One Thing I Do a Lot of Is Making Tea As I Am English and That Is All We Do
Making tea may seem like something we all know how to do. If you read many books about tea you will invariably find different instructions in each. Everyone seems to have their own version of what way of brewing makes the best cup. The truth is that each cup can vary drastically in quality. The taste of each cup is based on the tea itself, the heat of the water, the steep time, and the preparation method used.
5 Steps To Making A Perfectly Decent Cup Of Tea
Depending on where you are from, you may have tea ceremonies that are a part of your culture. We won't be explaining any of the methods used in specific ceremonies at this time. These steps are not meant to be the be all and end all of brewing. They are meant more as a guideline to help you on your way to making a great pot. If you follow these steps as best you can, you will be well on your way to being an expert at making this relaxing beverage.
1. Choosing the tea:
Arguably the most important part of making tea is the kind and type you decide to use. The decision you make as to whether you will use white, green, oolong, or black is up to your taste preferences. The important part is whether you will use loose leaf or bagged. Bagged may be more convenient and often cheaper, but loose leaf is by far the better tea.
When shopping for loose leaf, you want to try to find an actual tea shop instead of a grocery store. The shop should have knowledgeable staff, preferably opaque containers, and no harsh lighting directly on their product. Make sure that when you buy your loose leaf you have it in an airtight container that will be stored in a cool dark place.
When trying to make a cuppa, you should have both a kettle and a pot. The kettle you use to heat the water and the pot you use to brew in. It is always best to use filtered water when you can.
While your water is heating in the kettle, you should swish hot water in your pot to warm it. Then, you should put the loose leaf in the infuser part of the pot. When your water is finished heating you should bring your pot to the kettle and poor the water in straight away.
3. Water temperatures:
When making tea, the water temperature should vary depending on what kind of tea you have. If you use too hot or too cold of water for your type of tea, you will make it too bitter or weak of a flavor.
Use this temperature chart to decide how hot you need to heat your water:
White or Green tea: 2 to 5 minutes at 165 to 175 degrees
Oolong tea: 4 to 7 minutes at 195 to 210 degrees
Black tea: 4 to 5 minutes at 212 degrees
4. The cup used:
Of course the teacup is a great cup to use, but some people are used to using coffee mugs. While coffee mugs do work, they can be so large that you will not be able to drink your entire cup before it gets cold. If you prefer to use a mug, try to find one that is taller than it is wide so that it can hold the heat.
5. Adding condiments to tea:
Often, tea enthusiasts will proclaim that tea is best drunk plain. Though tea is wonderful on its own, many people prefer adding sweetener, cream, or citrus to their tea. The best idea is to use enough additions to add to the tea's flavor without overwhelming it. Remember, the perfect cup of tea has a taste that you prefer, not what others prefer.
Following these 5 steps to making tea, will guide you on your way to becoming an expert. You now have the ability to amaze your friends and family with a relaxing and wonderful pot of tea.
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