Make Tea 

A well-made cup of hot tea can warm the heart and soul of any tea lover, but it can be unpleasantly bitter or disappointingly tasteless when improperly steeped. A conscientious approach to tea preparation can maximize the flavor and health benefits provided by the tea bush, Camellia sinensis. To make tea just right, follow these steps.  Note that these instructions do not apply to making herbal tea.

Steps

Making a Cup of Tea

  1. Boil the water. Pour more than enough water for a cup of tea into a regular pot, and bring it to a boil.
    • The better tasting your water, the better tasting your tea. The best water is filtered or bottled (but not distilled). If using tap water, let it run cold for 10 seconds before using it for tea.
    • Make sure you only boil the water one time. If you boil the water more than once, the oxygen levels in the water will be reduced and make the tea taste flat.
  2. Preheat your teacup. This will prevent the steeping water from dropping in temperature as soon as it is poured in. Add a little boiling water to the individual cups (ceramic and porcelain cups retain heat well). Let the water stand until the cup is warm, then pour out the water and proceed immediately to the next step.
  3. Put the tea in the bottom of the cup. You can use a tea bag or 1-2 teaspoons of your desired flavor .
    • When using tea bags, the measuring has already been done for you - generally it's one tea bag per cup. However, make sure that the bags are fresh, since most commercially produced bags consist of small pieces of leaves that are susceptible to becoming stale faster than the loose leaf variety.
  4. Add hot water. Pour it over the tea. Use an amount in proportion to the quantity of tea you've added (e g. 5 cups of water for 5 teaspoons of tea). The ideal water temperature varies based on the type of tea being steeped. The more oxidized (fermented) the tea (e.g. black tea) the hotter the water should be, whereas less oxidized teas (white, green) should be steeped in water that isn't as hot.[1]
    • White or green teas (full leaf): Well below boiling (170-185 F or 76-85 C). When the water boils, turn off the heat and let the water cool for 30 seconds for white tea and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the leaves.
    • Oblongs (full leaf): 185-210 F or 85-98 C
    • Black teas (full leaf): Water must be at a rolling boil (212 F or 100 C). The most common mistake is to steep black tea with water that is not hot enough, which can prevent the active substances in black tea from developing.[1]
    • Pursuer: Full rolling boil (212 F or 100 C).
    • Tea bags: Never let the water boil. Since tea bags often include tea dust and fanning (the smallest tea particle grades) and so have more surface area, use slightly less hot water.
  5. Let the tea steep. Cover with the cozy to retain warmth. Different teas require different steeping times. In general, whole-leaf tea should be steeped longer than broken-leaf tea.[2] Check the box for guidance. If there are no instructions, steep for a minute or two, then taste frequently until it's flavorful but not bitter. If practicing gong-fu brewing to make multiple infusions, use shorter infusion times, typically 30 seconds to 1 minute.[3] For normal (Western) brewing, the steeping times are longer. The following recommendations are guidelines:
    • Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes
    • Black teas: 3-5 minutes
    • Green teas: 2-3 minutes
  6. Serve. Depending on your taste, you may want to serve black tea tea with milk, sugar, lemon or honey. Do not serve the tea with lemon and milk or the milk will curdle. If you use milk, add the milk to the cup first and then add the tea; this prevents the hot tea from scalding the milk by heating it gradually.

Making a Pot (Tea-Kettle) of Tea

  1. Boil the water. Using a non-reactive tea kettle, bring more than enough water to a boil.
    • The better tasting your water, the better tasting your tea. The best water is filtered or bottled (but not distilled). If using tap water, let it run cold for 10 seconds before using it for tea.
    • Make sure you only boil the water one time. If you boil the water more than once, the oxygen levels in the water will be reduced and make the tea taste flat.
  2. Pre heat whatever you want to put the tea in. This will prevent the steeping water from dropping in temperature as soon as it is poured in. Add a little boiling water to a ceramic or porcelain teapot or the individual cups--wherever the tea will be steeped (ceramic and porcelain retain heat well). Cover the teapot with the lid and a cozy, if you have one. Let the water stand until the vessel is warm, then pour out the water and proceed immediately to the next step.
  3. Put the tea in an infuser, strainer, or directly in the bottom of the teapot. Steeping without an infuser or strainer gives the tea more room to unfold and release additional flavor. Start with one heaped teaspoon per cup of tea to be made, unless you have instructions which say otherwise. The amount of loose tea you use will depend on the type and strength of the tea, as well as your individual taste, so a little experimentation may be in order.
  4. Add hot water. Pour it over the tea. Use an amount in proportion to the quantity of tea you've added (eg. 5 cups of water for 5 teaspoons of tea). The ideal water temperature varies based on the type of tea being steeped. The more oxidized (fermented) the tea (e.g. black tea) the hotter the water should be, whereas less oxidized teas (white, green) should be steeped in water that isn't as hot.[1]
    • White or green teas (full leaf): Well below boiling (170-185 F or 76-85 C). When the water boils, turn off the heat and let the water cool for 30 seconds for white tea and 60 seconds for green tea before pouring it over the leaves.
    • Oolongs (full leaf): 185-210 F or 85-98 C
    • Black teas (full leaf): Water must be at a rolling boil (212 F or 100 C). The most common mistake is to steep black tea with water that is not hot enough, which can prevent the active substances in black tea from developing.[1]
    • Pu-erhs: Full rolling boil (212 F or 100 C).
    • Tea bags: Never let the water boil. Since tea bags often include tea dust and fannings (the smallest tea particle grades) and so have more surface area, use slightly less hot water.
  5. Let the tea steep. Cover with the cozy to retain warmth. Different teas require different steeping times. In general, whole-leaf tea should be steeped longer than broken-leaf tea.[2] Check the box for guidance. If there are no instructions, steep for a minute or two, then taste frequently until it's flavorful but not bitter. If practicing gong-fu brewing to make multiple infusions, use shorter infusion times, typically 30 seconds to 1 minute.[3] For normal (Western) brewing, the steeping times are longer. The following recommendations are guidelines:
    • Oolong teas: 4-7 minutes
    • Black teas: 3-5 minutes
    • Green teas: 2-3 minutes
  6. Remove the tea leaves. Get rid of the tea leaves in the pot (if you have a strainer or infuser) or pour the liquid into another vessel with a strainer to catch any tea leaves. Tuck the teapot back inside a tea cozy if there is tea remaining in the pot after serving everyone. This helps keep the tea hot longer.
  7. Serve. Depending on your taste, you may want to serve black tea tea with milk, sugar, lemon or honey. Do not serve the tea with both lemon and milk or the milk will curdle. If you use milk, add the milk to the cup first and then add the tea; this prevents the hot tea from scalding the milk by heating it gradually.
  8. Infuse again if you want to make more tea for a second serving. Many teas, especially whole-leaf green and oolong teas, can be infused multiple times, so repeat the above steps, increasing the steeping time with each infusion, to get the most out of your tea.[3]
  9. Finished.


Watch the video carefully, and before long you will be a master tea maker!

Tips

  • If making tea from whole leaves, you may enjoy steeping them in a French press and watching the colors radiate from the unfolding leaves.
  • Boiling water can damage tea leaves. Make sure you check what temperature the tea you are using should boil at.
  • For a sweet, creamy dessert-like tea, add half cream and half tea, and then add three hefty spoons of sugar.
  • Descale your kettle often to remove mineral deposits.
  • Store the tea in an airtight container to limit exposure to oxygen or moisture. Use a container that won't impart flavor on the tea. Black tea has a longer shelf-life than green tea, while Pu-erh tea actually improves with age.[1] If you might be storing the tea for an extended period of time, use desiccant packets or oxygen absorbing packets and vacuum seal.[1]

Warnings

  • If you boil water in the microwave, take precautions to make sure the water doesn't explode (a dangerous phenomenon known as superheating).[4] Place a wooden skewer or chopstick in the water before microwaving to prevent superheating.
  • If you live in a mountainous or high-altitude area, the lower boiling point can make it difficult to properly steep teas that require a high temperature (e.g. black, pu-erh).[1]

Things You'll Need

  • Non-reactive tea kettle to boil the water
  • Ceramic or porcelain teapot
  • A bowl to pour the leftover hot water from the teapot
  • Tea strainer or tea ball
  • Sugar and creamer
  • Tea cozy (optional)
  • Tea

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea#Preparation
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://ratetea.net/topic/brewing-tea/6/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 http://ratetea.net/topic/multiple-infusions/20/
  4. ↑ http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/~jw/superheating.html
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