9 rules for making the perfect cup of tea

8/12/2019 9 Rules for Making the Perfect Cup Of tea

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en.wikipedia.org

JacksGap /edgeshair.tumblr.com

His essay contained very important rules about making tea, such as

One should drink out of a good breakfast cup that is, the cylindrical type of

cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other

kind ones tea is always half cold before one has well started on it.The problem is that nearly 50 years later many people are still, still, getting tea

wrong. Very wrong. Every time. Especially Americans. So to settle this once and

for all, here is a guide of what you shouldntdowhen making tea.

Write these rules down. Immediately.

1. Do not leave the kettle alone when boiling tea.
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Shutterstock

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Leave the kitchen whilst boiling the kettle so you can do something else? No.

You are making a British cup of tea. You are an ambassador for the tea. You areexpected to wait next to the kettle at all times.

Why? You have to wait for the ticking noise, six seconds after the kettle has

done that bubbling noise (the ticking is always much later than you ever

intended). When it has gone off, wait a tiny bit so it is overboiled. Then it is ready.

You must be ready.

If you arentready, you have failed.
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2. Do not brew the tea for fewer than 3 minutes.

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Some say 3 minutes. Some say 180 seconds. Please aim for somewhere around

the middle. It is critical that you brew between these times and not a second less.

Oh and warm the pot immediately.And when you are brewing it, leave that teabag alone. Put it in and leave it. Do

not squeeze it. Do not dip it. Do not stir it. Do not wring it. Abandon it. If you

squeeze, dip, stir or wring it during the brewing period you have offended a

British person.

3. Do not leave the teabag in the mug.
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Twitter: @georgiecel

Twitter: @MarionMcHugh

People tend to have floating tea bags whilst drinking their tea for two reasons.

The first reason? We have no time. We now live in a cash-strapped iPhone

minimalist design society. The second reason? It is fun. Pressing the top of the

teabag back into the mug after it has floated to the top, just so it cangobbbbbblooooobbbbbbblleee topsy turvy.

But then are logistical problems. How do you deal with that squelchy bag at the

bottom of every mug after every cup? And how do you tip the tea down into your

mouth without the tea bag falling into your face resulting in first-degree burns?

Think about it.
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But offering them UHT now? In the sanctuary of their office or in the privacy of

their own home? How dare you. How dare you. Hang your head in shame.

5. NEVER put the sugar teaspoon into the tea.

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Why? Because you will contaminate the sugar. Contaminate the sugar!

You must tip the spoonful of sugar you are intending to to use into the mug from

the spoon. You then must return your spoon into the packet of sugar and repeat

until you have the allocation of sugar you need in the mug. Once you have done

this, it is then completely suitable to then stir the tea until all of the sugar has

dissolved. And you must stir. Keep stirring!
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If you haventdone this, then you have failed.

6. Never use a different type of milk than anticipated.

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Twitter: @xavitat

Using semi-skimmed milk even though you have been told to use skimmed

milk?What are you? A criminal?Using skimmed milk instead of semi-skimmed

milk? I cant believe you are suggesting that. Its just utterly insulting.
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Using 1% milk because that was the only thing that was left in the shop? STOP.

It is just hurting so much right now.

Also, never decide to use Earl Grey teabags instead of English breakfast if there

arent any English breakfast left. This is an insult. Instead, you must leave the

house and head to the nearest shop that sells the correct teabags posthaste even if it is 3 oclock in the morning and the store is in another country. British

people dont expect anything else.

7. Never ever EVER pour the milk in first. EVER.

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Why should you never put the milk in first? Because the tea will never get to a

tea colour. It will just stay a milk colour. The milk colour!Youve just poured your

colleagues or your other loving half a pint. A pint of milk! Well done, you.

Oh so you will go back and rectify this in the kitchen will you? OK. How do we

sort this out? Make the tea all over again? Nah. That will take a lot of time. Likeall of three minutes. I know, you decide in your inspired wisdom Ill go and pour

more hot water into the mug.Nope wait.hang on a minute, its just looking

more and more like milk. OH GOD watery milk.

8. NEVER EVER use a microwave to reheat your tea.

Scot Bryan / BuzzFeed

Seriously? You might as well cook a whole roast dinner in there from scratch.

You disgust me.

9. And clean the shit up afterwards.


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Choosing your water is the best place to start if you want to improve the flavor of your

teas. Prepare cups of tea side by side using different sources of water and taste the

difference.

Choose the Best Tea

Choosing the best tea is not always easy. Grocery stores generally only carry teabags filled with low quality tea leaves. Although they might seem like a bargain, these

"name brands" are not worthy of being consider tea. Health food stores are more

likely to carry teas marketed as gourmet but typically have a limited selection of

average tea. These teas are an improvement to that of your local grocery store,

however they are lacking true quality. When it comes to buying quality tea, visiting a

tea house is a great place to start sampling different teas. This try before you buy

method of discovery is always fun. However, until recently, tea houses were only

found in major cities. But with the ever growing demand for quality teas, new ones are

spreading throughout the west. Choosing a reputable supplier is important. Imperial

Tea Garden carries a wide selection of teas in all price ranges. Buying rare and

exotic teas from around the globe has never been so easy. Choose Imperial TeaGarden and taste the difference.

How much tea should I use?

As a rule of thumb - - use 1-2 teaspoons per 8 ounce cup and gradually add more

tea to achieve the briskness and body of your choosing. For best results, be sure to

allow room for the water to circulate between the leaves for best results regardless of

which brewing apparatus you choose.

Water TemperatureAside from choosing the best water and tea leaves possible, Water temperature is the

most critical element in preparing the perfect cup of tea. Regardless of which

apparatus you choose to boil your water, remember to follow these guidelines when

starting out. Heat the water in a glass, ceramic or clay teapot until it reaches a boil

(212 degrees Fahrenheit) then allow the water to cool before brewing your tea.

Guideline: 180 degrees for green tea, 190 degrees for Oolong tea, 200 degrees for

black tea.

This is especially important when preparing delicate green teas. These temperatures

can be increased following successive brews. Quality teas can often be steeped 2-3

times.

Brewing Methods

Loose leaf in a teapotThis method of brewing tea allows for maximum freedom for

the leaves to unfurl. This makes for a stronger, more flavorful cup. The

disadvantages are removing the leaves, and cleaning the teapot after brewing. If the

tea is not served and allowed to infuse longer than necessary, the tea can become


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bitter.

The tea ballMost tea balls are made from aluminum or stainless steel mesh to hold

the tea in place. This allows for easier cleanup of the leaves. However, there is

usually insufficient space for the tea leaves to expand and prevents water from

circulating freely around the tea leaves. Tea balls vary in sizes from one to threeinches.

Stainless-steel mesh infuserThis method is similar to the tea ball, however,

handles were added for easier handling and cleaning. The same disadvantages hold

true for the mesh infuser as do for tea balls.

Basket filtersBasket filters that fit most teacups and mugs can be used to make

individual cups of tea. They are made from plastic, stainless steel, or decorative

ceramics. Basket filters are also available to fit inside teapots. This method of

brewing tea allows the leaves to circulate freely. It also makes cleanup and disposal

easy. The downfall is that not all baskets fit all teapots.

Tea socksTea socks are a fabric enclosure and perform similar to the basket

filters. The disadvantages are that they stain and can retain the flavor and odor of

previous batches. If you switch between green tea and black tea this would not be

favorable.

Tea pressThe tea press is a glass enclosure with a mesh plunger that allows the

leaves to circulate freely while brewing and allows for compacting them to the bottom

before pouring. Tea presses are available in 2, 4, and 6-cup sizes. Be sure to size

correctly for your needs.

Brewing machinesMost coffee-brewing machines heat the water temperature

near boiling. Although this works well for coffee beans its not suited for brewing fine

tasting green tea or oolong tea. Specifically designed tea brewing machines are now

coming onto the market but at a premium cost.

Steep time

After gauging the proper water temperature, the tea leaves are steeped in the water

using one of the methods listed above. Steeping tea leaves should be allowed to set

still during this process because excess motion can cause the release of more tannins

which can lead to bitter tasting tea. Do not steep tea for to long before serving whenbrewing in a teapot. Many newer teapots have basket filters that can be removed

after the tea has steeped for the recommended time. Start with 1-3 minutes and

gradually increase the time to your preferred likeness. This is especially important

when preparing delicate green teas.

Serving Tips


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Host a Tea Party with assorted tea sandwiches and other snacks prepared ahead of

time. Use a tea warmer to keep freshly prepared tea warm for refills and be sure you

have mastered your preparation techniques. This is no time for guessing.

Enjoy your perfect cup of tea!

How Much?

This depends on how you like your tea but a good rule of thumb is:

A go od teaspoon of tea and one cup of water per person.


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2. Warm cup method. Pour freshly boiled water into the number of tea cups required. The water can

then be returned to the teapot with the tea. In this way the water is measured precisely and none will be

left in the pot once it has been brewed and poured.

3. Hand-filled Tea Bags. Simply spoon leaf teas into these large, unbeached paper bags- large enough

to allow the whole leaves to swell as they infuse.

Steeping Times

White Tea

White tea is the purest and most delicate of all teas. It needs longer brewing time than other teas. Please

allow to steep for 3-6 minutes.

For a subsequent brewing less time is needed to steep the White Silver Tip Tea because the water will

have already penetrated the tips, allowing the flavour to be released. It can be brewed many times

without becoming bitter.

Malawi Antlers can be infused over and over again. We have made over 10 infusions from one teaspoon.

Green Tea

Green teas should be brewed for 2- 3 minutes for the first brew. If you are going to make iced tea or to

sweeten the green tea with sugar you may want to let it steep a little longer to bring out the more robust

tannic flavours.

Oolong

In China Oolong is drunk from tiny cups and each sip savoured. The best results are achieved by making

it in small quantities with a high leaf to water ratio. The number of infusions depends on your own tastebut oolong is often re-infused over six times revealing different subtleties of flavour each time.

Once brewed the aroma can be savoured for a moment before the taste.

Black Tea

For black tea the steeping times really differ with preference. If you want to drink the tea on it's own

(without milk) 1-2 minutes is ideal but if you want to build the strong tannic flavours you may want to leave

it longer for 3-4 minutes.

Rare Tea takes longer than a tea-bag because we use whole leaves not tiny particles of tea and it takes

longer for the water to penetrate the leaf. We hope you agree that the flavour is well worth the wait.

Milk and sugar?

White teas are so delicate and naturally sweet that you won't need to add sugar or milk. With green we

recommend honey over sugar. With black tea anything goes. We only sell the best leaf teas - and they do

not need anything but it's entirely a matter of taste.


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9 rules for making the perfect cup of tea

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