How to brew tea-instructions and tips for brewing all types of tea

The Tea Detective
Uncovering and Exploring the Facts About Tea

How to Brew The Perfect
Pot of Tea the First Time, Every Time

In today's helter-skelter, hurry up world, the timeless tradition of tea drinking
draws us back to another era, a time of grace and charm, when communicating
was done face to face in ones drawing room or parlor.

It was a time for people to stop
their daily chores and relax for a
bit, sit down and chat, sharing
the important news of the day
with one another while enjoying a spot of tea and
a snack. Tea time was Twitter, E-mail, Facebook,
and MySpace of old.

Consider the fact that tea drinking goes back
centuries, each with its own unique stamp on our
history, making us who we are today-these whirl-
wind creatures rushing relentlessly through each
day, before falling exhausted into bed at night.

Then, after only a few hours of downtime we start
the whole process over again.

So, while it's hardly something I can add to the instructions, take a little time to enjoy the
process of brewing tea. Slow down just enough to enjoy the nuances of preparation. And,
although tea may seem a simple, ordinary task, the timelessness of it is far from it.

How to Brew Tea

What you will need:

A tea kettle to boil water (stainless steel or enamel over

steel is best. Never use aluminum.

Loose leaf tea or tea bags
Teapot and teacups
An infuser or strainer (optional)
Good tasting cold water (if your tap water tastes bad,

use filtered or bottled water.

Fill the tea kettle with cold water, using one cup of water for
every cup of tea, plus one cup to pre-warm the teapot.

Heat water as follows:
For Black Tea - bring water to a rolling boil. Be careful not to over boil the water.
This depletes the water of necessary oxygen needed to release flavors while steeping.

For Oolong Tea - stop just short of a rolling boil.

For delicate White and Green Teas - these teas require less heat. Bring
water to pre-boiling, when air bubbles are just beginning to form.

Preheat the teapot with hot water from the tea kettle. Swirl around
and then discard.

For each cup of tea served, add one rounded teaspoon of loose tea (or one tea bag)
to teapot.

Pour boiling water into teapot directly over tea leaves, and steep. Below are some general
guidelines for steeping times.* If using an infuser, remove after steeping, or use a strainer
for the tea leaves.

Steeping Times*

Black tea - steep for approximately 3 - 5 minutes
Green tea - steep for 1 to 3 minutes
Oolong tea - steep for 3 to 7 minutes
White tea - steep anywhere from 1 to 8 minutes
Herbal teas - steep for 5 to 7 minutes

*Steeping times listed above are general guidelines, especially for white teas. Ask your tea
retailer for recommendations when purchasing teas. Your best bet is to experiment with
steeping times, and adjust them to your own personal tastes. Some people like their tea
stronger, others weaker, so your own palate is your best guide.

Feel free to experiment with different teas and blends. Once you get the brewing techniques
down pat, it's fun to try different types and flavors of tea. Many teas are good both hot and
cold. You'll be surprised at how good they taste either way, so don't limit yourself to just one
or the other.

With so many different teas available, you could try a new one every day for a year without
exhausting the offerings, so get out there and try something new. And whatever you choose,
have fun with it. Enjoy.