No matter how expensive the tea you buy, if you brew it wrong, it’s awful.
This is a lesson many beginners learn the hard way. Most people who claim that they “don’t like the taste” are repelled by an incorrectly brewed tea. This can create a taste dislike that can last a lifetime… But this can be easily avoided with better brewing.
Steeping good tea does not take a PhD, but it is also not as simple as chucking it into boiling water and leaving it to waste. There are easy ways, however, to steep the perfect cup. In fact, there are nearly as many brewing methods as there are teas.
The trick to steeping tea correctly comes in three parts: time, temperature and volume.
Using too much tea will make your tea bitter and your wallet empty. Too little tea will bring a weak cup. The volume that is considered the “golden ratio” of leaves to water is one teaspoon of leaves per cup of water.
The ideal temperature for which to steep depends on the tea. Use boiling water (212F) when preparing black, dark oolong and herbal teas. These teas are tough-they can take the burn. However, it’s important to use cooler (180F) water when steeping more delicate teas, such as green, light oolong and white teas. Remember to not over-steep, or the tea will taste bitter.
They say that “time heals all wounds.” However, it also makes most teas turn bitter. The rule of thumb is 5 minutes for most black teas– any longer, and they’ll taste almost as bad as coffee. Dark oolong and white teas, on the other hand, are much more forgiving. These teas will taste best when steeped for 7 minutes but will still be drinkable if steeped a little longer. For light oolong and green teas only 3 minutes.
The proper equipment is also very important in the steeping process. When hot water is added, tea leaves can unfurl up to 5 times their dry size. So to make a great tea you need to give your leaves some leg room. A large infuser area is essential to get as much flavor into your cup as possible. It almost goes without saying that, to make the perfect cup of tea, there is one more prerequisite: good tea. Buy the best that is within your budget. It will make a noticeable difference.
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