Methods of Infusing Show External Strainer Using an external strainer is the most effective method for herbals, which should steep for five minutes or longer. You can leave your herbal infusions to steep as you wish, and avoid loose leaves and botanicals in your cup when you pour. If you're making black, green, oolong or white tea, make sure not to over steep your tea by serving the tea following the recommended steep time. Internal Infuser Many teapots can be outfitted with an infuser which fits nicely inside your teapot. When using an internal infuser, ensure that you follow the steeping times recommended for the tea you’ve selected, to avoid over-steeping. Tea-to Go Filter Tea-to-go filters offer a convenient option for blends such as chamomile and rooibos, which feature fine botanicals that can be more difficult to clean from other types of infusers. Teabags You can use any of your favorite teabags in a teapot which allows for easy removal. TEA STORAGE 101 Store tea and herbs in a cool, dark, and dry (low humidity) place. Proper storage of tea lowers the deterioration rate of the fragile essential oils – hot, humid conditions with exposure to UV destroys tea. Once opened, we recommend consuming the tea within the year.
What you’ll need:
1. Gather your toolsBefore you begin making a cup of tea, it’s a good idea to assemble everything you need. This includes the loose leaf tea you’d like to drink, your mug, cup, or pot, your infuser or filter, and your tea kettle. If you don’t have some of these items, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to make loose leaf tea just using items you probably already have in your kitchen. 2. Heat your waterYou should fill your kettle with cold, filtered water and turn it on. If you don’t have a stovetop or electric tea kettle, you can also heat up water using a pot on the stove. In a pinch, you can even heat up hot water in the microwave. The proper tea brewing temperature can range anywhere from 140 degrees for speciality green teas to 212 degrees (a full boil) for black and herbal teas, with plenty of gradations in between. Water temperature is one of the most important elements of properly prepared cup of loose leaf tea. If you use water that is too hot, you could burn the tea leaves, while using water that is too cool can make your tea seem weak and bland. The water temperature can also influence the caffeine content in tea. Using water that is the perfect temperature for your tea is a great way to ensure a tasty cup. That said, you don’t necessarily need any fancy equipment like an electric kettle with a temperature control. While these devices are handy, people have been brewing tea without them for hundreds of years. You can also simply pay close attention to the water in your kettle as it warms; depending on the type of tea, it may be ready when it first starts to steam, when it’s steaming briskly, or when it has reached a full boil. Water temperature guidelines
3. Measure your tea leavesWhile heating your water, you should place an infuser or tea filter into your pot or cup and measure tea leaves into it. In general, we recommend using one teaspoon of loose leaf tea per six ounces of water. However, that’s not a hard and fast rule. For some especially “fluffy” herbal or white teas, you might want to use a heaping teaspoon instead of a flat teaspoon. If you like your tea a little stronger, you may also want to use more tea leaves. Keep in mind that measuring tea leaves isn’t an exact science; feel free to eyeball it or use whatever spoon you have on hand. Once you’ve been making loose leaf tea for a little while, you’ll get a better sense of the amount of tea leaves you need depending on how strong you like your tea. Tea measurement guidelines
4. Steep your teaOnce your water has reached the desired temperature, the next step is to infuse your tea leaves. We always recommend pouring hot water over tea leaves, rather than spooning tea leaves into hot water. Pouring water over the leaves helps to ensure that every part of the leaf is saturated, which makes for more flavorful tea. How long you should steep your tea will depend on what type of tea it is. Some teas should only be infused for a minute or two, while others can be infused for up to ten minutes. To get the steep time just right for your cup of tea, we recommend timing your brew. You can use a timer on your phone, a clock, or even a designated tea timer. Once you get the hang of infusing tea, you can also just estimate times based on your personal preference. Tea steep time guidelines
5. Remove your tea leaves and enjoy!Once your tea is done steeping, you should remove the tea leaves from your pot or cup and enjoy your tea. If you prepared your tea in a pot or cup without an infuser, it’s a good idea to strain the tea and decant it into another vessel to prevent it from becoming too strong. Tea preparation chart
Two experts spill the tea on making the perfect brew. - by Tahni Mesann
Here’s a bit of trivia for you: Each week, about 75% of Australians over the age of 14 will pick up a hot beverage such as tea, coffee or hot chocolate. The study, which was conducted by Roy Morgan, also found that 47.6% of those people say tea is their drink of choice - which means knowing how to brew the perfect pot of tea is a must. Master Tea Blender for Twinings, Philippa Thacker, says brewing tea properly boils down to a few simple steps like paying close attention to ratios, water temperature and brewing times. Likewise, Anthia Koullouros, founder of Apotheca by Anthia, agrees but emphasises the importance of starting with a good quality tea or tisane,“I like using real, natural ingredients to get the desired flavour. After all, tea is therapeutic and should be good for you.”
“Go with the one-teabag-per-person rule or, if you’re making your drink in a teapot, a rounded teaspoon per person plus one for the pot,” says Philippa. “If you are using a pot, clean it with warm soapy water after every use. Just make sure it’s rinsed thoroughly so it doesn’t contaminate the next.” “Broadly speaking, black tea needs at least three minutes to allow the flavour to be optimally extracted,” says Philippa. “With green tea, it depends on whether you’re using teabags or loose tea – I’d normally brew the former for one or two minutes and the latter for three or four minutes. For all loose teas, give them plenty of room to unfurl and release the full taste.” Specialty teas that include hardy barks, chips, seeds, pods and thick leaves may require a longer steeping time, says Anthia, adding “Fine, soft, florals and leaves require a shorter steep time.”
“Milk first or last is an age-old debate! I’m firmly in the ‘milk first’ camp, but just use a tiny amount as I find this stops a film forming on top of the tea and doesn’t restrict the brewing process too much,” says Philippa. “Once you’ve steeped your tea, simply top up with the desired amount of milk, says Philippa. “As for sugar? I’m not a big fan, although it can enhance the flavour of spiced teas such as chai,” she says. Anthia recommends steeping tea in a tea pot that is easy to clean and using a hard, stainless-steel infuser, rather than a basket or mesh type of strainer. “They are hard to clean and leave ingredients behind which can taint the flavour of your next tea,” she says, adding, “I use separate tea pots for black teas and herbal tisanes.” Philippa agrees. “I’m a firm believer that the better the quality of material used to make the drinking vessel, the better your taste experience,” she says, adding that her favourite type of cup to drink from is one that is made from porcelain.
With a sleek, matte black exterior, this is not your grandmother’s teapot. The stoneware construction means your freshly brewed tea will stay hotter for longer and feel durable enough to use on a daily basis.
Loose leaf tea can degrade if exposed to too much light and air. Keep your precious tea leaves fresher for longer by investing in a set of good quality containers. At only $2.99 a pop, these black tea tins from IKEA are not only affordable, but will look excellent displayed proudly in an organised pantry, or on your kitchen benchtop as part of a tea and coffee nook.
The key to a perfect brew is using water that’s at just the right temperature. This retro-inspired kettle from Smeg can be set to heat the water to the temperature you want, with variable settings between 50 - 100 degrees celsius. With a soft-opening lid, stainless-steel body and washable stainless steel limescale filter, this kettle is made to last the distance.
Add a touch of elegance to your loose leaf tea game with this gold-rimmed tea strainer and matching tray from Wedgwood. Made from Fine Bone China, it is dishwasher safe and sure to become a treasured piece in your tea-brewing collection.
Inviting your friends over for a cup of tea can sound a little formal. Bring a splash of fun and colour to the occasion with this everyday set of contemporary yellow teacups by Salt & Pepper.
This tea blends traditional Chinese black tea with black tea grown in the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland. Inspired by the Australian bush, brew it strong to enjoy the full aroma which contains hints of smoke, eucalyptus and lemon myrtle.
Wake up and smell the flowers, or citrus, in the case of this limited edition brew by small batch tea producer, Apotheca by Anthia. Made from an invigorating blend of Australian lemon-scented tea tree, Australian orange, Australian mandarin and Orange Pekoe black ceylon tea, this tea will ensure you start your day right.
Enjoy a soothing cuppa on-the-go with a handy thermal tea infuser like this one by the folks at Tea Tonic. Fitted with a stainless steel tea infuser basket, you can brew your tea directly in the flask and keep it hot for up to six hours.
Make sure you’ve got everyone’s favourite brew sorted. This classic tea chest by Twinings will make you look like the ultimate tea connoisseur with an exciting mix of black tea, green tea and other delectable infusions. |