How to Brew a Pot Of Tea.
Drink tea.
You'll be a few millennia too late to be a
trend-setter, but it's delicious, globally
loved, and a hell of a lot healthier than
soda.
You will need A kettle Fresh water A stove
A teapot Either loose-leaf tea or pre-filled
tea bags Tea cups An infuser or inset basket
A strainer An additional teapot and a tea
cozy.
Step 1.
Fill the kettle with fresh, cold water.
Step 2.
Set the kettle on the stove-top and turn the
burner to high.
While you're waiting for the water to boil,
warm your teapot by filling it with hot tap
water.
Let it sit a few minutes before emptying.
Step 3.
Measure the amount of tea you will need.
You can generally plan for 1 teaspoon per
cup if brewing loose-leaf, or 1 tea bag per
cup, using more for a stronger brew or less
for a milder brew.
Step 4.
Spoon the loose-leaf tea into the teapot or
the infuser or inset basket.
If you're using teabags, drop them into the
teapot.
Step 5.
When your water reaches a boil, slowly pour
it from the kettle into the teapot.
Consult your individual tea for its optimum
infusing temperature, since some are ideally
steeped in water that is slightly cooler.
Either way, don't overboil the water, since
this removes oxygen and flattens the taste.
Step 6.
Steep darker teas, like black and oolong teas,
for four to five minutes.
Lighter or finely cut teas, like green tea
or a teabag, need to steep for only two or
three minutes.
Don't rely on the color as your guide.
If you'd like to add milk to your tea, pour
it into your teacup, just before the tea is
ready.
Add sugar, honey, or lemon later, but never
all together—lemon will curdle milk.
Step 7.
When steeping is complete, remove the infuser
basket or teabags from the pot and serve.
If you used loose leaf tea, place a strainer
over your teacup before pouring, then decant
any leftover tea into a second teapot to avoid
oversteeping.
Did you know Black tea leaves are fermented,
green teas aren't, oolong teas are partially,
and herb teas, well, aren't tea at all, but
fragrant blends of herbs, spices, and flowers.
