How to Make Tea

A well-brewed hot cup of tea can warm the heart and soul of any tea lover, but an improperly brewed cup of tea can turn out to be bitter or disappointingly tasteless. Fortunately, it is not difficult to make a good cup of tea. Choose the type of tea you want to brew and the form of loose leaf tea or filter bag. Heat the water and pour into the tea. Wait for the tea to infuse for the right amount of time for each type of tea, then filter out the tea grounds. You can enjoy pure hot tea or add milk and sugar.

Table of Contents

Heat the water

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Pour clean water into the kettle. If you just want to make a cup of tea, fill the kettle with one-and-a-half times the amount of water needed for a cup of tea. If making a teapot, you should fill the kettle with water. This is to reduce the loss of evaporative water. To keep the best tea taste, you need to use unboiled water.

Use a kettle with a boiling water alarm or use an electric kettle that automatically turns off when the water boils.

Improvisation: If you don’t have a kettle, you can use a saucepan. Heat the water over high heat until the water reaches the desired temperature.

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Heat the water to the right temperature. Water that is too hot can ruin the flavor of some teas, so be sure to heat the water to the right temperature for the type of tea you’re brewing. You can measure with a thermometer or pay attention when boiling water to know when to turn off the stove. Suitable temperatures for teas are as follows: ^{[1] X Research Source}

White tea: 74 degrees Celsius, or when hot water is old
Green tea: 77 degrees C – 85 degrees C or when steam starts to come out of the kettle faucet
Black tea: 96 degrees Celsius, or after letting the boiling water cool for about 1 minute

Heat a cup of water in the microwave if you don’t have a kettle or stove. Although water will heat more evenly when heated in a kettle or saucepan on the stovetop, you can also heat water in the microwave by filling the cup 3/4 full with water and inserting an ice cream stick or wooden skewer into the cup. . Heat the water for 1 minute or until the water starts to bubble. ^{[2] X Research Source}

The wooden stick will prevent the water from overheating and possibly exploding.

Pour some water into the teapot or cup to preheat. If you pour hot water into a kettle or cold cup, the temperature of the water will drop significantly and the tea will not infuse properly. Rinse the teapot by filling it with hot water 1/4 or 1/2 full of the teapot or cup. Let stand for 30 seconds, then pour out. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step, but the tea will be hotter and tastier if you rinse the teapot with hot water.

Make tea

Place tea leaves or tea bags in a cup or teapot. If making tea bags, you need to use 1 tea bag for each cup of tea brewed in the kettle, or put 1 tea bag in a separate cup of brewed tea. With loose leaf tea, you should use 1 tablespoon (2 g) of tea for each cup of tea you want to brew. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Feel free to add more tea if you prefer a stronger tea.

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Pour hot water into the tea. Carefully pour the water into the kettle or cup. If using a cup, fill it about 3/4 full to allow room for more milk. If making loose leaf tea in a kettle, you should pour 180 ml of water for each cup of tea. For tea bags brewed in a kettle, the amount of water will be 1 cup (240 ml) of water per tea bag.

If you make loose leaf tea in a cup, you should put the tea in a tea strainer bag or place a strainer in the cup before you add the tea and pour the water so that it can be removed later.
Consider measuring the water a few times in advance when using the teapot, gradually you can judge by eye as you get used to making tea with the kettle.

Brew tea for the right amount of time needed for each type of tea. If it is loose tea, the tea leaves will expand when soaked in water. If you use tea bags, you will see the water begin to change color, unless you use white tea. Tea brewing time for each type is as follows: ^{[5] X Research Source}

1-3 minutes for green tea
2 – 5 minutes for white tea
2-3 minutes for oolong tea
4 minutes for black tea
3 – 6 minutes for herbal tea

Do you know? The longer the tea is brewed, the stronger it is. You can use a spoon to taste the tea to avoid steeping for too long, making the tea more acrid than desired.

Strain the tea leaves or remove the tea bags. If using tea bags, lift the tea bags and wait for the tea to drip into the cup or teapot. If using loose leaf tea, you can remove the tea strainer bag or place the strainer over the rim of the cup and pour the tea into the sieve. Leave the tea grounds to brew again or throw away.

Use tea bags or tea grounds as compost after making the tea.

Drink tea

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Drink pure hot tea to enjoy the characteristic flavor of tea. If you really love the taste of tea, you should not add sugar, milk or lemon to the tea. This is especially important if you drink white, green or herbal tea, as the milky taste will drown out the mild flavor of the tea.

Lower quality teas (usually in the form of a filter bag) may taste better with added milk or sweetener.

Add milk to black tea for a richer taste. Traditionally, milk was only added to black tea, such as breakfast tea. There is no right or wrong way to drink tea with milk, so you can pour the milk into the cup before or after you pour the tea. Stir gently and place the spoon on the plate next to the teacup. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

You may be asked if you want to put cream in your tea, but avoid full-fat or half-and-half cream. The high fat content will drown out the flavor of the tea.

Stir honey or sugar into the tea to sweeten it. If you don’t like the taste of pure tea, you can add a little sugar, honey or your favorite sweetener to the tea. For example, you can use stevia, agave syrup, or flavored syrups, such as vanilla syrup. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Indian chai tea (masala chai) is often sweetened with sugar or brown sugar.
Honey is a great choice for sweetening green or white tea.

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Add more lemon, ginger or mint if you like the tea with a more refreshing taste. Try squeezing some fresh lemon juice or sprigs of fresh mint into the tea. If you like a slightly spicy taste, you can add a thin slice of fresh ginger. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

If you want more intense flavor, add a cinnamon stick to the tea.

Tip: Since citrus can cause milk to curdle, you should avoid adding lemons to your tea if you have already added milk.

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Chill tea to make iced tea . If you prefer to drink cold tea, put the tea in the fridge until it is really cold, then put ice cubes in the cup and pour the tea in. Enjoy iced tea before the ice melts.

You can make iced tea with any type of tea. Try making sweetened iced tea with black tea or hibiscus (hibiscus) herbal tea.

Choose tea to brew

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Choose black tea for a rich drink that’s not overpowered by milky flavors or sweeteners. For smoky black tea, you should buy Chanh Son Tieu Chung (Lapsang Souchong) tea. If you like a strong malt flavor, choose Assam tea. If you want to drink tea with milk or sugar, you can buy tea for breakfast or drink every day. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Look for flavored black teas like Earl Gray tea, Lady Gray tea, or Indian chai tea for floral, citrus, or spicy flavors.

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Choose green tea if you prefer a mild, rustic taste. Green tea contains less caffeine than black tea and has a more subtle flavor. If you prefer tea without added milk or sweeteners, try drinking green tea to discover its ethereal flavor. ^{[10] X Research Source}

If you are interested in green tea, you can learn how to make matcha tea. Matcha is a finely ground green tea commonly used in the Japanese tea ceremony.

Tip: If you like drinking black or green tea, try oolong tea. This tea has been oxidized like black tea, but it has not been processed so it still retains its grassy flavor.

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Choose white tea for a milder taste and less caffeine. White tea is the least oxidized and contains very little caffeine. Choose this tea if you like a mellow tea that is easy to drink without adding sweeteners or other flavors. ^{[11] X Research Source}

White tea is minimally processed, so it’s usually sold as loose leaves instead of bags.

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Look for herbal teas if you want to avoid caffeine. If you care about caffeine or just want to try a tea with a subtle flavor, choose a few herbal teas to try. Traditional Peppermint Tea keeps you healthy and awake whether it’s hot or cold; Chamomile tea is famous for its soothing properties. ^{[12] X Research Source}

South African red tea (Rooibos) is also a popular tea, often ground with dried fruit or vanilla.

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Decide whether to choose loose leaf tea or tea bags. Choose loose leaf tea if you love high quality tea that can be brewed over and over again. This tea is left whole when dried, and the leaves will expand when brewed in hot water. If you want more convenience, you can buy tea that is chopped and divided into portions in a filter bag. However, tea bags can only be brewed once. ^{[13] X Research Source}

If you want to use high-quality tea bags, you should choose a tea bag with a pyramid shape so that the tea leaves expand as the tea is brewed. If you can’t find this type of tea, you can look for a round filter bag containing chopped tea.

Do you know? The most common tea bags come in the form of a square attached to a string with a label. Although easy to buy, tea bags often contain only low-quality powdered and shredded tea.

Advice

Clean teapots and kettles regularly to prevent mineral deposits.
Store tea in an airtight container to limit exposure to oxygen, light, and moisture. You should choose the type of box that does not affect the taste of the tea. ^{[14] X Research Source}
At high altitudes, the low boiling point of water makes it difficult to brew teas that require high heat, such as black tea. You may have to boil the water longer.

Warning

Always be careful when boiling and pouring water, to avoid splashing water on people causing burns.

Things you need

Measuring spoon or electronic scale
Teapot
Teacup
Timing clock
Spoon
Strainer, optional

Steps