When you’re craving a cozy cup of tea, it’s easy to quickly heat some water, drop in your tea sachet and enjoy. Sometimes, though, the tea is very delicate and it can end up being a little too strong or bitter. It comes as no surprise, we are tea fans here at L&V, so we set out to discover some tips for steeping the perfect cup. These steps may take a bit more time, but we love the idea of slowing down, relaxing, and creating a ritual around tea time. Here are our three steps to perfectly steeped tea:
We’ve included five tea types here, but there are many more to choose from! The most popular types are: green, white, oolong, black, and herbal. Black tea and oolong are the strongest in flavor and more caffeinated than others. White and herbal teas have lighter flavors and less caffeine while green tea has amazing health benefits. You can find tea sachets in most every type, but try experimenting with using loose, full leaf teas. These are often preferred since tea leaves need room to expand for full-bodied flavor.
Once you decide on a type of tea, it’s time to heat your water! Each type of leaf varies in delicacy and requires different temperatures for that optimal cup! You could use a Keurig, but not all machines will provide the right temperature of hot water. Take it back to the old-fashioned way of boiling water in a kettle on a stove and use a candy thermometer to make sure it’s at the right temperature. If you don’t want to use a candy thermometer, you can judge the water based on its boiling point and the activity of the water. This article has great tips for determining when the water temperature is reached. The temperatures below are all Fahrenheit.
Once the water is at the right temperature, drop your tea in a cup and pour the water in. You can drop the tea sachet in after you pour the water, but we’re taking a tip from the Brits, who do the opposite! Then, let the water and tea steep! Below you’ll find the right steeping time for each tea type.
Once you’re finished, you can press a tea spoon against the sachet to get the water out and remove it from your cup. If you’re using loose tea, simply strain into your cup or remove the strainer. Add whatever flavorings you desire: cream, honey, brown sugar, sugar cubes- and enjoy!
We hope you learned something new with this little guide! We’re off to enjoy a nice cup of perfectly steeped tea!
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