Simple Steps to Brew Loose Tea
Brewing loose tea is easy, and it is also one of the crucial factors in drinking better tea. Brewing loose tea is an art and involves few steps. However, if the steps are followed properly, brewing won’t take long.
Mix tea with hot water
Tea and hot water are all you need, along with 3-4 minutes and straining tea leaves back out. Water temperature, gear issues, proportion and variations related to the type are all secondary.
Gear
To brew tea, an English-style ceramic pot will work. For simple brewing, adding a teaspoon of leaves per cup is typical, along with an extra spoon for the pot. A French press is another good alternative because it also covers straining and can allow for making one cup at a time.
Water temperature
Black tea is usually brewed at boiling point or close to it, and green tea needs much cooler water to offset astringency. Oolong teas and white teas brew in the middle range. Boiling water is a crucial step in brewing it. Microwaving is not recommended because dissolved air stays in the water and interferes with the infusion. Simple, inexpensive electric kettles can boil water quickly, or using a teapot on a stove works.
Brewing proportion
It is usually a teaspoon of tea to a cup, making adjustments to how you like your tea. Leaves can be brewed two or three times, or more if a higher proportion of tea is used along with shorter infusion times. Regardless of the approach, different teas brew differently.
Timing
To brew tea, 3-4 minutes of contact with boiling water is enough. You can always buy a device to do all this automatically. Letting the tea brew for longer is not recommended.
Getting started is the main thing. Make sure to never over brew your tea. It can be bitter. Most important is starting with a tea you like — the type and specific version.