Today we are going to show you how to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea in just a few simple steps.
If you have been drinking easy, convenient, portable teabags your entire life, it's time we flip your little world upside and introduce you to leaf tea.
Switching from the easy teabags you have known all your life to the extremely flavourful loose leaf tea can be daunting
With a basic understanding of how to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea with a very simple infusion method, it will make the switch is easy.
Here is a simple rundown to how to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea.
How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Loose Leaf Tea
Step One: Measure Your Loose Tea
Start by measuring your loose leaf tea. Generally, you should measure 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 8 oz cup of water.
If your tea tends to be a bit fluffier in nature, you may need to add as much as a tablespoon or more.
Look at the label on the back of your tea bag to find the exact suggested serving size per 8 oz cup.
If you want to get fancy and use a scale, weigh out 3 grams of tea for each cup.
Place the measured tea in an infuser or directly in your cup/teacup. Next place the infuser (if you are using one) in your cup/teapot.
Good quality tea is a rolled whole tea leaf. As the tea steeps, it will unfurl in the hot water and you should be able to see the entire leaf. Whole, loose leaf tea is the best tea to steep.
Step Two: Time to Heat the Water
Next, you are going to heat your water to the temperature suggested below.
You never want to use water that has been sitting overnight. Use fresh water whenever possible.
Water that has been left overnight may result in a flat or stale taste to your tea.
Whatever you do, do not overboil your water. It can leave an unwanted taste in your mouth.
Specific Water Temperatures for Loose Leaf Tea
- Black: 100°C
- Oolong: 90° C
- Green & White: 82° C
- Herbal: 100°C
If you do not have a thermometer, there are ways to tell if your water is at the right temperature.
For 82° C, watch for bubbles to form on the bottom of the pot. For the 90°C temperature, watch for the first bubbles begin to rise. And, for the 100°C temperature, watch for a full rolling boil.
Step Three: It's Time to Steep Your Tea
Once your water has heated to the perfect temperature, simply it over the tea-filled infuser. Make sure that the tea is covered completely with water.
At this point, you will want to steep the tea for the amount of time shown below.
Once you have steeped your tea for the right amount of time, remove the infuser.
Do not oversteep your tea. If you do, it can extract undesirable bitterness from the leaves. Whether you believe it or not, the steeping time matters!
If you prefer a stronger brew, the key is not to steep longer. You just want to use a little more tea.
Then you can just re-steep your tea leaves as desired. Many teas can be re-steeped multiple times!
Tip: when re-steeping your tea, add another minute to the steep time, this is because the tea needs longer to draw out the flavour.
Steeping Times for Tea
- Green & White: 2-3 minutes
- Black: 3-5 minutes
- Oolong: 4-7 minutes
- Herbal: 5-7 minutes
Step Four: Sweeten Your Tea and Enjoy!
To sweeten your tea, just add a few drops of lemon and some honey for an excellent flavour. You can also add some cream or a splash of milk if you prefer.
If you add milk, you should pour the warm milk into your teacup before adding the tea. Lemon can be added to tea after its poured. Usually, you do one or the other, and sugar can be added to either cup.
If you want to have another cup, pour more hot water into the teapot or your cup and set the timer again. For the second steep, add 1-2 more minutes.
With these steps, you’ll be able to brew the perfect cup of loose leaf tea each and every time.
