How to
Steep Tea, or Make Tea
Tea is easy to make, but a little
knowledge can ensure you make a better brew and
get more from your tea drinking experience. There
are few rules, but you should follow certain guidelines
to get the best taste for the tea you are brewing.
These guidelines are primarily aimed at the loose
leaf tea drinker, but many aspects also apply
to teabags.
On this page:
You may be surprised to learn
that are very few 'rules' that you must follow.
Other than starting with fine quality tea, you
only really need to ensure the following:
Water Temperature
Different types of tea require different temperatures
of water - black and puer tea needs boiling water,
but this will 'stew' green and white teas - the
water should be slightly cooler at around 165-185°F
(75-85°C), depending on the tea. See suggested
temperatures, quauntities and times here.
There are various methods for
measuring the temperature of boiling or near-boiling
water. The traditional Chinese methods still work;
identifying the right temperature for the type
of tea by the size of the bubbles - from "shrimp
eyes" to "crab eyes" to "fish
eyes". Of course, you have to be familiar
with the sort of shrimp, crab and fish as the
Chinese! Another method is to pour bioling water
from pitcher to pitcher a number of times to cool
the water.
The modern tea drinker has an
easier task with the advent of thermometers. But
the easiest, most convenient, and above all most
accurate way of getting it right every time is
simply investing a small amount in a proper tea
kettle with temperature settings. Our favorite
(the one we use ourselves) is the excellent UtiliTEA
Kettle from Adagio Teas.
Water Quality
Tea has a delicate flavor that can easily be ruined
by 'hard' water. Any water that has a 'taste'
(and is therefore affected by additives) is not
recommended, but this can easily be rectified.
Either use spring water with a low mineral content,
or simply filter the water (a filter jug is fine).
In China, it's said the best tea is infused using
water from a spring local to where the tea was
grown, or from the center of a river. The ultimate
tea water, legend has it, comes from snow that
has melted from plum blossoms in full bloom, and
then stored in bamboo for three years... you may
find this a bit tricky to come by, so that filter
jug may be required after all!
A couple more
good tips
Warming the pot
Simple pour some boiling water into the vessel
you are going to use, let it stand for a short
while, rinse it around and pour it out. If you're
going to the trouble to use water of a correct
temperature, it makes sense to keep it at that
temperature while the tea brews. Warming the pot
prevents the water from cooling too quickly.
Allow the tea water to
circulate over the tea
The subtleties and nuances of each variety of
tea are released by the circulation of water over
the leaves. Restricting the flow of water, by
using tea bags, infusers and small pots that don't
allow the water to circulate, lessens the quality
of the final cup. Let it flow!
The
three different approaches to steeping loose leaf
tea
The Conventional
Method
All you will need is a teapot and some
cups to serve. Place the required amount
of tea into the pot and then half fill
it with hot water. Replace the lid and
gently rock the pot in a circular motion
to warm the sides and rinse the tea. Now,
discard the liquid. If you are brewing
fine green or white teas, just use hot
water for this first step and add the
tea afterwards. Next, making sure
the water is still at the right
temperature, pour in approximately the
right amount for the number of cups you
are making, cover and infuse for the required
period. Serve the tea right away, making
sure you do not leave any liquid brewing
in the pot, as you will want to use the
leaves again later for the next infusion.
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The GungFu Approach
This is the method preferred by tea connisseurs
the world over, as it is the best way to get the
full flavor and subtleties from each variety.
Only small quantities of tea are made, and the
roots of this method are in high society and tea
competition - if you ever attend a 'tea tasting',
this is how it should be prepared. The Gungfu
approach takes extra time and a little more skill
and knowledge than the conventional method, so
it's probably not something you will do every
time you make a cup. Also, it's only worth the
extra effort if you're using high quality tea
- bad tea will still taste like bad tea, no matter
how it is dressed up! The correct procedure and
teawares are very important with the Gungfu approach,
but it is also supposed
to be a time of enjoyment and experimentation,
so don't allow yourself to be put off
- roll up your sleeves and have a go!
You will need either
a genuine Yixing teapot (Yixing clay is
the finest for producing teapots that
can actually improve the texture, taste
and aroma of the infusion) or a traditional
Chinese lidded pot called a Gaiwan. There
are also some small china pots available
purely for tea tasting purposes which
are also suitable. You will also need
some good quality china of glass cups
(so you can appreciate the color of the
tea), a tray, a towel, a pitcher for holding
excess tea, a ready way to dispose of
excess water and leaves, and, of course,
your favorite high quality loose leaf
tea.
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First, warm the teapot, and
discard the water. Next, add the right amount
of tea and fill the pot with water of the required
temperature, rinse the tea and pour the water
into and over the edges of the cups. Discard this
water as well. Now fill the pot again and brew
the tea for the recommended time. Whilst it is
brewing, arrange
the cups on the tray so they are touching
in a circle. When ready, pour the tea
into the cups by pouring a little into
each cup and continuing in one circular
motion, adding more to each cup, until
the pot is empty. Don't worry about the
tea that spills onto the tray. Serve immediately,
and enjoy!
The Tall
Glass Method
The tall glass method is very simple and
is intended for fine green, white and
yellow teas so that you can watch and
appreciate the beautiful leaves as they
unfurl and impart their delicate flavors.
Basically, all you need is a tall glass,
which you fill with the appropriate temperature
water and add the leaves to. As fine green
and white teas should never become too
bitter, you can actually drink straight
from the glass (once the leaves have sunk
to the bottom) without taking the leaves
out. Alternatively, you can decant the
tea into separate cups.
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The perfect
quantity, time and temperature for your tea
"Surely there's a lot more
to it than that! Every pack of tea I've ever bought
has precise quantities and steeping times that
I MUST follow...."
Wrong! Making tea is more an
art than a science, and without doubt the most
important factor to consider when brewing a pot
is your own personal taste - how do you like to
drink tea? It's perfectly acceptable to drink
your tea very strong or very weak - however you
like it to taste is the best way to drink it.
The only way to find out your
taste preference (and you may like to drink each
variety of tea in a different way) is to experiment.
This is the basic equation for all tea making:
Quantity of tea x quantity
of water x steeping time
You can alter these variables
and come out with similar results - use more tea
and a shorter steeping time, for example. The
traditional Chinese method (known as Gungfu -
above) is to use quite a large amount of tea and
just a short steeping time. This brings out the
subtle nuances of each variety that can be lost
when employing a more conventional (Western) method
of smaller quantities and longer steeping times
(this method still produces a nice cup though).
Because whole leaf tea, unlike tea bags, can be
infused several times, even by using a large quantity
it is still extremely cost effective. By steeping
only briefly, the tea can be infused more times
- up to three times for green and white tea, and
as many as five or six for the oolongs.
Different times
for different teas
Every tea is unique. To maximize
the subtle flavors and special qualities of each
tea you should know and use some simple brewing
methods and adapt them to your own taste.
The notes given below are approximately
the times and quantities used to serve our teas
using the traditional Chinese method (GungFu)
at tea houses throughout the world. If you prefer
to use the western method, increase the steeping
time, and decrease the amount of leaves and number
of infusions. A more detailed chart for brewing
Chinese teas can be found here.
Please remember, these are guidelines
and not rules - only you can decide the best way
for you to brew you tea.
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Glass or gaiwan
to appreciate leaves |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
2.5 - 3 grams
(approx 1/10 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
85-90°C
(185-195°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
1-2 minutes |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Glass or gaiwan
to appreciate leaves |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
3 grams (approx
1/10 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
75-85°C
(165-185°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
30 seconds
- 1 minute |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Teapot (preferably
Yixing) |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
2.5 - 3 grams
(approx 1/10 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
100°C (212°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
15 seconds
- 1 minute |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 - 6 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Teapot (preferably
Yixing) |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
4 grams (approx
1/8 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
100°C (212°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
1-2 minutes |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Teapot (preferably
Yixing) |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
3 grams (approx
1/10 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
100°C (212°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
15 seconds
- 1 minute |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Teapot (preferably
Yixing) |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
4 grams (approx
1/8 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
100°C (212°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
10 seconds
- 1 minute |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
| Quantity of
water: |
8 oz / 225ml
/ 1 cup |
| Preferred method:
|
Gaiwan or teapot |
| Quantity
of tea for each batch: |
2.5 grams (approx
1/10 oz) |
| Ideal
brewing temperature: |
90-95°C
(195-205°F) |
| Ideal infusion
time: |
10-20 seconds |
| Number of infusions:
|
3 |
We hope that these guidelines will have helped
you enhance your tea experience. But, as we always
say, it is really up to you. Only by experimenting
with different appoaches and formulas will you
find your perfect cup of tea. We hope every cup
will be fragrant, delicious and relaxing! The
world of tea is an exciting place to explore and
we're glad to be a part of your journey. Take
a look at our other subjects in the Tea Info Zone
below...
» Recommended Special Offers «
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The
hard and fast rules - water temperature and quality
