MAKING THE PERFECT CUP OF TEA

Whether you are looking for a pick-me-up in the morning, an afternoon indulgence, or a relaxing end to the day in the evening, we have done all the hard work. We use the finest quality ingredients to ensure you have the best start to making that "Perfect Cup".

Is there a perfect way to make and drink a cup of tea? Well, it's all about personal taste, but we have put together some brewing suggestions to get you started.

IT ALL STARTS WITH THE STORAGE

Tea is ascorbic, which means it easily absorbs the moisture and odours from the air around it. To keep loose leaf tea fresh and avoid spoiling store it in an air-tight jar or tin, and avoid exposure to light. If storing it in the original zip pouch make sure you reseal it fully after every use.

MAKE A GOOD POT OF TEA 

There are a few golden rules to follow, but don't be afraid to experiment:

• tea needs (in fact loves) oxygen to encourage flavour; always use freshly drawn cold water
• make sure the pot is clean and free of residue
• swirl a small amount of boiled water in the pot to warm it; a cold pot will effect the water temperature and detract from the "brew"
• Black and flavoured black tea: only pour freshly boiled water and don't overboil it. Green tea: always use water just at the boil; see our quick reference table below for temperature suggestions
• "one teaspoon per person and one for the pot" is a good rule of thumb, but add as much or as little to get the strength of tea you like; see our quick reference table below for measure suggestions 
• a tea cosy extends and intensifies the brew, resulting in a "stewed" bitter tasting tea; using a removable infuser is one solution

HOW LONG TO BREW?

You should let loose leaf tea brew in a teapot for up to seven minutes. Another general rule is that the larger the leaf, the longer the brew time to achieve the desired colour and flavour. Our OP1 Black tea and Natural Peach Flavoured tea need five minutes, while a smaller leafed tea only needs three to four minutes.

MILK AND SUGAR

The Chinese added milk to black tea (in their case Yak's milk) to cool the freshly brewed tea and smooth out the flavour. The "milk in first rule" was developed by the English to protect the fine bone china cups it was served in. As the English spent much of the 18th and 19th centuries at war with the French, Dutch, Portugese, and Chinese at one time or another, they did not have access to porcelain and near-boiling tea would crack the cup.

Sugar was added to black tea to counteract the "bitter" taste of strong brews. 

Nowadays it is very much a matter of individual preference - it makes little difference to the actual flavour of the tea whether the milk goes in first or after, and properly brewed tea should not be "bitter". Another good rule of thumb:

• if you know the quantity of milk required for each blend/variety to achieve the desired colour and flavour, put the milk in first as this will aid the "mixing" of the tea in the cup
• if trying a blend/variety for the first time, or serving to someone who's preference is not know, put the milk in after pouring the tea to achieve the desired colour
• sugar can mask the true flavour of a tea; we suggest trying natural fruit flavoured teas

WATER BOILING VISUAL CLUES

The Chinese imaginatively visualize the primary temperatures of water used for brewing tea as:

• "Column of steam steadily rising." This is the period during which a visible pillar of steam materialises, approximately 77 to 82°C (170 to 180°F)
• "Fish eyes." This is when large lazy bubbles start to break the surface, approximately 82 to 93°C (180 to 200°F)
• "String of pearls." This is the moment almost at the boil, when tiny bubbles appear to loop around near the outside of the pot, approximately 88 to 93°C (190 to 200°F)
• "Turbulent waters." This is a full rolling boil, when the water becomes highly oxygenated, approximately 93 to 100°C (200 to 212°F)

OUR BREWING SUGGESTIONS