How to Brew Mountain Tea Leaves Teas

When brewing tea, it is important to consider what kind of tea you are working with. Teas come in various different flavors, types, and qualities. Understanding the type of tea you are using will help you to prepare it properly. The flavor and aroma of tea can be significantly improved with just a few minor changes to the brewing process. Below, I have listed the optimal water temperatures and brewing times for each flavor of Mountain Tea Leaves tea. In case you are new to brewing loose leaf tea, I will also cover tea steeping equipment and technique later in this article. Please note that Mountain Tea Leaves' teas are finer cut. Thus, it is best to use equipment that has a fine-mesh filter.

Type of Tea Optimal Water Temperature & Optimal Brewing Time

Amber Breakfast Tea 210°-212°F (100°C) 2-4 minutes

Irish Breakfast Tea 210°-212°F (100°C) 2-4 minutes

Black Cannella Tea 210°-212°F (100°C) 2-4 minutes

Spiced Sage Tea 210°-212°F (100°C) 2-4 minutes

Cinnamon Rooibos 210°-212°F (100°C) 3-5 minutes

Below you will find a list of tea equipment that can be used to brew loose leaf tea:

Infusers: Infusers hold the tea leaves inside of them. When a filled infuser is submerged in hot water, the tea's flavor is released from small holes in the device. When the tea is done brewing, simply remove the infuser from the brewed tea. Some teapots and tea cups come with built-in infusers. These are very convenient for brewing larger portions of tea.

Tea Balls: Tea balls are a type of infuser that is pretty convenient for brewing smaller batches of tea. However, they may interfere with the brewing process and are not a good choice for brewing higher-quality tea. Tea leaves need room to unfurl while steeping. The constricting nature of the tea ball may keep the more nuanced flavors and aromas out of your cup of tea.

Strainers: These do not hold the tea leaves while the tea is brewing. Instead, they are used to separate the tea leaves from the finished tea. Pour the brewed tea through the tea strainer just as you would with any other kitchen strainer.

French Press: While French presses are often associated with coffee, they are very convenient tools for brewing tea. Simply add the tea leaves and hot water and brew for the necessary amount of time. When the tea is finished brewing, press down on the plunger. This should halt the brewing process in the liquid above the filter.

To brew your loose leaf tea, simply add 1 heaping tsp. of tea per 8-12 oz water to your desired container or equipment. Pour the hot water over the tea leaves and allow them to steep for the desired length of time (see the tea steeping chart above). When the tea is done steeping, remove the tea leaves according to the equipment instructions. For infusers, you will pull the infuser full of tea leaves out of the liquid. For French presses, you will press down on the plunger. For strainers, you will strain the tea into a cup. Enjoy!