Tea brewing guide

General rules for making tea

Water quality and temperature
Water plays a major part in the final drink of tea. Tea has delicate flavour that can easily be tainted by poor quality water or even hard water. Often simply using a filter jug can make a marked improvement on the final taste.

All black teas need to have boiling water in order to extract the flavours. However, this is not recommended for green and white teas where the water should be around 75-85ºC. A good way of acheiving the right temperature for green or white teas is to leave the water for 3 minutes after boiling before using it. Why not buy one of our digital temperature controlled kettles?

Warm the pot
Even if the water is at the perfect temperature for your chosen tea leaves, a cold brewing pot (teapot etc) can reduce the temperature of the water considerably and affect the quality of the infusion. Simply add hot water to the pot, swirl gently and leave for a minute or two.

Dont restrict the tea leaves
To get the best flavour out of your tea leaves you need to allow the water to flow freely over and around the tea leaves. Some tea making equipment such as infusers or pots with built in infusers can restrict the flow of water. If making tea for one, it is better to use a slightly larger pot and fill it with less water, allowing for a wider area for the leaves and water to be swirled and infused.

Main methods for making tea

The conventional tea pot
Firstly, warm the pot as described above. Place the required amount of tea leaves into to the pot and fill and with the correct amount of water for the number of cups you require. Leave the tea to infuse for the desired number of minutes depending on the tea you are using and the desired strength. Many teas can be used for two or more infusions to it is best not to leave any of the resulting liquor stewing in the pot.

A clear glass or pot
Green and white tea leaves can look very attractive when infused in a large glass where you can watch the tea leaves open and impart their flavour on the water. As green and white teas rarely turn the water too bitter, you can often leave the leaves in while you drink to add to your enjoyment

How much tea to use
All of our teas come with instructions on the amount of tea to use and the length of time for infusion. However, these can be varied according to your own personal tastes. Some people like weak tea and some like it strong so dont be afraid to experient. It is possible to use less tea and brew for longer in order to create similar results to using more tea and brewing for less time. Loose leaf teas can be used several times and using more tea can often bring our more of the subtle flavours.