cookies consist of two chocolate biscuits with a thin layer of chocolate cream filling.The Essential Waitrose Bourbon Creams from the British department store are pretty fantastic. (credit:Waitrose)
McVitie's Digestives(02 of11)
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These semi-sweet wheat biscuits were first made by McVitie's in 1925 under the name Chocolate Homewheat Digestive. Today, they come in the original flavor, milk chocolate, dark chocolate or with caramel. They're Britain's favorite biscuit, and might be ours too. (credit:McVitie's)
Jam 'n Creams(03 of11)
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Jam 'n Cream cookies consist of a sugary layer of cream sandwiched between two shortbread cookies. They are topped with a thin disk of raspberry jam. These biscuits by Fox's are as tasty as they are adorable. (credit:Fox's)
Party Rings(04 of11)
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These cookies are coated in sugary icing and swirled with different colors. They taste like childhood and should be eaten by adults and children alike. (credit:Fox's)
Jaffa Cakes(05 of11)
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These cake-like cookies consist of a sponge-like base, a layer of jelly and a coat of chocolate. The jelly is traditionally orange-flavored, but other varieties include lemon-lime and strawberry. You can make them at home, but the boxed ones are so good we don't know why you'd want to. (credit:McVitie's)
Malted Milk Biscuits(06 of11)
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Also known as "cow biscuits," these sweet, malt-flavored cookies have one or two cows depicted on them, depending on the brand. They're buttery and perfect for drinking with tea. (credit:Tesco)
Bath Olivers(07 of11)
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These classic, savory biscuits are more cracker than cookie. They may be described as "bland flavoured," but they're bland in the best way. Eaten alone or with cheese, they are the perfect simple comfort. (credit:Fortts)
Rich Teas(08 of11)
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Classic and dead simple, these biscuits are the ultimate tea-dunker. Apparently Rich Teas are Prince William's favorite biscuit, and he asked for a chocolate biscuit cake made of the cookies for his wedding. The royal family favors the McVitie's brand. (credit:Burton's)
Walker's Shortbread Fingers(09 of11)
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Buttery, crunchy and crumbly, these Scottish shortbread fingers aren't too sweet and are supremely comforting. Walker's was established in 1898, and their shortbread is a "100-year-old family recipe." (credit:Walker's )
Custard Creams(10 of11)
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A custard-flavored cream -- that tastes pretty much like vanilla -- is sandwiched between two elaborately decorated cookies in this classic sandwich biscuit. (credit:Hill Biscuits)
Pink Wafers(11 of11)
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These unlikely cookies are actually amazing, in spite of (or maybe because of?) the intense pink dye. If you're wary of such unnatural coloring, just go with it. You'll be happy you did. (credit:Crawford's)
Curiously, well over half of people surveyed preferred the milk going in before the water - we're not sure we can get onboard with that!
The survey - conducted by Cheapholidayland.com - may not necessarily reflect the nation's tea preferences, so tell us your thoughts in the comments below...