The Everyday Tea DrinkerGuide To Good Taste On A Budget
If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you. ~Gladstone, 1865
I dedicate this page to all who understand the joy of a good cup of tea.
Hot Tea
I have discovered that how you brew your tea really does make a difference in how it will taste. I used to put a tea bag in a cup of water and shove it in the microwave. Do not do this. It makes a bitter cup of tea.
For black tea, the tea bag should be placed in a cup and boiling water poured over it. When the tea reaches the proper strength, remove the bag. Leaving it in will again result in a bitter taste, especially towards the end of the cup. Do not over boil, as this will take the oxygen out of the water producing a flat tasting tea. For green tea the water should be just below the boiling point when used. When brewing white tea, the water should be slightly cooler. Experiment with times and temperatures and see what you think works best.
For a proper cup of tea, many believe one must use loose leaf tea. I do not see it as mandatory but do feel it often adds to the occasion making it more memorable. To get started try using the equivalent amount of tea found in a generous size tea bag - which to my tastes is about 2 grams. This works out to approximately one rounded (not heaping) teaspoon. Adjust the amount and steeping time to suit your tastes.
Many people preheat their cup and the teapot before brewing. I used to think this was just part of the ritual to prepare the mind to make the experience more enjoyable or special. There is a real reason why some preheat. It is said to prevent the water from cooling too quickly while steeping. Maybe I am depriving myself but I personally have not found preheating to be necessary. Your mileage may vary.
I have been told the British consider an electric kettle to be as indispensable as the American percolator. In the U.S. it is easy to find a decent electric coffee pot. It is a little more difficult to find a quality kettle for a proper cup of tea. A stainless or ceramic stovetop kettle can be found at a relatively reasonable price. An electric version of the same can be very pricey. The cheaper ones will probably be plastic. Unless you drink strictly black tea, the kettle needs to have an adjustable thermostat and that is difficult to find. White and green tea should use water below the boiling point. A non-thermostat equipped kettle makes that pretty difficult.
Since the experts say not to boil the water in the microwave with or without the tea bag it makes it a little more difficult to enjoy tea at the office. I use a “Sunbeam Hot Shot” hot water dispenser. It brings the water to just below boiling, which works well enough with the teas I enjoy that I am satisfied with the result. The down side to this unit is the on button is plastic. I have had it for several years because I baby it but it is plastic. The ideal for me would be finding an electric kettle with a variable thermostat that heats 16 oz of water at a time. Such a small kettle doesn’t seem to exist. The Hot Shot is an acceptable substitute.
You could do like my son and use a coffee maker. If you are sharing then a pot makes great sense. The problem for me is I am the only one drinking tea at the office. Once you make a pot of tea it gets cold before you can drink it unless you leave it turned on. If you leave it on, the water evaporates making the tea less than perfect. Even if you just heat the water and then pour it over the tea bag by the time you get around to the second or third cup the water has evaporated the oxygen out of it. This is why I prefer to heat one cup at a time. It only takes a few seconds and is always fresh.
I prefer to allow my tea to cool after brewing until it is just warm. I think the flavor and aromas are much more defined than in an extremely hot cup.
Home
Loose leaf or bags?
Tea Storage
Iced Tea
Hot Tea
Acid Reflux and Tea
Tea Reviews
Tea Links
