How to Make a Great Cup Of Tea

The first step to take, if you’re not already doing so, is to use loose tea, preferably from a shop that has a good turnover in loose leaf tea. No matter how impressive the brand, tea in bags just won’t provide the same quality, and in the case of green, jasmine, or Oolong teas, loose leaf is far more economical as the leaves can be infused several times before losing their potency. Also, the larger the leaf, the more intense the brew.

If you’re using an expensive tea you should also use filtered or still mineral water to preserve the flavor as the impurities and chlorine in tap water significantly changes the flavor compounds in high-grade tea.

The most critical factor in serving tea is the temperature of your water: the greener the tea, the cooler the water should be, preferably between 70-80° C.. This temperature ensures the gentle flavors of white and green teas are released, whereas boiling water will draw out bitter compounds, making the teas taste unpalatable. If you don’t have a temperature-controlled kettle or one in which you can see the water boiling you may find it easier to boil your water in a pan where you can watch the size of bubbles that rise to the surface a low bubble point where the water just begins to develop steam is optimum.

Oolong tea needs a slightly higher temperature for a perfect infusion - 80-85°C - and the bubbles in the water will be slightly larger than for green tea, roughly the same as for boiling eggs. Steam will also be rising more persistently.

With black teas, you want large size bubbles called a rolling bubble and plenty of steam to rise – the kettle will also be rumbling as the water hits 90-95° C, but the general consensus is not to let the water boil too vigorously as this will result in de-oxygenated water and a stale-tasting tea. (For the same reason you should never reheat water that has already been boiled)

In China and Japan there is a whole ritual to serving tea but don’t let that put you off brewing tea from loose leaves.

If you’re looking to buy the right pot, clay pots breathe better than vitreous porcelain and are better for teas requiring cooler water temperatures. Porcelain tea pots are excellent for black or darker Oolongs, but can reveal the sharper flavors in more delicate teas such as green or white teas. It’s easier to control the amount of time a tea brews in a smaller pot than in a large one.

Glass cups, mugs and pots are visually appealing as you can see the infusion and in the case of flowering teas such as chrysanthemum, these are the preference of the Middle East and give the whole brewing process an aesthetic quality that makes glass cups ideal for post-dinner party tea drinking. (Most fine teas - and all green and white teas - are served without milk and sugar but don’t feel embarrassed to add it if that’s the way you enjoy your cup. You’ll probably find, as your taste for tea develops, that you prefer tea without them) Always swirl your pot with hot water first and discard, this warms the container which is of utmost importance.

One final important point: tea easily picks up ambient aromas, so you should store it in air-tight  dark container.  As exposure to light will lead to a rapid deterioration in the tea’s flavor.