Make the Perfect Cup of Tea
When you can steep an acceptable cup of tea, why not steep an extraordinary one? This guide will help you do exactly that, make the “Perfect Cup of Tea”. This guide reveals the secret to make the perfect cup of tea, which Chinese tea masters have held for long.
This is an extensive guide to help beginners make the perfect cup of tea. Even experienced tea drinkers will benefit from reading or referring this guide to make their tea better.
Loose leaf teas can produce a wonderful, aromatic and highly complex infusion. How you brew your tea really matters in bringing out the desired flavor profile of the tea. Please remember that each tea, based on the age and the manufacturer can vary in quality. Nevertheless, if you follow the guidelines provided in this guide, you will never be far from making that elusive “Perfect Cup of Tea”.
The secret to make the perfect cup of tea contains four basic components,
- Water
- Temperature
- Tea Leaves
- Time
These four components are highly essential to brew your perfect cup of tea every single day. You will be surprised to learn that how one of the components, take temperature for example can make a significant difference to the brew.
Let’s try an experiment. First, in one cup, pour boiling water over green tea. Then in another, pour barely steaming water on green tea. Most people complain that green tea is dull, muddy and bitter while in reality it should be clean and slightly sweet. Boiling the water burns the tea leaves, muddying and dulling the flavor and taste while over-steeping makes it bitter.
You can get your perfect cup of tea only when the tea steep at the right temperature for the right amount of time that is best suited to that particular type of tea . The results will be well worth the attention you pay.
Secret # 1 – Water – Perfect Cup of Tea
Needless to say, steeped tea is mostly water and hence the quality of the water used for steeping have a distinct effect on the flavor. Tea is very sensitive to the taste of the water and the mineral content. Tap water is best suited for making tea, but if your tap water has chlorinated, chemical taste, then use bottled water. NEVER USE DISTILLED WATER. Distilled water gives tea a flat taste. Alternately, you can use a good quality water filter, such as a Brita, for your tap water.
Always start with freshly drawn water. Freshly drawn water has a large amount of oxygen and usually makes the tea taste better. Water that has been sitting in your tea kettle, especially if it has already been boiled, should NEVER be reused for making tea. The reason is, when water is boiled for too long, it becomes de-oxygenated and the tea will taste flat. (Similar to the flat-tasting tea when it is steeped with distilled water).
If you are someone who uses a water heating and holding system such as coffee making equipment, drain some water away to bring fresh water into play. Drain some water from the system to avoid water that has been sitting for too long in its holding tank. This will ensure that you get fresh oxygen rich water which is essential to make your perfect cup of tea.
Secret # 2 – Water Temperature – Perfect Cup of Tea
Water temperature is absolutely critical for making the perfect cup of tea. Correct water temperature has always been the “Holy Grail” of making the perfect cup of tea. Each type of tea needs a different temperature for best results. For example, for black tea, fully boiling water (about 212°F/100°C) is ideal. For the delicate types of tea, such as green tea or white tea, cooler water is preferable. Water that is steaming rather than boiling (about 175°F/80°C) is more suited to such delicate teas to avoid the tea leaves from being burnt and muddying the brew.
Following the guidelines presented here will help you coax out the flavor profiles of the type of tea you are using. Refer the Table for the water temperature for each type of tea. An instant thermometer is useful, but it is not absolutely necessary. The eye test as described in the chart below will work fine.
Water that is too hot can burn the leaves and can produce a muddy tasting green tea. Some very delicate Japanese green tea does best when the water is as cool as 145°F/63°C. Partially oxidized oolongs which are between black and green tea in oxidization levels, require water temperature that are in-between the optimum water temperature required by black tea and green tea. Since there is such a variation in the oxidization levels , the optimal steeping temperature can vary as well. Some most lightly oxidized oolong can respond well to steeping temperatures like green tea and requiring cooler water. A light to medium oxidized oolong will require a slightly hotter water at around 185°F/85°C while a medium to strongly oxidized oolong requires a lightly boiling water at around 190°F/88°C.to 195°F/91°C.
Type of Tea | Appearance of water (Eye Test) | Water Temperature | Steeping Time |
| Black Tea or Pu-erh | Full, Roiling Boil(Fully Bubbling) | 212°F | 4 Mins + |
| Delicate Black (ex. Darjeeling) | Full, Roiling Boil(Fully Bubbling) | 212°F | 2 to 3 mins |
| Oolong Tea | Light boil (light bubbling) | 185°F to 195°F | 2 to 3 mins |
| Green Tea | Steaming or Cooler (light steam and no hint of bubbles) | 145°F to 175°F | 1.5 to 3 mins |
| Yellow Tea | Steaming or Cooler (light steam and no hint of bubbles) | 145°F to 175°F | 1.5 to 3 mins |
| White Tea | Steaming or Cooler (light steam and no hint of bubbles) | 145°F to 175°F | 1.5 to 3 mins |
*The times listed in the table are based on steeping tea loose in a pot.
Click to learn how to maintain the water temperature for that perfect cup of tea.
Secret # 3 – Quantity of Tea – Perfect Cup of Tea
Well.. You have got a nice selection of loose leaf tea delivered to you, ready for brewing and the water is heating up. You are ready to put tea into the teapot. But WAIT!!!.. What is the ideal water to tea ratio for making that perfect cup of tea?
The general thumb rule for steeping tea, the European style, is one slightly heaped teaspoon of tea per ¾ cup of water.
Translating the Standard Instructions to perfect your brew:
When the standard instructions say one cup, it does not mean one teacup. The measurement of “cup” is based on a teacup; one teacup worth of water is about 6 ounces or ¾ cup. On the other hand, reference to 1 teaspoon is given as an equivalent to a weight designation (around 1.75 grams), so the size of the tea leaf is going to have a significant effect on the amount of tea you use for steeping.
If the size of the lea leaf is small, it is going to pack more densely on the teaspoon and will take less than a heaped teaspoon to make 1.75 grams. Similarly, if the size of the tea leaf is large (such as a large leaf white tea), it will not pack 1.75 grams of tea in the teaspoon and hence will require more than 1 teaspoon to make 1.75 grams.
The below chart will help brew your perfect cup of tea for different types of tea.
TEA LEAF SHAPE | TEA TO USE PER ¾ CUP WATER |
| Oversized (bold) style leaf | 1 tablespoon |
| Tightly rolled leaf | 1 scant teaspoon |
| Medium leaf | 1 teaspoon |
| CTC, broken or fine leaf | 1 scant teaspoon |
Tips for perfecting your cup of tea:
If you prefer your tea with milk, consider adding a little bit more tea for a stronger brew. This is how the “teaspoon per cup and an extra for the pot” rule came about with English style teas that are typically enjoyed with milk.
Secret # 4 – Steeping Time – Perfect Cup of Tea
The steeping time is the fourth and the final secret in making “The Perfect Cup Of Tea”. Every single site on the web will provide you general rules that can be followed to brew your perfect cup of tea. But it will not work for all types of tea. The rules vary according to the specific type of tea, the way it is steeped and most important of all – Individual taste.
In general, a more tightly rolled leaf will take longer to steep and the smaller the leaf size, more exposed is its surface (larger surface area), and shorter is the steeping time. The best way to prepare your perfect cuppa is to steep tea loose in a pot or measuring cup and then strain the brew into a separate warmed pot for serving. (See how to maintain the temperature of the tea). In case you prefer not to steep tea loose, use a pot with built-in diffuser, a tea bag (See how to make your own tea bag) or an infuser ball (which is less desirable). The better the flow of water, the better the resulting tea. The reason tea diffuser is less desired is because the tea diffuser restricts the flow of water and it will slow down the steeping process. Keep this in mind when timing the tea. As a general rule, infuser ball has to be filled with tea only halfway. If an infuser ball is overfilled, the tea leaves cannot expand freely in water and it will result in a weaker tea.
The final deciding factor in making the cup of tea perfect for you is YOU! It is your personal taste. The final and the most important secret to make that perfect cup of tea is that you must start tasting the tea a little earlier than the recommended full steeping time. Continue this process until the taste is to your liking. The question is not just strength. Under-steeped teas can be bland and lack complexity while over-steeped teas can be bitter. With some teas, such as the Darjeelings, it is possible to taste the more subtle notes at a shorter steeping time. Sometimes, catching the tea at the right time can take practice. Some green teas can go from crisp to perfect complexity to bitterness in just 15 seconds.
Take your time to prepare the tea. Don’t rush through it. You must find the right mix of the above 4 secrets to make “your” perfect cup of tea.
This is the secret to make the “Perfect Cup Of Tea”.
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