How To Make The Perfect Cup Of Tea
Here's how to make the best cuppa.
I love a good cuppa? It’s a tradition, warm hug, to love no matter where you are or what time of day. Most of us probably believe we are correct on how to make the perfect cup of tea, but we might be surprised to find out we are doing it completely wrong. And I went to some serious effort to figure out what exactly we should be doing.
There are a number of important components when it comes to tea making including the temperature, the brewing time and even the crockery you serve it in – and according to my internet research, magazine reading and tea books, THIS is what you should be doing…
So, how do you make the perfect cup of tea?
Freshly drawn water
Chuck that stale water away, now! For optimum taste, you need to make sure you fill the kettle with fresh, cold water. Avoid re-boiling what might already be in there, because let’s face it, we’re all guilty of this.
The perfect temperature
The temperature of your water is crucial to the making of a good cup of tea. Now the perfect temperature does depend on what tea you’re making. For a black tea, you’re looking at around 95ºC-98ºC, whereas for green/delicate teas it’s slightly lower with 80ºC-85ºC. This is because different teas release their flavour compounds at different temperature.
I appreciate my new kettle, it has boiling temperature options so I get it right every time. I also love that Pluck Tea gives brewing instructions on the back of every bag of tea. So a quick glance tells me what temperature the water should be.
Brewing time
For some peculiar reason we tend to ignore the suggested brewing time for most teas, which means we aren’t experiencing the optimum flavour of the tea. Lack of patience I think.
In fact, the average brewing time for tea is a disappointing 40 seconds. Seriously, how do we expect to make a good cuppa with that?
Surprisingly, you should be brewing your tea for at least three to five minutes. I know, it sounds pretty long, but trust me, it makes all the difference! Basically, just READ the instructions. Add that some of us like a strong brew while others prefer their tea weak.
Material matters!
I have all too often been disappointed putting my tea in a metal thermos that has held coffee. The coffee flavour/residue is everlasting so I have designated tea only vessels. Plus I have read that those antique silver teapots that grandma has, are not great for brewing a cuppa. It adds flavour that you do not want. Porcelain should be your go-to and some have said try and stay clear from using clay-based crockery. I read that clay materials tend to taint the flavours of tea, especially if they clay isn’t well glazed.
It’s also good to get in a habit of warming your teapot before brewing your tea, this will help the tea achieve an optimal brew process without scalding the tea leaves and motivating a better aroma and taste.
Milk first, or last?
I never use dairy or non dairy milks or creams in my cup of tea. I like the all natural flavour. But if you enjoy a spot of dairy read on. One thing we should probably cover is the whole milk first or milk last debate. The experts suggest it MUST be MILK LAST and told us that milk acts as a masking agent. I read that the milk first was done long ago to protect the porcelain cup, while others say milk last so you have better control of the flavour. So friends, it is entirely up to you. First, last or not at all. Remember herbal teas do not like dairy, the cream tends to curdle.
Summary
Use freshly drawn cold water preferably filtered
Ensure your water is the correct temperature
Sugar and milk are entirely up to you
Brew for at least 3-5 minutes according to the manufactures suggestion.
Serve in a porcelain teapot/cup
Practice patience
ENJOY !
