How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea

There is a wide variety of teas available on the market, each with its own health benefits, flavors, and aromas. If you want to get the full potential of those attributes, especially the flavor, you have to take special care when preparing and brewing the tea. This guide will show you some quick and easy steps for how to make the perfect cup of tea.

Use Freshly Boiled Water

Suffice it to say, making tea is going to require boiling water. However, don’t just use water that has been leftover in the kettle because it won’t have the right oxygen levels. By boiling your tea leaves in freshly drawn and filtered water, you allow the flavor to flourish inside the kettle as it boils.

Water Temperatures

Different types of tea require different water temperatures for steeping. For example, if you’re making a cup of green tea, it’s best to use water with a temperature of around 170 degrees Fahrenheit. However, other types of tea, such as black tea, thrive in best in temperatures around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Begin Steeping

Wait two to three minutes before pouring the water on your tea leaves. This might sound silly at first, but if you pour the boiling water right away, you run the risk of burning the tea leaves, which will result in a much less enjoyable cup of tea.

Steep Time

Similar to the temperature, this usually depends on the specific type of tea you’re brewing. It’s important to get the steep time just right because, if you let it go too short or too long, it won’t deliver that desired flavor. The perfect steeping time for black tea and yerba mate is typically between three and five minutes, whereas green tea usually only needs two to three minutes of steeping. Hibiscus tea, on the other hand, can often require as long as four to eight minutes for proper steeping.

Got Milk?

Milk typically comes down to a personal taste issue. If you’d like to add milk to your cup, if we’re going by a water measurement of 150-200 mL, you should consider adding 5-10 mL of milk for the best flavor balance. Add too much, and it’ll overpower the cup. However, a splash of milk with a bold black tea can enhance the flavor instead of hindering it.

Now, you can officially brag to your fellow tea-drinking friends that you’ve cracked the code for how to make the perfect cup of tea. Luckily, since certain teas require slightly different temperature and steep times, many of our products at Fusion Teas comes with brewing instructions right on the packaging. That way, the next time you get one of our teas, such as our loose leaf hibiscus options, you can put the knowledge you gained from this guide to the test.