Tea Trucs - Tips for brewing better tea

[Richard Kilgore]

Please tell us what you have learned that makes for better tea brewing.

I'll kick it off with a few basics ---

1) Use the correct amount of leaf (leaf:water ratio)

2) Use the correct temperature for the type of tea leaf

3) Violate 2 & 3. That is, experiment with all the variables and see what pleases you.

More later.

What have you learned in making your tea?

[chamekke]

Preheating the pot and cups is usually a good move, too.

[Beebs]

-If you have access to really good tap water, use that instead of bottled water. There's more oxygen in tap water.

-Use good-quality tealeaves.

-For some teas, I find it's helpful to rinse the leaves.

-Use a tea timer (or similar).

[Richard Kilgore]

If your tea is a little weak for your taste, try 1) using more leaf, or 2) use a higher temp water. For example if you used a teaspoon of tea leaf, try 1 1/2 next time, or if you brewed it with 195 F water, next time try 200 F or higher.

I also do this if after two or three infusions of a tea leaf Western style the tea is a little weak: use a little less quantity of water and/or raise the temp. Sometimes this allows for another infusion or two.

[Richard Kilgore]

If your teapot cools faster than you can drink your tea - and you don't have a tea cozy to keep it warm - just wrap it in a tea towel. I even do that with Chinese Yixing pots.

Have any tips for us today?

[Naftal]

Please tell us what you have learned that makes for better tea brewing.

I'll kick it off with a few basics ---

1) Use the correct amount of leaf (leaf:water ratio)

2) Use the correct temperature for the type of tea leaf

3) Violate 2 & 3. That is, experiment with all the variables and see what pleases you.

More later.

What have you learned in making your tea?

←

I try never to violate rule #1,but everything else is *up for grabs*.

[Richard Kilgore]

If your tap water has an off-taste or is too hard, try filtering your water with an in-line filtering system or a simple and inexpensive Britta (or similar) filter jug. Works for me.

Avoid distilled water, which will make your tea taste flat.

[Naftal]

If your tap water has an off-taste or is too hard, try filtering your water with an in-line filtering system or a simple and inexpensive Britta (or similar) filter jug. Works for me.

Avoid distilled water, which will make your tea taste flat.

←

Richard-This makes a lot of sense.Distillling takes the positive qualities out of water just like it takes the negative qualities out. That is why Lu Yu ( the tea saint) believed that the best waters came from specific parts of specific rivers.

[ghostrider]

Good advice above.

If you want to take it to the next level, the trick is to toss the leaves loose into the pot - no tea balls, mesh baskets, etc. You'll be surprised at what it does to the quality & complexity of your cup.

Of course you need to strain it off after brewing is done. I use 2 pots, one for brewing & one for pouring, since I always brew 2-3 cups at a time. Each pot gets warmed with near-boling, & then boiling, water before use.

[Richard Kilgore]

Good advice above.

If you want to take it to the next level, the trick is to toss the leaves loose into the pot - no tea balls, mesh baskets, etc.  You'll be surprised at what it does to the quality & complexity of your cup.

Of course you need to strain it off after brewing is done.  I use 2 pots, one for brewing & one for pouring, since I always brew 2-3 cups at a time.  Each pot gets warmed with near-boling, & then boiling, water before use.

←

Thanks ghostrider. I agree. Letting the leaves open up fully is the best. I also sometimes do this when brewing in a large cup: one to brew loose leaves, then pour through an infuser placed in the second cup.

Anyone have any tips for us today?