A good cup of hot tea can warm the heart and soul of aficionados of this drink, but certain rules must be followed to prevent the tea from tasting too weak or bitter. Fortunately, these are very simple and clear steps. The first thing to do is to decide what kind of tea you want to use and if you prefer it in leaves or in sachets. After you have made your choice, heat the water and pour it over the tea, then let the leaves or sachet steep for as long as necessary (depending on the variety of tea). Add milk or sugar to taste and enjoy your hot cup of tea.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Choosing the Tea Variety
Step 1. Choose a black tea if you want it to have an intense flavor that predominates over the milk or the ingredient you will use to sweeten it
If you like black tea with a smoky flavor, opt for the Lapsang Souchong variety. If you prefer a tea with notes of malt and tobacco, use the Assam variety. If you intend to add milk or sugar, you can use a blend of Indian black teas, such as the classic English breakfast.
If you want to savor a tea with floral, spicy or citrus notes, you can try the Earl Gray, Lady Gray varieties or make a masala chai
Step 2. Choose green tea for a lighter, slightly bitter taste
It contains less caffeine than black tea and has a milder flavor. If you like to drink tea without adding milk or sugar, you will be able to detect the subtle nuances of its taste.
If you like green tea, find out how to make matcha tea. It is stone ground and is considered the king of green teas, in fact it is used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony
Suggestion:
if you like both black and green tea, you can try the Oolong variety. It is a type of oxidized tea like black tea, but being less processed it has a more herbaceous taste.
Step 3. Try white tea which has a mild flavor and low caffeine content
It is the least oxidized and contains very little caffeine. It is the ideal choice if you are looking for a smooth-tasting tea that can be drunk easily even without adding milk or a sweetener.
Since it undergoes minimal processing, white tea is generally sold in leaves while it is difficult to find it in bags
Step 4. Make herbal tea instead of tea if you want to avoid caffeine
If you are looking to reduce your caffeine consumption or if you simply want to try a different taste, you can choose from the many herbs suitable for preparing an herbal tea. You can opt for a mint tea to drink hot or cold, depending on the season, or for a classic warm chamomile that promotes sleep and relaxation.
Rooibos, or African red tea, is made from the dried leaves of the plant and the blend is often enriched with dried exotic fruit and vanilla
Step 5. Choose whether to use tea leaves or tea bags
If you are looking for a high-quality tea that you can infuse multiple times, buy it in leaves. The tea leaves are dried whole and you will see them open and expand when steeped in boiling water. If, on the other hand, you prefer comfort, buy tea bags, where the leaves have been cut and divided into portions. Unfortunately, the sachets can only be used once.
There is a compromise between comfort and quality: pyramid-shaped sachets that allow the tea to expand during the infusion. If you can't find them, you can look for the round shaped one where the tea leaves are cut very finely
Did you know that?
The most popular type of sachet is square in shape and comes with a cotton thread and a label. Although they are the most popular sachets, they generally contain a low quality tea whose leaves are crushed or pulverized.
Part 2 of 4: Heat the water
Step 1. Put the water in the kettle
If you want to make tea directly in your cup, use about one and a half times the amount of water you need to fill the cup. If, on the other hand, you want to make tea in a teapot to serve it to your family too, fill the kettle completely. Some of the water will evaporate as it boils. Remember that the first rule of getting a good cup of tea is not to use the water you have already boiled.
If you use a cooker kettle you will hear it whistling as the water starts to boil. If you use an electric kettle instead, it will turn itself off as soon as the water reaches a boil
Variant:
if you don't have a kettle, pour the water into a saucepan or saucepan. Heat it over a high flame until it reaches the correct temperature.
Step 2. The water temperature varies according to the type of tea
Since too hot it can damage more delicate blends, it is important to know the tea variety. You can measure the water temperature with a kitchen thermometer or you can pay attention as it heats to know when it's time to turn off the fire or electric kettle. Based on the following guidelines:
- White tea: turn off the stove or kettle when the water reaches 74 ° C or becomes hot to the touch;
- Green tea: turn off the stove or kettle when the water reaches 77-85 ° C or as soon as you see the steam rising;
- Black tea: Turn off the stove or kettle when the water reaches 96 ° C or let it cool for a minute after it reaches a boil.
Step 3. Heat the water in the microwave if you don't have a kettle
It would be better to use a stove or electric kettle where the water heats up more evenly, but you can pour it directly into a microwave-safe cup if needed. Fill the cup about ¾ of its capacity and add a wooden stick (the ones you use to make popsicles or skewers). Heat the water in the microwave for one minute or until it begins to boil.
The wooden stick is to prevent the water from overheating and causing an explosion
Step 4. Pour some water into the teapot or cup to heat it
If you pour the tea water directly into the cold teapot or cup, it will cool down and negatively affect the brewing process. For this reason, it is best to heat the teapot or cup by filling it one-quarter or one-half with boiling water. Wait 30 seconds and then empty them from the water.
If you are in a hurry, you can skip this step, but by heating the cup or teapot you will ensure the best result in terms of the taste and temperature of the tea
Part 3 of 4: Infusing the tea
Step 1. Infuse the tea bag or leaves
If you have decided to use tea bags, you will need one for each person. If you want to use leaf tea, put about a tablespoon (2 g) per person directly into the cup or into the teapot.
You can increase the doses if you want the tea to have a very strong and intense taste
Step 2. Pour the boiling water over the tea
Carefully pour it into the teapot or cup. In the first case, use about 180 ml of water for each diner if it is leaf tea or 250 ml if you are using tea bags. If, on the other hand, you are drinking tea alone, fill your cup about three-quarters of its capacity to make room for the milk.
- If you want to use loose leaf tea directly in your cup, it's best to put them in an infuser. Alternatively, you can place a colander on the cup and put the leaves in it before adding the water.
- The first few times you prepare tea it is best to measure out the water with a liquid dispenser. Over time you will memorize the quantities and it will no longer be necessary.
Step 3. The brewing time varies according to the type of tea
If you use the leaves, once placed in the water they will unroll and expand. If you use tea bags, you will see that the water will start to change color, unless it is white tea. Adopt the following guidelines:
- Green tea: 1 to 3 minutes of infusion;
- White tea: infusion for 2 to 5 minutes;
- Oolong tea: 2 to 3 minutes of infusion;
- Black tea: 4 minutes of infusion;
- Herbal teas: infusion from 3 to 6 minutes.
Did you know that?
The longer the brewing time, the stronger the tea will taste. Use a spoon to taste it so you don't risk it becoming bitter.
Step 4. Drain the leaves or remove the sachets
If you have used tea bags, simply lift them from the cup or teapot and let them drain for a few moments so as not to waste a drop of tea. If you used the leaves instead, lift the infuser or place a colander on the cups before pouring the tea if your teapot does not have a filter. Save the tea leaves for another brew or throw them away.
Place the leaves or tea bags in the compost bin when you're done using them
Part 4 of 4: Serve the Tea
Step 1. Drink hot tea without additions to fully savor its taste
If you want to really appreciate the flavor, don't add milk, sugar or lemon. Especially if it is green, white or herbal tea, milk can cover up the delicate taste.
Conversely, low-quality teas generally sold in sachets can benefit from the addition of milk, lemon, or a sweetener
Step 2. Add milk to black tea if you want to make it creamier
Traditionally black tea is the only one to which milk is added, for example to the English breakfast blend. There is no rule that defines when it is best to add milk, you can pour it into the cup either before or after tea. Then mix gently and then place the spoon on the saucer next to the cup.
On some occasions they may offer you to add cream, but it is better to refuse and ask for milk. The reason is that due to the high fat content, the cream tends to cover the taste of the tea
Step 3. Add honey or sugar to sweeten the tea
If it seems too bitter when plain, you can use a small amount of sugar, honey, or your favorite sweetener to soften the taste. In addition to the more classic choices you can use stevia, agave syrup or a flavored syrup, for example vanilla.
- Generally masala chai is sweetened with granulated sugar or cane sugar.
- Honey is best suited for sweetening white tea or green tea.
Step 4. You can use lemon, ginger or mint to enhance the taste of the tea
Try squeezing a lemon wedge into the cup or adding a couple of sprigs of fresh mint. If you love spicy flavors, you can use a thin slice of ginger.
Add a cinnamon stick to the cup to make the tea more beautiful to look at as well as tastier
Suggestion:
Since lemon juice can cause milk to curdle, it is best to use one ingredient or the other.
Step 5. Put the tea in the refrigerator if you like to drink it cold
If you like to cool off with a glass of iced tea during the summer, put it in the refrigerator and let it cool for a long time. Put the ice in the glass before pouring the iced tea and drink it before the cubes melt.
Any type of tea can be drunk cold. Use black tea if you want to sweeten it, or try using carcade, also known as hibiscus tea
Advice
- Wash your teapot and kettle often to remove mineral deposits.
- Store the tea in an airtight container to limit exposure to air, light, and moisture. Use a container made of a material that does not affect the taste of the tea.
- If you live at high altitudes, the boiling temperature of the water changes and can affect the brewing process of some tea varieties. For example, black tea requires water to reach 96 ° C. You will have to wait longer for the water to start boiling.
