How to Brew Perfect Tea

• Always use good quality tea.

• Always use freshly drawn cold water.

• Warm the pot.

• If using tea bags, use one bag per person. If using leaf tea, put in one heaping teaspoon per person, plus “one for the pot.”

• When the water is at boiling point pour onto the tea and leave to infuse for 5-6 minutes.

• Remove tea leaves or tea bag to stop the infusion. Stir and pour.

• Add milk first or last depending on taste.

China and green teas, which are light and delicate, do not generally take milk well, and flavored teas are better without milk.

Brew a Good Cuppa from a Tea Bag
Most instructions for brewing a good cup of tea call for loose tea leaves and a tea pot. Yet many Americans make their tea one cup at a time using tea bags. Approximately 97% of the leaf tea sold in the U.S. comes in tea bags. In Great Britain the figure is approximately 82%. Tea bags provide a neat and convenient way to enjoy the brew at home or in the office.

The tea bag was invented in the U.S. in 1908 by Thomas Sullivan, a thrifty tea importer, who replaced the large sample tins of tea he was sending to retail customers with small, individual silk bags of tea. Filter paper has since replaced silk and the tea bag has become a staple.

Still, many devoted tea drinkers believe that the taste of tea is subdued when it is bagged, and that loose tea releases all of its aroma and flavor. Can tea lovers get a truly good cuppa from a tea bag? Yes, if they follow the same guidelines that are used for brewing loose tea.

• Start with cold water. Let the water run briefly to get fresh, oxygenated water. Bring to a boil and pour over tea bag in a warmed cup.
• Use the proper amount of tea: a 2 gram tagged tea bag fits a standard 6 ounce tea cup; an 8 ounce mug requires a 2.5 gram English style tea bag. Taylors provides a variety of fine teas in both tagged and English style tea bags.
•  Don’t just dunk a tea bag until the water turns color. Though the brew may darken, that is not an indication of its strength. To reach its full flavor, the tea needs enough time for the leaves to open. Depending on leaf size, that can be between 3 and 5 minutes. Taylors puts the brewing time on all its packaging.
• Once the tea has brewed, remove the tea bag. Tea steeped too long releases too much tannin and tastes bitter.
• Add milk or lemon and enjoy