Brewing Loose Leaf Tea

To brew a perfect cup of tea, follow these easy steps.

• Preheat your teapot by filling it with hot water.  Be sure to pour the hot water out, before adding the tea leaves.
• Add half of a teaspoon of tea leaves per cup.  You may add more depending on your personal taste.
• Bring your fresh, cold water to the desired temperature, depending on the variety of tea you are making, and pour it over the leaves.
• Infusion times can adjusted according to taste.
• If your cup of tea taste harsh or bitter or harsh it may have been brewed for too long.

 Important Tips

• Use more tea if a stronger tea is desired.
• For best results, use soft water.
• For loose leaf teas, a tea bag or strainer is needed.
• If you don't have a thermometer, water temperature can be read by checking the bubbles. Small bubbles float to the surface of the water at about 160-170F, and if you see strings of bubbles from the bottom of the kettle, the water is approximately at 180-190F. Anything after that will be at a full boil.
• Steeping times are only suggested, you may need to adjust depending on your taste.

Black Tea
Black tea is full bodied and will brew in boiling water and is typically steeped for 4-6 minutes.
Green Tea
Green tea is delicate and needs to be handled gently.  Brew at 150-160 F for only 2-4 minutes.
White Tea
White tea is delicate as well but the water can be a little warmer than for green tea, at 180F and it should steep for at least 4-6 minutes.
Oolong Tea
Oolong tea falls between green and black, the best brewing temperature is around 190F. But oolong tea will need to be steeped longer than black tea, for about 5-8 minutes.