Brewing tea can be overwhelming if you're new to tea or trying new teas. Getting the best flavor and aroma means having to use the right amount of tea and the right water temperature, which can be easier said than done depending on what tea type you're brewing. Fortunately, there are industry guidelines and teaware tools that can make brewing tea a breeze. Read on for some great tea brewing tips and tea tools that will help you brew the perfect mug of tea every time.

The Top 3 Tools For Brewing Tea

Tea Spoon

A tea spoon is designed to scoop out the perfect amount of tea leaves for a single serving.  Using a normal kitchen spoon can result in using too much tea or too little tea depending on the size of the spoon. This tea tool makes it easy to add tea to a tea infuser and takes the guesswork out of how much tea to use.

Tea Strainer

A tea strainer is an essential tool for people who like drinking tea made with loose leaves. There are many different types of strainers but they all hold loose leaf tea during the steeping process. This helps the leaves infuse flavor without making a mess.  Pincer tea strainers or tea balls typically have a stainless steel ball at one end and an arm or chain on the other. The tea leaves are added to the ball which is then placed in hot water for steeping. The chain or arm makes it easy to remove the leaves without burning your fingers.

Another type of strainer is known as a tea basket. These infusers feature a large opening and basket shape that allows large leaf teas to fully expand and infuse flavor. Some are made of bamboo, which is preferred by tea masters as some feel that stainless steel alters the taste of tea. You can also find collapsible tea strainers that are designed like tea baskets, but easily fit into your pocket or bag when you want to brew tea on the go.

Tea Tin

While not technically essential to the tea brewing method, having a tea tin to store tea leaves can help to preserve the quality and flavor of your teas. Tea tins help to prevent flavor degradation caused by environmental factors like light, humidity, and moisture. There's also nothing quite like popping open a tea tin and feeling the aromatic fragrances hit your senses.

Tips For Brewing Tea Properly

Start With High-Quality Tea

Like most food and drinks, taste comes down to using quality ingredients. Loose leaf tea offers a better flavor than tea bags. That's because tea bags are usually filled with the dust and fannings of tea instead of the actual full tea leaves. Tea bags also constrict the leaves and don't allow them to fully expand and infuse flavor. Stick with loose teas to brew the perfect cup of tea bursting with flavor.

Use the Right Amount of Tea

As a rule of thumb, use one teaspoon of loose tea for every eight ounces of water. Many teas can be infused multiple times to produce more than one cup without losing flavor quality.

Water Quality

In some regions, tap water contains chemicals and additives that can alter the taste of tea. Avoid distilled water as it does not develop flavors well and will result in a weak-tasting tea. Spring water, fresh water, or filtered water are the best options for brewing tea without altering the flavor.  

Water Temperature

Water temperature can affect the flavor of teas, especially when it comes to green tea. Some teas develop a burnt or bitter taste when brewed with water at high temperatures while others don't fully develop flavors in lower temperatures.

In general, teas infuse flavor best when they are brewed with hot water rather than cold water. If you want to make cold brew tea, you'll need to steep the tea leaves for several hours instead of the usual couple minutes in hot water to achieve a similar flavor. Iced teas should be brewed using hot water and then cooled to room temperature and served in glass teacups with ice.

The right water temperature varies depending on the different types of tea. Use these handy guidelines to brew tea perfectly every time.

• White Tea: 170 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit
• Green tea: 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit
• Oolong Tea: 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit
• Black Tea: 200 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit
• Pu-erh Tea: 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
• Herbal Tea: 212 degrees Fahrenheit

Steep Time

The amount of time it takes to steep depends on which type of tea you are brewing. Some delicate teas need longer brewing times to fully develop flavors while stronger teas or herbaceous teas like green tea can develop bitter flavors when steeped too long. The tea packaging should indicate the proper steeping time for that particular tea, but you can also use the following guidelines as a rule of thumb.

White Tea: 2 to 3 minutes

White tea is a very delicate tea that needs a few minutes to fully infuse flavor. The tea is mild and light and will not develop bitter flavors if it is oversteeped.

Green Tea: 2 minutes or less

Green tea is notoriously hard to brew. Many people who try green tea for the first time think it tastes bitter. That usually is the result of improper brewing, particularly oversteeping. A properly brewed cup of green tea should be vegetal and even mildly sweet and herbaceous.

Oolong Tea: 1 to 5 minutes

Oolong teas can be oxidized anywhere from 8 to 80 percent. Lightly oxidized oolongs are more delicate and need a little longer to fully infuse flavor. Heavily oxidized oolongs don't need to be steeped for as long.

Black Tea: 2 to 5 minutes

Black tea is a strong tea that develops bolder flavors the longer it steeps. Finely cut black tea leaves usually need a shorter window to infuse flavor while large loose tea varieties should steep for closer to 5 minutes.

Pu-erh Tea: 3 to 4 minutes

Pu-erh is an aged tea with a medium body and fragrant aroma. Allow the leaves to steep for 3 to 4 minutes for the best flavor.

Herbal Teas: 5 to 10 minutes

Herbal teas don't contain any true tea leaves. Instead, they're made from herbs, spices, and flower petals that can be infused far longer than most true teas.

Brew Tea Brilliantly

Brewing times and water temperature are two key components of the tea brewing process. By nailing down these two techniques, you'll be well on your way to brewing the perfect cup of tea. The steeping time can also affect the flavor of your tea, but with practice, you'll learn the proper brewing times to suit your personal preferences when it comes to taste.

In addition to learning the proper techniques, having the right tea tools makes all the difference when it's time to brew tea. A temperature-controlled teapot ensures the water is heated to the exact temperature you need depending on the type of tea. It helps take the guesswork out of brewing tea and you don’t need to boil water in a pan to make a pot of tea. A tea spoon makes it easy to use the right amount of tea for a single serving. An infuser helps to contain the tea leaves, allowing for easy brewing and removing of the leaves when the steeping time is done.

Heat up some boiling water and make yourself the perfect cup of hot tea using these tea tools and tips. You’ll love the art of tea brewing and discovering new flavors and tastes. With a little practice, you’ll be an expert tea maker in no time.

Brewing tea can be overwhelming if you're new to tea or trying new teas. Getting the best flavor and aroma means having to use the right amount of tea and the right water temperature, which can be easier said than done depending on what tea type you're brewing. Fortunately, there are industry guidelines and teaware tools that can make brewing tea a breeze. Read on for some great tea brewing tips and tea tools that will help you brew the perfect mug of tea every time.

The Top 3 Tools For Brewing Tea

Tea Spoon

A tea spoon is designed to scoop out the perfect amount of tea leaves for a single serving.  Using a normal kitchen spoon can result in using too much tea or too little tea depending on the size of the spoon. This tea tool makes it easy to add tea to a tea infuser and takes the guesswork out of how much tea to use.

Tea Strainer

A tea strainer is an essential tool for people who like drinking tea made with loose leaves. There are many different types of strainers but they all hold loose leaf tea during the steeping process. This helps the leaves infuse flavor without making a mess.  Pincer tea strainers or tea balls typically have a stainless steel ball at one end and an arm or chain on the other. The tea leaves are added to the ball which is then placed in hot water for steeping. The chain or arm makes it easy to remove the leaves without burning your fingers.

Another type of strainer is known as a tea basket. These infusers feature a large opening and basket shape that allows large leaf teas to fully expand and infuse flavor. Some are made of bamboo, which is preferred by tea masters as some feel that stainless steel alters the taste of tea. You can also find collapsible tea strainers that are designed like tea baskets, but easily fit into your pocket or bag when you want to brew tea on the go.

Tea Tin

While not technically essential to the tea brewing method, having a tea tin to store tea leaves can help to preserve the quality and flavor of your teas. Tea tins help to prevent flavor degradation caused by environmental factors like light, humidity, and moisture. There's also nothing quite like popping open a tea tin and feeling the aromatic fragrances hit your senses.

Tips For Brewing Tea Properly

Start With High-Quality Tea

Like most food and drinks, taste comes down to using quality ingredients. Loose leaf tea offers a better flavor than tea bags. That's because tea bags are usually filled with the dust and fannings of tea instead of the actual full tea leaves. Tea bags also constrict the leaves and don't allow them to fully expand and infuse flavor. Stick with loose teas to brew the perfect cup of tea bursting with flavor.

Use the Right Amount of Tea

As a rule of thumb, use one teaspoon of loose tea for every eight ounces of water. Many teas can be infused multiple times to produce more than one cup without losing flavor quality.

Water Quality

In some regions, tap water contains chemicals and additives that can alter the taste of tea. Avoid distilled water as it does not develop flavors well and will result in a weak-tasting tea. Spring water, fresh water, or filtered water are the best options for brewing tea without altering the flavor.  

Water Temperature

Water temperature can affect the flavor of teas, especially when it comes to green tea. Some teas develop a burnt or bitter taste when brewed with water at high temperatures while others don't fully develop flavors in lower temperatures.

In general, teas infuse flavor best when they are brewed with hot water rather than cold water. If you want to make cold brew tea, you'll need to steep the tea leaves for several hours instead of the usual couple minutes in hot water to achieve a similar flavor. Iced teas should be brewed using hot water and then cooled to room temperature and served in glass teacups with ice.

The right water temperature varies depending on the different types of tea. Use these handy guidelines to brew tea perfectly every time.

• White Tea: 170 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit
• Green tea: 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit
• Oolong Tea: 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit
• Black Tea: 200 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit
• Pu-erh Tea: 190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit
• Herbal Tea: 212 degrees Fahrenheit

Steep Time

The amount of time it takes to steep depends on which type of tea you are brewing. Some delicate teas need longer brewing times to fully develop flavors while stronger teas or herbaceous teas like green tea can develop bitter flavors when steeped too long. The tea packaging should indicate the proper steeping time for that particular tea, but you can also use the following guidelines as a rule of thumb.

White Tea: 2 to 3 minutes

White tea is a very delicate tea that needs a few minutes to fully infuse flavor. The tea is mild and light and will not develop bitter flavors if it is oversteeped.

Green Tea: 2 minutes or less

Green tea is notoriously hard to brew. Many people who try green tea for the first time think it tastes bitter. That usually is the result of improper brewing, particularly oversteeping. A properly brewed cup of green tea should be vegetal and even mildly sweet and herbaceous.

Oolong Tea: 1 to 5 minutes

Oolong teas can be oxidized anywhere from 8 to 80 percent. Lightly oxidized oolongs are more delicate and need a little longer to fully infuse flavor. Heavily oxidized oolongs don't need to be steeped for as long.

Black Tea: 2 to 5 minutes

Black tea is a strong tea that develops bolder flavors the longer it steeps. Finely cut black tea leaves usually need a shorter window to infuse flavor while large loose tea varieties should steep for closer to 5 minutes.

Pu-erh Tea: 3 to 4 minutes

Pu-erh is an aged tea with a medium body and fragrant aroma. Allow the leaves to steep for 3 to 4 minutes for the best flavor.

Herbal Teas: 5 to 10 minutes

Herbal teas don't contain any true tea leaves. Instead, they're made from herbs, spices, and flower petals that can be infused far longer than most true teas.

Brew Tea Brilliantly

Brewing times and water temperature are two key components of the tea brewing process. By nailing down these two techniques, you'll be well on your way to brewing the perfect cup of tea. The steeping time can also affect the flavor of your tea, but with practice, you'll learn the proper brewing times to suit your personal preferences when it comes to taste.

In addition to learning the proper techniques, having the right tea tools makes all the difference when it's time to brew tea. A temperature-controlled teapot ensures the water is heated to the exact temperature you need depending on the type of tea. It helps take the guesswork out of brewing tea and you don’t need to boil water in a pan to make a pot of tea. A tea spoon makes it easy to use the right amount of tea for a single serving. An infuser helps to contain the tea leaves, allowing for easy brewing and removing of the leaves when the steeping time is done.

Heat up some boiling water and make yourself the perfect cup of hot tea using these tea tools and tips. You’ll love the art of tea brewing and discovering new flavors and tastes. With a little practice, you’ll be an expert tea maker in no time.