I’ve been writing about tea for a few years now, yet I don’t have one of the most important posts on my blog – how to make tea!
It seems so simple, yet there are a lot of factors go into making the perfect cup of tea.
So, whether you’re just starting out in the tea world (welcome by the way!) or you’re interested in getting a consistent cup every day – here are my top tips to brew tea properly!
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
How To Make A Cup Of Tea – What You’ll Need
First, making the perfect cup of tea has a lot to do with the proper equipment. There are a few things that are worth the investment…
Taste Tea Where You Are!
Taste tea on the go with my pocket size tea tasting log book on Etsy.
This printable digital download tea tasting journal also comes with a tea tasting guide inside.
Temperature Controlled Kettle
The first accessory you’ll need to brew tea properly is a temperature controlled kettle (like this one on Amazon). A temperature controlled kettle will be able to heat up the water to a specific temperature. They either have predefined temperature settings or you can manually input it.
Brewing the water to a specific temperature is important because depending on the type of tea you’re brewing, the leaves require a different temperature. If the water is too hot, you risk burning the leaves which can result in bitter tea (this is often the reason why a lot of people dislike green tea!).
It sounds expensive but it doesn’t have to be. You can find some pretty good mid range kettles that does the job just as well. For example, I use the Cuisinart Temperature control Kettle (see it on Amazon here) and it’s perfect!
P.S. if you didn’t know, there are 6 different types of tea and they all use a different temperature of water. Read more about it here!
Cuisinart Temperature Control Kettle
- 1500 watts for fast heat-up and 1.7-liter capacity
- 6 preset heat settings (160°F for delicate teas, 175°F for green tea, 185°F for white tea, 190°F for oolong tea, 200°F for French press coffee, and Boil for black tea or instant foods)
- One-touch controls with blue LED indicators, 30-minute Keep Warm option, and 2-minute memory feature
- 360° swivel power base for cordless convenience, concealed heating element, and boil-dry protection with auto shutoff
Brew Tea Properly With Loose Leaf Tea
The best way to brew a good cup of tea is with loose leaf tea leaves. Tea bags are great for convenience, but there is typically a lack of quality in the leaves (read more about here).
If you do decide to invest in some quality loose leaf tea, you’ll need a few extra tea accessories for steeping.
There are a few different steeping accessories you can use but it’s all about finding the one that works best for you. I prefer either the cup strainer, the silicone tea refillable tea bags, or fillable mesh bags.
How To Make Tea…
1. Brew At The Recommended Temperature
Like I said, every tea has a different recommended temperature to brew the leaves. It should say on the packaging, but if it doesn’t the general rule of thumb is…
| Tea Type | Temperature |
| Green Tea | 175ºF |
| White Tea | 185ºF |
| Oolong Tea | 190ºF |
| Black Tea | 210ºF |
| Herbal Tea | 210ºF |
Read more about the different types of teas here.
If you don’t have a temperature controlled kettle, black tea easiest to brew once the water is boiling.
You’ll want to wait a few minutes to let the water cool before steeping Oolong, White, and Green tea.
Based on my kettle, it took just under 5 minutes to cool to 190ºF, just under 7 minutes to get to 185ºF, and about 12 minutes to get to 175ºF. This was without opening the top, if you do, it will most likely cool off faster.
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2. How Much Water Per Tea Bag? Make Sure To Use The Right Amount!
While the water is brewing, it’s time to measure out your tea. This step is more important to brew tea leaves but sometimes you might need to add an extra bag of tea.
I actually find this part to be slightly confusing. All the measurements are per cup of water or in ounces(which is even less helpful!).
P.S. there are 8 oz in 1 cup of water!
Keep in mind, your mug is most likely more than 1 cup (mine are either 1.5 to 2 cups). So, you’ll often need to add more tea than what they say!
So, you’ll first have to figure out how large your mug or teapot is and then how much tea you’ll need.
The same goes for how much water per tea bag. They’ll still have a measurement of how much water to use so you may need to use more than one tea bag in your mug!
3. Warm Up Your Mug!
This is the secret step to brewing a good cup of tea. Even I rarely remember this step but it makes a big difference.
Once your water is boiled, you’ll want to add it to your mug WITHOUT the tea in there.
You don’t have to completely fill it up, just add a bit of water, swirl it around, and when the cup feels warm to your touch, pour the water out.
This way, when you add your tea, the water will stay warmer and will keep a better temperature to steep your tea in!
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4. Brew Tea Leaves For The Recommended Time
Whether you’re brewing loose leaf tea or a tea bag, every tea will come with a recommended steeping time.
It will usually be a range (around 3-5 minutes). This is where you’ll have to see what you like best. For stronger tea, steep for longer. Weaker tea, steep for shorter.
Perhaps the first time you make any tea, try brewing for the shortest amount of time. If you feel you need it to be stronger, add the tea back in. Next time you brew, you know you like it stronger, so leave it for an 30 seconds. Continue adding time until you find the desired steeping time.
To help you, you can get a tea timer – like this one on Amazon. It has three sand timers in one for different amounts of time. But let’s be real, you can also put a timer on your phone.
5. How To Make A Cup Of Tea: Cover Your Mug
If you like your tea hot, I recommend covering it for the 3-5 minutes while it steeps.
Just like how you warmed up your mug before steeping the leaves, you want to retain the optimal brewing temperature. To do that, just cover your mug.
There are a few things you can use to cover your mug. Some mugs will come with lids (like this one on Amazon). You can brew it in a teapot that automatically comes with a lid.
But my favourite? This silicone lid – see it on Amazon here! It will also hold your tea bag while it steeps!
6. Remove Tea, Let Cool Before Taking Your First Sip
If you’re brewing black tea, it’s most likely still very hot (especially if you covered it).
I would wait a few more minutes with it uncovered otherwise (if you’re like me) you’ll burn your tongue. It’s not like coffee that you can drink right away after brewing.
Interested In Tea Tasting? Get The Tea Tasting Bundle!
Refine your tea palette with my Tea Tasting Guide and take notes on every new tea you try to remember for next time in my Tea Tasting Journal.
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Read More Related Posts
- Tea Basics: The Different Types Of Teas Explained
- Tea Bag Vs. Loose Leaf Tea: Why & How You Should Switch
- Tea Tasting Tips For Beginners – A Step By Step Guide
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Last update on 2024-05-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API