Tips for Great Tea
There are many different ways in which you can partake of the brilliant ritual that is tea. Tea can be enjoyed by the pot or by the cup; with friends or by yourself. Over the years we’ve spent in the tea business we’ve picked up some tips though, on how to brew the perfect cuppa whether it’s for one or one hundred, here’s our suggestions:
Use Good Water
Quality filtered water is a must. Rain water is perfect but a filter is a must for getting rid of all the unnecessary flavour mains water sometimes has.
Temperature Control
Our tea packaging has a recommended temperature for the water you make your tea with. Some teas don’t need the full 100 degrees C. Please check the pack to see what temperature we recommend for ideal tea steeping.
Boil Once
Water loses some of its oxygen content after boiling. To ensure a terrific pot of tea every time, only ever bring fresh water to the boil.
Scald the Pot
After you take the kettle off the boil pour a small amount into either your empty cup or empty pot. This ‘scalds’ the pot, warming it up for the real deal. Discard this water.
One for One
Our teas are of the finest quality with full bodied, smooth flavours so you don’t need to use much to get that great tea flavour. Our rule of thumb is: 1 flat teaspoon for a cup/mug; 1 heaped teaspoon for a 2-3 cup teapot; and 2 teaspoons for a 4-6 cup teapot. Remember not to skip Tip 6 to get your brew just right.
Tick Tock
The beauty of tea is the time it takes to infuse. We recommend different infusion times for different teas and each tea will have the desired brew time on the package, but as a quick guide, usually 2-3 minutes for green & white teas, 3-5 minutes for black & oolong teas and up to 10 minutes for herbal & fruit melanges, we feel these times are best spent applying a liberal load of butter to some freshly baked scones!
Pour Me Out
When your pot’s all steeped up, pour out the tea into your cup (preferably one made of fine bone china). If you’re using an infuser, remove the infuser from the remaining tea so as to avoid it becoming increasingly bitter by the time you’re ready for the next cup.