milk in first or last?

There is only one truly great question that all tea lovers debate. Teaspoons at the ready for duelling at dawn, and prepare to spout about it - because we want to know!

when brewing your tea in a teapot, on pouring into your cup do you add your milk first or last?

I've always put the milk in first, but physics would say last, thermal gradients and all! Rob

Milk first if the tea is coming out of a teapot.   Milk last if it's being brewed in the cup. No idea why! Angela

If you put the milk in first there is the possibility of weak tea.  "Ooh, I've made yours a bit weak" - surely one of the most depressing things you can ever hear?    Zoe

I always put my milk in last - I find it easier to get the right colour first and then add the white stuff.  Sarah

The tea will not mash properly if it is not pipping hot. Coffee has to have milk in first to stop it burning. Tom

You can keep your cow juice out of my lovely tea!

 Milk last. Brewed in a cup, the milk would cool the tea too much to brew properly. From a teapot, you usually end up with too much milk if you put it in first.  Carole

Soy milk? But it doesn't work properly in nice, strong tea. *sob* Mel

Without a doubt, milk in first, otherwise you get that tea scum floating on the top of your brew.  Pinny

Milk always goes in last - if you don't get the right colour for your brew the first time you can always add more milk. But if you put milk in first - then the tea - and its still wrong the colour, you have to add milk in again effectively doubling your workload, going to the fridge twice is simply unneccesary!   Gavin

Milk first, if the tea is made in a teapot.  The amount of milk doesn't affect the strength of tea it just makes it more milky!   Janet

Tough question... if it is out of a pot I like a little splash of milk in the bottom of a china tea cup, if it is made with a teabag in a mug then after. Am I sad for being so pernickety?...  Leanne

Milk first without a doubt, it makes a HUGE difference to the taste! And by the way you should never leave the tea-bag in for longer than about 30 seconds, there is nothing worse than stewed tea, it's such a disappointment!! Sophie

Always put the milk in last. If you put it in first, you risk making your tea too milky and milky tea is just wrong (except in chai and other such varieties). Tea should taste like tea, not milk. Tea scum? is due to hard water, but the ions in the water just add to that lovely tea taste. Liam

Always last, my nan used to say "you wouldn't put the milk in the teapot", and we all know your nan knows best :) Jo

I drink China tea, without milk or sugar. But on those rare occasions when I do put a spoonful of milk into something which tastes a bit too astringent, I put the milk in last. That way one avoids putting in too much. Alyosha

I agree with Angela, milk first if tea out of the teapot and milk last if making a brew in the cup. Ruthie Babe

Oh, milk first. But that's because I love a good, strong brew made properly, in a teapot. Always a teapot, please - we have to maintain standards.   Kirstin

Milk in the cup first, if I'm having milk which is not often. When making tea it is always in a pot never directly brewed in a mug.   Alice

Definitely last! How else can you tell if you've made a nice brew or not? Ray

Milk in last: This is the rules, if you do not do it this way you are quite simply never making me a cuppa!   Tara

You can't beat tea brewed in a pot; in which case it doesn't bother me if the milk goes in first or last, as long as there is only a little! On the other hand, when brewing in a cup I put the milk in last. Jennifer

 If you put milk in first it stops the tea from getting nice and strong!  BL

is a jaffa cake a biscuit or a cake?

See to me Jaffa cakes are clearly a cake as I base my decision on the following simple to follow formula. If it is hard fresh and softens when it goes stale, it's a biscuit.
If it is soft fresh and hardens when it goes stale, it is cake.
Linette