beverages

[evelyn48]

Can I take teabags and maxwell house coffee to usa on holiday?

[pastafreak]

Why bother? maxwell house is an american brand so you can certainly get it there...maybe even cheaper than in the uk so you may want to bring it back here instead!

[spudqueen]

Yes you can, and I would take tea bags, especially if you like a particular brand.

[antiguru]

Yes you can. Just incase you get an officious customs officer you might want to keep them in their original packaging.

I regularly visit my ex-pat friends in the USA with spare boxes of PG Tips.

[cardi88]

i would - especially the coffee - took me days to find instant coffee in the supermarkets, plenty of maxwell house filter coffee in any flavour but you need a machine!! have a nice time!

[BBWCHATT]

Evelyn - every supermarket in America has Maxwell House instant coffee and bags and cans of real Maxwell House as well. They will all also have Tetley and Lipton tea bags and almost always Earl Grey - I don't know what kind of teabags you are looking for - but we have several varieties here. If you don't find what you need, ask anyone who works in the supermarket and they will find it for you.

Our supermarkets here are huge.

Enjoy your trip.

BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

[BBWCHATT]

When you get back from your holiday, could you please do a post to let everyone know what we have in our supermarkets Evelyn - you would know better than I how to compare them to the ones in the UK. Maybe it will help someone else who is apprehensive about what we have here.

BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

[indianwells]

American supermarkets are superb. We use Publix in Florida and there is twice the choice, or even three times the choice we have here, just remember if you want a cup of tea when you're out ask for hot tea or you'll get iced tea!.

[BBWCHATT]

I live in a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

In October of 2006, the supermarket closest to my house - which is a Bi-Lo Supermarket - built a new building - I don't the square footage, but it is LARGE. They already have it slated for an expansion to upgrade it to a 57,000-square-foot supermarket. They are also breaking ground for another 57,000-square-foot supermarket about 5 or 10 minute from my house.

http://www.bi-lo.com/bilo/index.jsp


This is - I think - typical of supermarkets here in the USA. 57,000 Square Feet holds a LOT of products and choices!

BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

[cardi88]

i dont doubt the size of your supermarkets but i went to 6 markets (im not sure if you'd class them as supermarkets) in new york and chicago and wasn't able to find instant coffee, and every member of staff directed us to the numerous filter coffee's available - we did then go to a supermarket in Washington DC and found some but the huge supermarkets are on the outskirts of the city which was difficult to visit without a car. So im sure finding any product in any country is possible with time and transport - i will still be taking instant coffee with me next time!

[spudqueen]

BBWCHATT - I have noticed on a few of your posts that you presume that the same food is sold in the UK as in USA. I can assure you, as someone who has visited the States a few times (and stayed with a friend - not just in hotels) that the food in American supermarkets in vastly different to that in the UK. We are going on holiday with some friends to Florida in a couple of weeks and we are going to be taking our own tea bags as it has been agreed that the favourite tea of both our families is Yorkshire Gold, and I doubt very much that either Publix or Walmart sell it.

[Zeddy]

I think this is why the Europeans love the Brits so much!
"When in Rome....."
I remember seeing a group of Spaniards on a boat trip in Scotland and they were tucking into a big catering size box of biscuits. Kinda funny but good to see them trying something typically British.
Try tea over in the US and if you hate it just remember
"Absence makes the heart grow fonder".

[cardi88]

its not a matter of not wanting to try local foods - believe me i do, but when your in a hotel without a filter coffee machine - needs must!

[spudqueen]

Zeddy - I have been to the States 5 times, I will be going for a 6th time in the next couple of weeks. I have never before taken any food for my personal use (though I did take a load of British goodies for my friend when I stayed with her). I am more than happy to eat and drink the local food and drink. However, the Americans do not do tea like we do - in New York my friend was brought a mug of hot water and about 5 minutes later a tea bag! So we will be taking Yorkshire Gold with us. And I don't even drink tea!! It's for Mr Spudqueen and our friends. I can assure you that all the rest of our food and drink will be pure American!

[pastafreak]

Gee-I am going back home to NY in a couple of weeks...guess I will have to instruct the heathens in the art of proper tea-making!! lol!! It WILL be interesting tho to compare Tetley with the American favorite Lipton as I have not had the latter in years.

[BBWCHATT]

I have Tetley in my kitchen now - I bought it at my supermarket - not a specialty tea here - just a regular one the same as Lipton.

I have Maxwell House Instant Coffee in my kitchen now - not a specialty coffee here - just a regular one like all the others. I bought it at my suprmarket.

I don't have Earl Grey in my kitchen - it is still in my supermarket.

BBWCHATT
The old lady in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA

[pastafreak]

Haha!! at that rate it's gonna take you a while to move all the stuff from your supermarket to your kitchen,BBWCHATT.

[cardi88]

call me weird but when im on holiday i dont want to be traveling to a huge spermarket to find instant coffee - all im saying is that i had trouble finding it in small convenience stores - a country the size and wealth of america i'd expect to find a basic item such as coffee - no one is doubting the greatness of america, im sure everything is available, but like i said - if youve got the time, transport and inclination to find it then you will - same as i can find hershey kisses and reeses peanut butter cups in my local village post office.

[cardi88]

out of interest i just visited safeway online grocery store and one thing i am annoyed about is that you can still get ben and jerry's chubby hubby ice cream in america - thats been discontinued over here!! thats wrong!!

[pastafreak]

Hey cardi88-how is it you can get hersheys kisses...I have never seen them here tho Reeses have been available for a number years.

[indianwells]

I doubt you'd find a supermarket in the States that didn't stock instant coffee. It may be Folgers, but it's there. In publix in Florida they have a section in the "ethnic" aisle that sells British food. Corned beef, hob Nobs, PG Tips etc. In hotels you usually get free coffee anyway. If not, any diner will sell take-out coffee. I don't really see what the problem is. Finding coffee in the US is not a problem, I find it bizzarre to think anyone would believe it might be!