Brewing loose leaf tea is easy, and once you've tried it, it's hard to go back to teabags. The leaves have room to open up, so you get more flavour, and you can brew each tea just how it likes it. Here's everything you need to know.
What you need
- Loose leaf tea.
- Something to brew it in: an infuser in your mug, a teapot with a strainer, or a tea ball. (A free infuser comes in your first Blue Coffee Box tea box.) Our guide to the best tea infusers explains the options.
- A kettle: one with temperature settings is handy, but not essential.
Step 1: Measure your tea
Use about 1 teaspoon (2–3g) of loose leaf tea for a 250ml mug. Big, fluffy leaves and herbal blends are lighter, so you may need a heaped teaspoon or two. If you like your tea stronger, use a little more tea rather than brewing it for longer, which only makes it bitter.
Step 2: Heat the water
Use fresh water each time. Water that's been boiled again and again can make tea taste flat. Different teas like different temperatures: black and herbal teas need water just off the boil, but green tea turns bitter if the water is too hot.
No temperature kettle? Let the kettle stand for a couple of minutes after it boils for green tea, and about a minute for oolong.
Step 3: Brew
Pour the water over the leaves, making sure they're all covered, and set a timer. When it's ready, lift out the infuser or pour all the tea off the leaves, so it doesn't keep brewing and turn bitter.
Water temperatures and brewing times
- Black tea: 90–100°C, 3–5 minutes
- Green tea: 80–90°C, 2–5 minutes
- Oolong tea: 85–95°C, 3–5 minutes
- Herbal tea: 100°C, 3–5 minutes
- Fruit tea: 95–100°C, 3–10 minutes
- Rooibos: 90–100°C, 5–10 minutes
Every tea is a little different, so check the brewing guide that comes with it, and then adjust to your taste.
Step 4: Milk, lemon or neither
Black teas like a breakfast blend are lovely with a splash of milk; add it after brewing so you can judge the strength. Lighter teas, such as green, oolong and most herbal and fruit teas, are best on their own, or with a slice of lemon or a little honey.
Re-steep your leaves
One of the best things about loose leaf tea is that many teas can be brewed more than once. Green and oolong teas in particular often give two or three good cups from the same leaves. Just add a minute or so to the brewing time each time.
Want to know more? Read about the benefits of loose leaf tea and how to store loose leaf tea so it stays fresh.
Discover new teas every time
A Blue Coffee Box tea subscription brings rare and single-origin loose leaf teas through your letterbox, with a free infuser in the first box. From £9.99 with free UK delivery, and you can skip or cancel anytime.
