How to Fix a Perfect Cup of Tea

Drinking tea is as much a ritual of contemplation and conversation as it is a delicious way to warm the body and refresh the mind. Tea aficionados are passionate about the details: What kind of clay went into the teapot, what time of year were the tea leaves picked, what exact temperature is the water? Others simply enjoy a reassuring pot when an old friend stops by. Whatever your preference, try these ideas to bring out the best flavors in your tea.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Loose Tea
• Insulated Pot Or Tea Cozy
• Teaspoon Or Mesh Tea Ball
• Teapot
• Teakettle

1. Start with cold water, which retains more oxygen for fuller flavor. If your tap water is hard, use filtered or bottled water.

2. Preheat your teapot: While the water is heating, fill your teapot with hot tap water, let it warm, then drain it completely.

3. Measure into the teapot 1 tsp. of loose tea for every cup you plan to pour. Some tea drinkers, especially those who take milk with their tea, add an extra spoon for the pot. If you're using a mesh tea ball, don't fill it more than halfway, to allow for complete expansion of the tea leaves.

4. For black teas, bring the water to a full boil. Remove the teakettle from the heat as soon as the water begins to boil. Boiling all the oxygen out of the water will flatten the tea's flavor.

5. For more delicate green teas, remove the teakettle from the heat before the water begins boiling, at 165-170 degrees F (74-77 degrees C). Or you can add 1 part cold water to 4 parts boiling water to cool it to the ideal temperature range.

6. Before steeping, pour a small amount of the hot water over the tea leaves, to allow them to bloom, or open up, and release some of their bitter tannins. Drain immediately.

7. Fill the pot with the boiling water. Keep the spout of the kettle close to the teapot, so the water does not cool as you pour it in. Cover the teapot and leave the tea to brew. In general, black teas are best brewed for 4 to 5 minutes; green teas should brew for no more than 3 minutes.

8. When the tea is ready, pour and serve all the tea. Avoid keeping leaves in contact with the hot water: Overbrewed tea tends to taste bitter.

9. To keep the tea warm through several cups, transfer the tea to an insulated pot or cover your regular teapot with a tea cozy. Don't apply additional heat to keep the tea warm, as this will quickly degrade its flavor.

10. A good-quality tea can be infused three to five times. Just add more boiling water. Let it steep for less time with each brew.

Tips & Warnings

• Select a pot with a brew basket for quick and easy removal of tea leaves.

• Since the leaves in tea bags tend to be cut into smaller pieces and thus infuse more quickly, brew tea bags for only 30 seconds to 1 minute.

• These steps can be followed for perfect individual cups of tea as well. Use a cup with its own brew basket, high-quality tea bags or, for loose teas, a mesh tea ball.

• Store teas in an airtight container away from heat, moisture and light. Tea leaves will keep for up to three months.