Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea

The following is a guest post written by Veralicious, a new contributor to the blog who lists the steps required to make a perfect cup of tea. I find this to be quite informative. As you'll note, it supports my long-held notion that loose-leaf is the way to brew the best possible cup of tea. So, a big thanks to Veralicious for this fantastic entry, and on that note, please enjoy the entry.

- Relznuk


Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea

• begin with your favorite loose tea.

• add cold water to your kettle and bring to a boil.

• fill your teapot with hot tap water to warm it.

• before pouring in the boiling water empty the hot tap water from the pre warmed teapot.

• add 1-2 teaspoons of tea leaves to your infuser, for every eight ounces of hot water

• pour the boiling water directly onto the leaves and steep the tea according to the directions below.

note - quality tea can be steeped more than once, save the leaves and re-steep, adding one minute for each additional brew.

black tea and herbals:
- bring your water to a full boil and remove from heat.
- allow tea to steep approximately 3-5 minutes and strain.

green teas:
- bring your water to a pre boil.
- when little bubbles start to form on the bottom of the kettle, remove from heat.
- allow tea to steep 1 1/2 - 3 minutes and strain.

oolongs and white teas:
- bring your water to a pre boil.
- when little bubbles are coming to the surface (a bit hotter then you would need for green tea) remove from heat.
- allow to steep 4-6 minutes and strain.

* when using a tea ball, fill only half way to allow the leaves room to expand *