How to Make a Perfect Pot of Tea
January 12, 2011
To celebrate National Hot Tea Month, I thought I would share some tips on brewing up the most perfectly perfect pot of tea.
First things first: Make sure your tea is fresh. Yes, tea does have a lifespan. Black teas–if stored in a cool, dry, airtight space–may last you for years, but white and green teas will likely lose its appeal after a few months. Trust your palette.
Then follow these steps for a perfect pot of tea:
1. Boil water in a kettle. Just because you can boil water in a microwave, doesn’t mean you should. At least not for tea.
2. Warm your teapot by filling it with hot water, leaving the water in the teapot while you’re boiling the water for your tea.
3. Boil enough water to fill your teapot and then set it aside.
4. Empty the “warming” water from your teapot, through the spout. This will ensure that the entire teapot is warmed up and ready for your tea.
5. Place tea into the teapot. You can use teabags (Earl Grey or Orange Pekoe are favorites) or one of the many unique blends of loose tea. If you’re using tea bags, pop the teabags into the pot and let them sit for 30 seconds before pouring water over them. This will release some of the flavor and oils into the pot.
6. Next, pour the hot water from the kettle over the tea and replace the lid. Let your tea steep for 3 – 5 minutes.
7. Take tea bags out, put the lid back on the pot, and cover the pot with a tea cozy.
8. If you’re adding milk to your tea, warm the milk first – so that it doesn’t cool your tea – and pour into teacup BEFORE you add the hot tea. Add sugar if needed.
9. Enjoy!
Bonus Tip
Every tea family has a optimum steeping temperature and brewing time. Here’s a simple guide to the four tea families:
- Black tea: 4-5 minutes at 212° F
- Oolong tea: 2-4 minutes at 195°-205° F
- Green tea: 2-4 minutes at 175° F
- White tea: 3-5 minutes at 165° F
And Now, Some Tea Trivia
To kick the tea celebration up a notch – and test your knowledge on tea– see how many of the following tea trivia questions you can answer correctly.
1. What famous tea party was held in the U.S. in 1773?
2. What popular tea is named after a British Royal?
3. What temperature should be used to brew green tea?
4. Afternoon tea is also known by another name. What is that name?
5. What is the Chinese method of stopping oxidation when processing tea leaves?
6. What is a Japanese tea ceremony?
7. What is referred to as the champagne of tea?
Share your answers in the comments below and be sure to drop by next week to find out all the answers!
image: yakubovich
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