How To Brew Loose Leaf Tea
Of course, the most basic and common way to brew loose leaf tea is as a hot beverage. The necessary tools for this include a kettle, or some way to heat water, a tea cup or pot, a teaspoon, and some kind of infuser. The list is certainly not exclusive to these items and you may find that you use more or less of them. One item that may also be found in many a persons’ tea “toolbox” is a thermometer.
Depending on the type of tea, you may use anywhere from boiling water (212°F) to lower temperatures, most often between 158°F-194°F. Blacks, Pu-erhs, and some darker Oolongs typically require boiling water to steep properly; however, lighter Oolongs, Yellows, Greens, and Whites demand lower temperatures to ensure smooth and gossamery brews. Teas that require lower temperatures that are steeped with boiling water often taste extremely bitter and astringent and can turn the drinker away from an entire group of tea! You certainly could use a thermometer to ensure the proper temperature for your delicate tea but you could just as easily allow your boiled water to cool for a few minutes or even catch the kettle before it boils. If you’re in a huge rush, throwing in a few ice cubes to just boiled water will definitely speed up the cooling process. Many folks already have some sort of cooking thermometer in their kitchen but you may decide you’d like one specifically for tea. When you do, we’ve got you covered!
Perhaps one of the most important tools for brewing loose leaf tea, after the pot and kettle of course, is the infuser. The tea brewer has quite a few options for this device which could be anywhere from a tea pot with removable filter, a filter or infuser which sits over your cup, a tea ball or basket, a fillable tea bag, or my favorite method, a French press to more traditional methods such as a Gai Wan, Yixing, or decanting pot. This accessory is entirely up to the drinker and one might find that he or she enjoys preparing tea using a variety of different infusing gadgets.
At Tin Roof Teas, we usually recommend 1 tsp of tea per 8 oz cup of water, but if you like a stronger cup of tea just add more tea, steeping longer will only make your cup bitter. You will never have to worry about your options for teaspoons because we’ll throw in one for free with your tea purchase!
During your preparation of tea, it is important to know that as she is with temperature, tea is very time specific. The amount of time the tea leaves should steep in hot water is always specific to the type of tea being brewed. Blacks and Pu-erhs usually steep between 2-5 minutes, while the others somewhere between 1-3 min.
It may seem intimidating, but we always have the instructions clearly printed on our labels and our consultants will briefly point out the time and temperature specifics of each tea that you take home. We’re confident you’ll find brewing tea as easy as drinking it! Remember, these are simply guidelines. Feel free to experiment with your own methods of brewing!
Finally, it is indeed the perfect time of year for ICED tea, so you’ll definitely want to prepare some to cool off in the summer heat! The quickest way to prepare iced tea is exactly the same as that of hot except that you use twice the amount of tea and pour it over ice. You can also cold brew tea but it does take several hours to fully extract the goodness from the tea leaves. The cold brewing method does eliminate any need to pay attention to time and temperature as the leaves can easily adapt to colder temperatures without becoming caustic.
Tea is not exclusive to the cup, pot or glass. Get creative! Tea can be used to make ice cubes to cool off and add flavor to other teas or beverages. Tea popsicles offer a healthier alternative to iced summer time sweets. We recommend sweetening them with our raw, organic, flavored sugars. We’d love to hear how you brew and get creative with tea, so please feel free to share anytime!