A tea lover would say that tea is better than coffee. It's an argument that will raise a lot of disputes among hot drink lovers. According to tea sommeliers, making tea is an art, not just throwing a bag into a cup.

From ancient times, drinking tea is considered to be the right way of healing your soul and body, and there is no doubt that a cup of good tea can elevate your state of mind to a higher level.

There's hardly a better thing than a mug of hot tea in cold weather or a cup of refreshing flavoured tea on summer heat?

Oh, that perfect drink that origins from a tea bush. There are so many varieties of teas that almost anyone can find a favourite.

Step by Step Guide on How to Make Tea

The Perfect Water

To begin with, you will want to start with fresh cold water.

The water should be nicely aerated by running the tap a little. Choose a proper pot for boiling water. Also, make sure the water boils only once, as this will provide the water with oxygen and will help the flavours to develop more intensely.

Keep in mind that the tea leaves are of different types, and they need to be treated differently in terms of how hot the water should be and how long the leaves should be steeped.

There are two categories of tea in terms of water temperature used for infusing:

  • For Green Tea, Black Tea and White Tea stop the kettle before it heats to a rolling boil or let the already boiled water to cool down for a few minutes.
  • For Herbal Tea give the water a good boil and pour it right away on the tea leaves or the bag.

Thus, you will need high-quality water to enhance the right flavour of any tea you are about to enjoy.

Mind the Timing

Another feature that is always to be taken care of while making tea is the time. Again, the taste of your tea will depend on what kind of tea is to be used.

But the general rule is the longer you steep the bitter the drink is.

Use the Right Teapot

Also, do not forget about the pots you are using to make tea.

Experts are recommending to always pour a little hot water at the bottom of your container, give it a swirl and dump the water. This way, the pot will get warm, and you will prevent the cracking due to the change of temperature.

Use The Right Amount of Leaves

In an eight-ounce cup filled with heated water, use a leveled teaspoon of tea leaves or a tea bag.

For those who prefer a stronger tea, instead of steeping it for too long, add some more leaves or add another bag to the amount that is usually recommended.

In case you are using a tea bag, usually, it takes 2-3 minutes for the tea to be ready for drinking. For a full-leaf tea, you will steep for about 3-5 minutes, as the leaves need more time to unfold in the water and bring the drink to its fool potential.

The Little-Known Secrets

Always make sure to cover the teapot while infusing with a lid, as this procedure will keep the temperature at a more consistent level.

You can enrich the taste by adding some honey, milk, mint, or lemon in it. Each and everybody will have their own opinion on how to season the tea for a better taste. But there are some general guidelines for this matter:

  • For Black tea, you can use milk to add a bit of creaminess and sweeteners such as honey or sugar. You also can have a slice of lemon with your tea for a citrusy taste.
  • For Green tea, you will not want to ruin the delicate taste that it already has, but to enhance the flavour, you can add some mint and honey. The lemon is also a good combination for this kind of tea.
  • Blends and Iced tea will accept your experiments, but in this case, the general rule "less is more" will work better.

Experiment

All the skills of making a perfect tea for you will come in time by experimenting with temperatures, steeping time, and amount of leaves or tea bags you use.

Now you hold an excellent warm cup filled with flavored tea ready to be enjoyed sip by sip.

Conclusion

After all those steps to follow when making tea, it will be a pity to guzzle down the whole drink and rush through the door. As mentioned above, tea is an art that needs to be enjoyed in peace and calm to be able to sense all its flavours and aromas.

In response, you will get some precious moments of relaxation and a lovely time spent with pleasure accompanied by a good mate of yours anytime – tea.