Updated: 04/12/2020

How To Make A Cup Of Tea

No one makes tea as perfectly as the Brits do. Most people around the globe have mixed feelings about making the perfect cup of tea. While many prefer brewing their tea in teapots, several use teapot infusers. However, how do you know whether to pour boiling water over a teabag, or first pour the water in and then drop the bag? What is the correct time to let the tea seep before it turns overly bitter? We know of a lot of people who squeeze the tea bag over the cup once the tea is done infusing.

Most Britishers will tell you that there is a right way to do it, and a wrong way. The perfect cup of tea is light, mellow, at the ideal temperature and tastes just right. A wrongly made cup of tea is bitter, harsh, irritates the throat, and is often too cold or scalding. While each packet of tea comes with its own instruction based on the variety of tea used, people tend to ignore the process and follow their instincts. 

If you’re unsure of how to make a cup of tea, let us help you.

Choose a Tea that Fits your Mood: There are several fabulous tea brands available in the market. With never-ending flavours, textures, and types, you should select the best tea according to your mood. If you are experimenting with different teas, choose the basics first – black tea, lavender, earl grey, chamomile, and peppermint. You can select from any of these basic teas to get you started on your tea journey. 

Black teas are known to be excellent energy boosters, which is why many people prefer a cup of hot black tea each morning. Lavender and chamomile are known to be relaxants and are great at the end of a stressful day or just before sleeping. Peppermint and earl grey aid digestion. 

Use Fresh Water: Do not reuse water that is used for something else. Use freshly drawn water from a hot water dispenser or the tap if using a hot water kettle. Avoid using water that is previously drawn for other purposes and stored openly or in bottles. Teas develop best when they get plenty of oxygen. Stagnant water from bottles will not help infuse as much flavour into the cup as freshwater.

Avoid re-boiling the same water in the kettle while preparing your tea. Re-boiling prevents aeration, and you would be left with a flat cup of tea. When making tea for one set, use just enough water to oxygenate the tea perfectly.

Get the Perfect Water Temperature: You should not pour boiling water over a tea bag or loose tea leaves. Scalding water tends to burn the tea leaves and produces a bitter taste. While many people prefer piping hot tea, allowing the hot water to rest for a couple of minutes will reduce the temperature slightly, while allowing the water to reach optimal temperatures. Once you have boiled the water for your tea or used a hot water dispenser, allow the water to stand still for two to three minutes inside the teapot or cup. 

This step is crucial for perfect aeration and water temperature. Tea drinkers are very particular about the water temperature, since they calculate the boiling water, to infusion, to drinking time. The perfection in tea is based more on water temperature, and not only on the type of tea used.

Follow the Packet Instructions: Once you buy a new packet of tea from an unknown brand or are changing the flavour of the tea with the same brand, always follow the packet instructions. As we have mentioned earlier, each tea has a separate brewing time. The depth of flavour depends on the time you allow the tea to infuse into the water. 

When the boiling water cools down a little and is not scalding, add the tea bag or tea leaves with an infuser. Stir the water once, and leave it to infuse. Check the tea package for the correct time duration for infusion depending on the type of tea you have purchased. If you want a strong tea, allow the brewing duration to extend by a minute, if you want a mild tea, reduce the time by 30 seconds to a minute. 

Separate the Tea Once Brewed: Do not allow the tea to over brew. This is the Holy Grail of all perfect British tea drinkers. They do not allow the tea to continue infusing more than required. Separate the tea from the infused water as soon as you are satisfied with the smell, colour, and flavour.