How to Make a Better Cup of Tea

Tea making is both a science and an art. The flavor and aroma of your tea can be significantly improved with just a few minor changes to the brewing process. This article will teach readers how to easily improve their tea at home. To make your tea, you will need to consider the quality of both your tea and water. You will also need to know what equipment you are using, as well as the optimal steeping conditions for your chosen tea.

Tea Quality:

Many of the teas that you can buy at the supermarket are lower in quality. Lower-quality teas are often more bitter. Additionally, they usually have a less complex flavor profile. If you are interested in purchasing high-quality teas, I would recommend visiting a reputable tea seller. You may also take into consideration the grade of a tea, which I will go into in a future article. Ultimately, however, the best tea is one that you will enjoy drinking. If you enjoy a certain tea, there is no need to worry about whether or not it is high quality. If you find that your tea is unenjoyable even after following the tips detailed in this article, you may need to invest in better tea.

Water Quality:

When steeping tea, you should use good-quality water. If you don’t like the taste of the water plain, you might not like the taste of it in your tea. Any neutral-tasting water, be it bottled, filtered, or from the tap (assuming your tap water is good) is a good bet. The choice is up to your personal preference. However, you should avoid using distilled water for tea, as it can make your tea taste dull. Furthermore, when using tap water, you should start with cool water as opposed to hot.

Equipment:

Using good equipment will also improve the flavor of your tea. When making loose-leaf tea, there are many good options for equipment. I will list some of my favorites below.

Infusers: Infusers hold the tea leaves inside of them. When submerged in water, the flavor is released from small holes in the device. When the tea is done brewing, simply remove the infuser from the tea. Some teapots and cups come with built-in infusers. These are very convenient for brewing larger portions of tea. Tea balls are another type of infuser. However, they may interfere with the brewing process and are not a good choice for brewing higher-quality tea. The constricting nature of the tea ball may keep the more nuanced flavors and aromas of specialty teas 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 liquid 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 filter. This should halt the brewing process in the liquid above the filter.

Once you have determined what equipment, tea, and water you will use, the next step is to start brewing your tea. How you will do so is dependent on the type of tea you are making. Many lighter teas are easy to burn if the water is too hot. Likewise, most teas will become bitter if they are over-brewed. Refer to the chart below for optimal water temperatures and brewing times.

Type of Tea Optimal Water Temperature Optimal Brewing Time

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

Green Tea 176°-180°F (80°-82°C) 2-3 minutes

White Tea 158°-167°F (70°-75°C) 1-2 minutes

Oolong Tea 176°-194°F (80°-90°C) 2-4 minutes, can be resteeped

Pu-erh Tea 210°-212°F (100°) 2-5 minutes

Purple Tea 176°-180°F (80°-82°C) 3 minutes

Yellow Tea 158°-167°F (70°-75°C) 1-2 minutes