Well, I'm definitely a tea-drinker, but I have a good reason for it: I hate coffee. I cannot do anything during the day if I didn't get a cup of Earl Grey at morning (and one or two cups later - I'm drinking now ;) ). But! My typical cup of tea includes: tea, water and sugar and nothing else...

Paulina M., Lwowek Slaski, Poland

"The most popular tea in Britain is the sort favoured by workmen. They like it because it takes an age to make and is far too hot to drink when it’s ready. It is, in short, nothing more than an excuse for not doing any actual work. "

amen...

NsK, Toronto,

You don't like tea, it's ok. One Question though. You say UK credit crunch is the result of tea drinkers, but what about Asia? They drink tea all the time (and I know, I leave in Hong Kong!!!), and as far as I can see, they are not that affected by the crisis. So...Green tea "nature" for everyone?

Sandrine Lafitte, Hong Kong,

Well, the problem is, many people - including me - actually prefer tea to coffee. I love a good Earl Grey. As for coffee - I do enjoy a cup now and then (with milk and sugar) but it doesn't make more "invigorated", even though I like my coffe rather strong. Funnily - it also makes me thirsty...

Jarek Michalski, Warsaw, Poland

Hmm…
And what about us – girls? Maybe we should better try beer too? And if we’ll start drink coffee every time we want to discuss urgent things (men) we all are going to die – girls talk a lot, you know… So you, men, will certainly stay alone. With your coffee…

anna, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

I am shocked that JC has missed the point that Tea helped build this country from trade routes of India and China, trade routes helped fund the building of ships for the industrial revolution and the British Empire, Gallons of Tea was drank. If we want to be a great nation we need to drink more Tea

Dan, Corby,

I have always been a big tea drinker. The mellow birds and nescafe didnt do it for me. I noticed that the european nescafe was much stronger than ours and got a taste, I also like the frappe, cold coffee the greeks have. Nescafe Alta rica was the one that hooked me. Cant dip toast in coffee though.

Kenny L, hove,

Jeremy, Run for Prime Minister!

Promise hope! Promise Jobs! Promise an end to tea!

Say it Jeremy, YES WE CAN!

Silvio, Cambridge, UK

Jeremy: an entertaining piece, but you couldn't be more wrong if you entered 'Strictly Come Dancing' wearing naught but a thong.

Tea is the beverage of heroes. Tea is what powered an Industrial Revolution, a once-noble car industry and two 1st place results in the World Wars.

Ian, London, United Kingdom

I grew up in New York City. The first time I had bad coffee was in McDonalds. The second time was in Germany. I'll accept that our country might have some of the worst coffee, but, as a result of mixing Arabic and Colombian beans, we also have some of the best! You're Welcome!

Luis, NYC, USA

Jeremy,

I wonder if Brunel would have built all the things he did, were he to be hoffed up on coffee... Wonder what he would have to say about tea? dont you?

r, toronto, canda

Did "Mellow Birds" ever make you smile? Nescafe Schmescafe - these are the coffees that Great Britons are drinking, with milk and six sugars!

Try these and then tell me tea has had its day...

www.bellevue-tea.co.uk

Corinne Oulton, London,

Exactly Jeremy.

Freshly roasted coffee beans from LondiniumEspresso.com in London puts the Italians' efforts to shame.

Sarah-Jane, London, England

Ah, Jezza, why not give in? You say shirty things about the Germans, think France is a slice of heaven, love the Citroen suspension, and take your coffee black & strong. Let's face it, you're a Frenchman dressed up as a large British fellow.

Francois, Santa Cruz, California, USA

Bashing tea?

Now you've gone and upset the whole of Pudding Island.

Andrew, Joburg, South Africa

True! Tea with milk works for me when I have a hangover and I'm dehydrated in the morning. Coffee on the other hand, is much more exciting for all the other times. It wakes your senses up, whereas tea just fills your stomach up and makes you go for a wee.

Vlad, Sofia, Bulgaria

"We ... expect to be able to operate on a stomach full of wet leaves."
Clarkson, you are a genius.

JoJo, Melbourne, Australia

PG Tips is damn nice - fact. Coffee drinkers are mostly mincers, drinking to impress lord-knows who.

Steve Jacks, London,

This is the first time Clarkson is just wrong. No other way of saying it. Just wrong.

James, Leeds, UK

JC may like to note the contribution tea made to Britain becoming the powerhouse of the industrial revolution: without boiling water and the tannin present in tea which helped stop the spread of disease, highly populated towns and cities necessary to work the new factories would not have grown.

Neil Topham, Bristol, UK

Being not a tea or a coffee drinker and not being addicted to caffeine, JC did manage to convince to try but i also read JM's column on tea which is the opposite. Being a fan of Top Gear, it seems apparent JC and JM may be having a war on tea vs coffee. However, i still remain a non-drinker :D.

Salman, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

While I agree with the general idea of the article, the notion that something brewed with a press of a button, aka Senseo, would qualify as "coffee" is a bit offensive.

Real coffee involves the use of a grinder and the flick of a switch.

Sietze, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

Chai? Urine? You clearly just haven't had a nice cup of Chai before, it's lovely!

David, Totnes, United Kingdom

I read this article whilst sitting by my coal fire with a mug of tea in hand. The fire has two ingredients - coal and flame - as does the tea. I agree that drinkers of herbal infusions are contemptible, but contend that those that put milk and sugar in tea fail to reach those heights.

Andy , Cleethorpes,

Jeremy, whatever you got paid for this article was too much. However outrageous and daft your ideas, they are usually fun. This was not. I suggest you sit down with a nice cup of tea and start thinking about how to raise a smile next week. ps. looking forward to Top Gear tonight

richard mowbray, York, UK

That's the one things the Germans got right... They know how to make good coffee. However, never ask for Tea in this country as they will automatically think you're ill and get the teapot out. Germans don't take medication when they're ill, they drink tea.

Vinny, Gunzburg, Germany

@ Jamie

'Clarkson is no stranger to Ofcom'
And your point being?

Yes he's out spoken and has a habit of poking fun at anything and everyone with somewhat tired stereotypes, but even he would draw the line somewhere before where Brand and Ross went to.

Good on Jezza for not following the crowd

Chris, Medway, Kent

To Jamie, no more comments on Ross and Brand, it's now really boring and blown out of proportion.

To Jeremy, obviously you've never made a cup of Earl Grey, which is one of many teas that you can drink without milk. Keep up the comments though, life would be boring without your "shotgun" humour.

Andrew Taylor, Brno, Czech Republic

J.--get yourself a proper old fashioned pack of tea leaves,a warm pot,full fat milk and a heaped sugar,and Bob's your Auntie--best drink in the world--except for booze of course!!

Gary, Worksop, UK

JC, when I talk to audiences in the pubs & clubs of Yorkshire (singing & playing guitar backed my trusty drum machine) I often ask, "Ladies, I think that sex is over-rated - give me a nice cup of tea any time." And most shout out their agreement proving tea still has an important place in Yorkshire!

GRAHAM, PEGEIA, CYPRUS

Err, all the countries you mentioned go to sleep in the afternoon.
What happened to the caffine buzz?
I thought coffee kept you awake.

Ritchie, Limassol,

Yep! We've just had workmen in. And, yes, they were perpetually popping heads round the door asking for a cup of the brown muck. That was until I suggested I would deduct the cost of the raw materials, power, and time lost making it (being a home worker). All plus VAT of course. It worked a treat!

Kevin Browne, Reading, England

Its as good an explanation as I have heard for all our troubles.

Mitch, Wolverhampton, England

My spirits are lifted each week by your various columns JC. But not as much as by a nice cup of tea.
Oh, and all of your favourite British icons were built by tea-drinkers, and our sad decline correlates with falling consumption of the essential brew.
Coffee is great, but tea is fundamental.

Steve L, Katikati, N

Never drunk the stuff - don't see the point of placing an oriental infusion into a cup and as the advert said "adding cow juice to it". What;s wrong with a glass of water, or an orange juice in the morning, and then coffee to see you through the day, then a relaxing glass of red before bed?

Iain McKeown, Liverpool, UK

In a week when the media mill has been churning the Ross and Brand affair 24/7, was it really too much to expect the one presenter who could possibly rival Wossy as the favorite Beebs son to devote a line or two to the matter? Especially considering the fact that Clarkson is no stranger to Ofcom.

Jamie, La Jolla,

Since I came here to England a year ago, I stated drinking more tea. In Greece I drank mainly Iced Tea, something that I cannot find here. Here I drink a tea every 2-3 days. I prefer coffee in the morning. Don't think that Greeks are more productive. We can spend hours drinking an iced coffee.

Leonidas N. Melissinos, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom