Make each cuppa a teariffic experience!

For such an elegant refreshment, tea is one the most easy-going beverage options, bound to appeal to its consumer almost no matter how casually it is prepared. If you really want to indulge your senses though, brewing your cuppa properly is sure to earn you the wow-factor.

Starting with the sound of that kettle bubbling away, the clanging of cups and tinker of spoons; the sight of the stunning ingredients with their bold colours and their dye in the water; the smell of the tea, with its leaves, herbs, spices, flowers; the taste, which arrays from earthy to sweet, floral to fruity; and the mouth-feel of the end result, ranging between smooth and astringent. A cup of tea sure is a delight to the senses.

Follow these simple tips, and you’ll be sure to serve the most rejuvenating and wholesome cup of tea, because why have just tea, when you could have a teariffic experience?!

Our advice is based on the use of loose-leaf tea with Western-style brewing. We favour loose-leaf over tea-bags for many reasons, with an earlier blog explaining why (Blog: Why choose loose leaf tea), and western-brewing is what most our customer base is more familiar with. Western-brewing differs from Eastern (gongfu) style brewing, in that it uses a ratio of more-water to less-leaves, with a longer steeping time, and a life of only one to a few steeps per serve of leaves.

The water:

With this in mind, let’s take you through the process of brewing your best cup of tea, which starts with a kettle filled with fresh, filtered water. Re-boiled, stale water has an altered pH value, which can affect taste. Even though boiling the water favourably agitates the oxygen within it (which helps extract the best flavour of the leaves), re-boiling reduces the oxygen content. Just like soft-drink goes flat without bubbles, tea can taste flat without oxygen.

The temperature:

Next the temperature of the water is a big deal. Flavours which a tea releases differs based on the water temperature it is steeped in. Often, if water is too hot, the leaves can burn, resulting in a bitter taste; if the water is too cold, the leaves will likely not infuse properly, resulting in a weak brew.

Pay close attention to the brewing instructions on tea’s packaging, especially if the tea is a blend (like ours). Variable-temperature kettles can help, but if you have ‘just a regular ole kettle’, boil the water, and let it sit uncovered, using the guide below for true-tea bases:

Green: five minutes (for 80 degree water)
Oolong: three minutes (for 90 degree water)
Puerh: two minutes (for 95 degree water)

The pre-heat:

Whilst you’re waiting for the perfect temperature, warming up your cup, mug or teapot prior to steeping will help maintain the desired water temperature. If you were to add hot water from the kettle to a cold vessel, the water temperature will lower more quickly. This means it would not be at the temperature needed for proper steeping of the tea.

Simply warm your vessel by adding hot water to it, and once the vessel is warm to the touch, discard the water and be ready to steep your tea.

The ratio:

The ratio of tea to water is the next big factor regarding the end-taste of your brew. We always encourage you to follow the instructions which are displayed on your tea packet, but if you’ve tossed it, a general rule in Western-style brewing is one teaspoon of tea (or specifically, three grams), for one 250mL cup.

Instructions will vary, based on the density of the tea blend; some blends may call for up to two teaspoons per cup. Such instructions are key, as too many leaves to water will create a strong brew, whilst too few leaves will result in a weak brew, and either way, you’re missing the perfect balance of flavours the tea beholds.

The infuser:

But wait, we need to consider the infuser as well! Whilst we are almost as spoilt for choice in regards to infusers as we are tea blend varieties, not all of them make good options. As tea expands when it is steeping (sometimes up to five times its size), you are best to use a spacious infuser. Ample space for the leaves to expand enables more flavour to be released.  

We also encourage infusers with finer pores (holes), or mesh, for those of you who don’t fancy floaties in your cuppa. Some ingredients, such as rooibos, have a smaller structure for instance, and so can escape those infusers with large pores.

The cover:

This next key aspect is lesser known, but ought to be shouted from café rooftops; cover your vessel of tea whilst steeping! Similarly to warming the vessel prior to steeping, covering the tea during the steeping process assists in maintaining the desired water temperature.

Covering blended teas, such as herbals and fruit fusions, is further vital for capturing the most flavourful end result. Steeping without a cover can allow the essential oils to escape in the steam, taking flavour with it.

The time:

Grab your watch, timer, clock, sundial, or whatever you use to keep track of time, because how long you steep the tea for makes a huge difference to the end flavour. Again, the instructions on the packet offer the ideal suggestion for length of time. There are basic guides available for true teas and their steeping time, but even within each tea type, times are different for each variety (i.e. a Puerh tea can be steeped for between one and six minutes, depending upon its variant). Mixing these true teas into a tisane further adds to the complexity of timing guidelines. 

Let it be known though, if you steep a tea for too long, you will be left with a bitter and strange tasting brew. The reason for this is the tannins within tea leaves. Tannins are released when the leaves are left in hot water, and change the taste of tea, but not for the better. On the contrary, under-steeping will result in a weak flavour; also not ideal.

The satisfaction:

Some teas can be served and enjoyed then, just as they are; others you may find even more flavoursome with milk or sweetener, or with a few tweaks to the instructions to suit your unique palate.

Most quality teas can actually be repeatedly steeped, so don’t toss the leaves away when the infuser is taken out. To reuse, simply pop the infuser back into the warmed vessel, to brew with fresh water. The only consideration to make, is adding one to two minutes to the steeping time, for each re-use.

So there you have it, a lot of words, for something that is actually quite simple - once you’re in the habit of it - and definitely worth it! Now, may you exceptionally enjoy countless cups of tea (ideally Personalitea)!