how to brew the perfect cup of tea

I've finally fell in love with a loose leaf tea that motivated me to purchase some to enjoy at home. I had brunch w/my friend at Cafe La Sera this morning. She has become a regular at this establishment so she is very friendly with the owners and staff. They were kind enough to sell me some of the leaves for their Turkish black tea. It was so delicate and absolutely delicious with a little lemon and honey - two things that I never use, but since I was beginning to feel under the weather, lemon and honey in my tea really hit the spot.

I'm a little embarassed to admit that I've never had a loose leaf tea that really motivated me to brew my own tea at home - hence, my ignorance. Now that I have a big bag of tea leaves, what is your failproof way to brew your tea? I read somewhere that boiling water in an electric kettle was preferable to using a kettle over the stove, is this true? Do you prefer to put your leaves loose into the teapot or do you like to use a tea press? I was looking at the ones by Bodum, but I wasn't sure if I should splurge for the Bora Bora model that keeps the tea hot for a longer period of time. Also, if I keep my tea leaves in an airtight container away from the light, what kind of shelf life can I expect? Thanks

Pucca wrote:Now that I have a big bag of tea leaves, what is your failproof way to brew your tea?

I boil filtered water in an electric kettle. I preheat my tea pot and mug. I use a large, heaping teaspoon of leaves for each cup of tea. Pour the boiling water over the leaves. Let steep for 4-5 minutes, undisturbed. Do not let the spent leaves sit in the tea after pouring your first cup - pour out the extra tea into a vessel that will keep it warm.

Pucca wrote:I read somewhere that boiling water in an electric kettle was preferable to using a kettle over the stove, is this true?

I use an electric kettle because it is convenient. I don't think it really matters, though, if you boil your water with a stove-top kettle or an electric kettle.

Pucca wrote:Do you prefer to put your leaves loose into the teapot or do you like to use a tea press?

I've done both, depending on how much tea I am making. It is important that the tea leaves have a lot of room to expand. So don't use one of these small tea balls. Loose tea or a tea press are both fine.

Pucca wrote:I was looking at the ones by Bodum, but I wasn't sure if I should splurge for the Bora Bora model that keeps the tea hot for a longer period of time.

I haven't used these, but I am not sure they are worth the extra cost. If you have a regular thermos, that should work just as well and be a lot cheaper.

Pucca wrote:Also, if I keep my tea leaves in an airtight container away from the light, what kind of shelf life can I expect?

Peet's recommends replacing black teas after about 6 months and green teas after about 3 months. [/quote]

Thanks, Darren, you were very helpful!

I've been using an adagio IngenuiTea -- I have one that does 16 oz and anothr than does 32 oz

sonja

Pucca wrote:Do you prefer to put your leaves loose into the teapot or do you like to use a tea press?

I prefer to use T-Sacs -- if I'm making a whole pot, I use #4 size, to give the tea a little "breathing room."

Depending on the black tea and your taste - I'd start with a 2 min. steep (for a teaspoonful of tea leaves per teacup of boiling water). As soon as the water comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat, immediately add the tea leaves (or water to the leaves). Cover. Steep 1.5 to 2 mins or more (to taste; longer extracts more bitter flavors, so if you don't like that, use more tea and steep less). Strain.

Electric kettles are far superior. They are much, much faster.

I just bought a new Krups model and it is really convenient and fast.

When you make black tea you want to use boiling water. Not boiled water. Boiling.

Green tea, you bring the water to a boil and then let it cool about 5 minutes before using it.

One of my wintertime indulgences is a steaming cup of Twinings Lapsang Souchong. Since reading about it in a Michener novel years ago (I think it was the Scot who accompanied Pasquinel on his fur trading forays who imbibed in it) I had to try it and it has become my favorite.

I would echo the aforementioned methodology and reiterate that boiling water straaight from the kettle is prescribed. Preheating the cup, or mug in my case, is also very important to keep the flavor profile alive longer, IMHO.

FYI - I tried making iced tea with Lapsang Souchong and found it way too strong. On a cold winter morning, however, it is just the ticket...

One thing no one has mentioned is that it's important to use fresh, cold water. We have well water at home so I use bottled spring water but hot tap water or reheating the water after it's boiled once makes for depleted oxygen levels and lower pH than fresh water and makes your tea taste flat and stale.

I also find this to be the case with water that's boiled in a microwave oven. I use an electric kettle, but only because I have a very slow-to-heat electric stove.

Unless, I'm making formal tea for company, I normally use a tea ball or a pot with a removable tea strainer, just for convenience. But you can just dump the tea in the pot and strain it out afterwards.

Here's what I do:

Bring the water to a full rolling boil. Don't let it boil too long, however, and use it while it's still boiling.

Just before the water comes to a boil, pour some into the teapot or cup and let it stand to preheat. Return the kettle to the stove and measure out the tea. Then pour the standing water out and add the tea and briskly boiling water.

Use 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea or 1 tea bag for each 5-ounce cup of tea, plus 1 for the pot.

Let the tea steep 3 to 5 minutes for most black teas, 5 to 7 for oolong, then remove the tea bag or ball or strain the tea. Don't overbrew or you'll get a bitter, stewed taste.

However, that's tea brewed English style. For Russian-style black tea, preheat your teapot, add 2 tablespoons tea per cup and boiling water and let steep 10 minutes. Then dilute this concentrate, about 10 to 1, with water boiled up in your samovar.

Green tea, as noted by Packer Backer, gets slightly cooler water, as do white teas. Pu-erh gets a quick boiling water rinse and drain before steeping in more boiling water.

Darren72 wrote:Peet's recommends replacing black teas after about 6 months and green teas after about 3 months.

That's a tea seller talking! Think about it...you'd be replacing it more often than it grows. I've kept tea for a couple of years with no noticeable loss of quality. Keep it at cool room temperature, sealed airtight in the dark.

Here are some sandwiches to go with your tea:

Cucumber sandwiches

2 teaspoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 thin slice pumpernickel bread
1/2 cup thin round slices English cucumbers
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted
4 sprigs chervil, chopped

On a flat surface, spread the cheese on the bread. Arrange the cucumber rounds, overlapping them on top of the bread. With a sharp knife, remove the outer sides of the sandwich and cut into 4 rectangles. Top each sandwich with the cucumber strips, then the caraway seeds and chervil. 4 finger sandwiches.

Watercress sandwiches

1 ounce cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons minced watercress
1 teaspoon grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste
2 thin slices white bread

Beat together everything except the bread. Spread the mixture over one slice of bread. Top with the other slice. Trim off the crusts and cut the sandwich into 4 triangles. 4 finger sandwiches.

Whitstable sandwiches

1/2 cup cooked salad shrimp
1/3 cup coarsely chopped watercress
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 hard-cooked egg, peeled and quartered
1 tablespoon French dressing
6 slices white or brown bread

Combine all ingredients except the bread in a food processor and pulse till well combined. Spread over three slices of the bread. Top with the remaining slices, trim off the crusts and cut into quarters. 12 finger sandwiches.

Hmmm, I guess I am a cretin. I use a perforated tea spoon (I agree that it should be filled quite loosely to allow circulation around the tea) to brew tea in a large cup of water that I heated in a microwave. I tend to steep the black teas for 3-4 minutes and green and white teas for about 3 (used to steep them for2, but I find the favor better after three now). I am not disputing that some can ascertain a difference in flavor depending on how the water was boiled, but I cannot think of why that would be the case.

If I am making a pot of tea I just use loose tea and a strainer when I pour. The proper English method is to also have a pot of hot water on the side so as to dilute and warm the tea as it continues to steep and cool.

The important things are the quality of the water used (Chicago tap water is generally okay, but you would not want anything like well water with strong flavor or aroma), and the quality of the tea. As for Peet's admonition to rotate your tea aggressively, there is some logic to it even if the dates are fairly random. Over time the tea does tend to dry out, and I am sure certain volatile aromatics dissipate. But I also think the rate at which that occurs depends on the storage conditions and specific tea. I know I have some nice teas that are years old - the flavor may have faded some, but they are still enjoyable and surely not deserving of being tossed out.

Good water, proper temperature and good tea steeped for the proper amount of time. For single servings, I also am a proponent of a second steeping when using bags/balls - just increase the time by about 60%. What does Peet's say about that?

dicksond wrote:Hmmm, I guess I am a cretin. I use a perforated tea spoon (I agree that it should be filled quite loosely to allow circulation around the tea) to brew tea in a large cup of water that I heated in a microwave. I tend to steep the black teas for 3-4 minutes and green and white teas for about 3 (used to steep them for2, but I find the favor better after three now). I am not disputing that some can ascertain a difference in flavor depending on how the water was boiled, but I cannot think of why that would be the case.

I, too, use a mesh spoon when I'm making a single cup.

Maybe it's my microwave, but the water tends to get superheated, so it foams up when you put the tea in, leaving an oily scum, and the taste seems less "brisk" than tea made from water boiled conventionally. I assumed that was because the superheating results in reduced oxygen levels, but maybe something else is going on.