How to Brewing Loose Leaf Tea

Many tea lovers have such problems. Why isn’t it good to make tea? In fact, “Tea is only half as good as it is made.” Many people have misconceptions about brewing tea. They think that loose leaf tea can be drunk just by making it. In fact, there are still many things to be particular about when making tea.

Although it is not as cumbersome as making tea in a teahouse, it is the tea you bought with your own money. You should treat it well and not be wasteful! In fact, brewing loose leaf tea is not that difficult. As long as you master these four tips, you can easily make a cup of good tea at home.

1、 It is essential to clean tea sets and warm cups

No matter what tea you make, the teapot and cups should be clean and tidy. Avoid cross flavor, which will affect the taste of tea.

Before making tea, first scald the tea set with boiling water, which can disinfect the tea set, remove the odor, clean and sanitary, and make it comfortable to drink.

In addition, the temperature of a teapot or cup soaked in boiling water increases, which is more conducive to stimulating the aroma of tea, which is also called “warm cup” by tea lovers.

2、 The amount of loose leaf tea should be moderate

There is no fixed standard for the amount of loose leaf tea to be used when making tea. Generally, it is controlled by personal feelings.

However, if the amount of tea is too much, the tea will become bitter and astringent, which will affect the tea drinking experience. And often drinking strong tea is bad for your health, and it is also easy to have tea stained teeth, which affects your personal image. If the amount of tea is too small, the tea flavor is insufficient, the taste is light, and the tea flavor cannot be tasted.

Under normal circumstances, the proportion of loose leaf tea and water is about 1:50; Of course, everyone’s taste is different, mainly according to personal preferences.

3、 Proper water quality is important

When brewing tea, the water used is one of the important factors affecting the taste of tea soup.

Soft water or temporary hard water should be selected for making tea. The tap water we use in our life is hard water, not suitable for brewing tea. So you’d better use pure water to make tea, which will taste better.

4、 Proper water temperature is critical

In life, the water temperature is the most easily ignored thing when brewing tea. Different teas use different temperatures.

Many tea lovers who are not particular about making green tea directly brew it with freshly boiled water, which is wrong. Because green tea is tender, if you use boiled water directly, it is easy to “heat” the tea, and the taste will become worse. The boiled water should be placed at about 85 ℃ before brewing.

But when brewing black tea, if the water temperature is too low, it cannot awaken the tea quality. Generally, it is brewed with boiled water or directly boiled.

Different types of tea require different water temperatures:

•    Black Tea:
         * Water Temp: 205-212 F (96-100 ℃)
         * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
•    Oolong Tea:
         * Water Temp: 185-200 F (85-93 ℃)
         * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
•    Green Tea:
         * Water Temp: 165-185 F (73-85 ℃)
         * Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
     White Tea:
         * Water Temp: 160-175 F (71 – 80 ℃)
         * Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
•    Herbal Tea:
         * Water Temp: 205-212 F (96-100 ℃)
         * Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes

Tea brewing is complex and simple. It’s easy to make a good cup of tea as long as you master the right tea making skills. But then again, although the method of making tea is important, it is useless without good tea. Moreover, there are many kinds of tea on the market, which makes people dazzling. Especially for novices, there is no way to start. Here we recommend some good teas that are suitable for most people’s taste.

#1 Harney & Sons Green Tea – Jasmine Tea

The Chinese love to mix Jasmine flowers with various teas. Harney & Sons offers a many options: Jasmine, Yin Hao Jasmine, Jasmine Silver Needles, Dragon Pearl Jasmine, and Black Jasmine. They all come from northern Fujian Province.

#2 Harney & Sons Black Tea – Hot Cinnamon Spice

Harney & Sons’s most popular flavored tea worldwide, Hot Cinnamon Spice is an assertive blend of black teas, three types of cinnamon, orange peel, and sweet cloves. No sugar added. This tea is also known as Hot Cinnamon Sunset. They are the same tea; the name varies only in certain packaging.

#3 Harney & Sons Tea – Formosa Oolong

Formosa Oolong is the style of brown oolong that generations of Americans have loved, especially for its toasty flavor. Don’t worry about the stems; the tea is traditionally made this way in Taiwan. More info about Brewing Method of Oolong Tea.