There are plenty of reasons to drink tea. When used as an alternative to coffee, tea can provide caffeine without keeping you awake all night or make you anxious during the day. Many teas can provide incredible health benefits, like my favorite–jasmine green–which is packed with antioxidants. And most importantly, tea is just plain delicious. Especially when made well. Right now, you may be content tossing a mug full of water in the microwave and plopping in a tea bag. While there’s nothing wrong with that, there are a few simple strategies to brew a better pot of tea in a less wasteful manner. Besides, as Uncle Iroh says in Avatar: The Last Airbender, “Good tea is its own reward.” Here are four tips for brewing a better pot of tea.
1. Start Using Loose Leaves
For less waste and a fuller flavor.
Where tea bags come in individual packaging, loose leaves come packed all together in a single container. This means significantly less waste per cup of tea, which can compound quickly if you drink more than one cup a day. Additionally, each individual tea bag creates one cup of tea, where a heaping tablespoon of loose leaves can make a whole pot. If you don’t throw out those leaves, you can even make a second or third pot by steeping for a minute longer each time. Most teas are good for two to three infusions, which means money saved!
And if none of those things convince you to make the switch, perhaps the difference in flavor will. After all, we are trying to make a better pot of tea here. The crushed leaves in tea bags do not lend as full-bodied a flavor as whole leaves. They may infuse faster, but they may also taste more bitter. Loose leaves soak up the water and unfurl as they steep, adding more complex flavors to your drink. Tea sachets offer a middle ground between the two options, if you can’t commit to the change.
Of course, to use loose leaves, you’ll need a teapot and infuser. Fortunately, you can buy those for cheap on Amazon or at your local supermarket. I use this teapot/infuser for its medium size and affordability. And for their quality and price, I buy my leaves from Harney & Sons, specifically the jasmine green. Their website also has a quiz if you don’t know which tea might be right for you.
2. Use An Electric Kettle
Make sure your water is the right temperature.
If you don’t brew your tea at the right temperature, you’re likely to “burn” the leaves and release a bitter flavor into your drink. Before you heat up the water in your kettle, check the recommended temperature at which to steep your leaves. This will be denoted on the back of the box. For green teas, the recommended temperature will usually be around 180°F.
An electric kettle can make heating to the correct temperature very easy and will reduce the chance of you spilling boiling water on your hands (been there). However, I understand that not everyone can make this investment right away. If you prefer, heat up your water in a pot and use a thermometer to measure the temperature.
3. Use Filtered Water
Tap won’t cut it.
When you’re filling your kettle, use filtered water and not tap. Unless, of course, you live in a location where your tap water is effectively the same quality. This may seem like overkill at first, but think about it. Your water is the basis of your drink. If you want to get a higher quality drink, you need higher quality ingredients. And some types of water are higher quality than others!
I’m not saying you need to go out and buy overpriced bottles of water which have been unnecessarily pH-controlled. But using a crisper base for your tea will result in a crisper tea. Simple as that.
4. Rinse Off Your Leaves
Clean leaves make a clean drink.
This tip may not be crucial depending on what kind of tea you’re drinking, but it doesn’t hurt. Pour a small amount of water over your leaves and discard it before you actually steep your tea. You can do this straight from the kettle after heating.
Whether from the garden or the facility in which they were packed, you don’t know if any impurities remain on your leaves. Make sure they’re clean by rinsing them before you steep them.
5. Heat Your Teapot
Prevent temperature loss.
Pour some hot water in your teapot and swirl it around. In fact, this can even be the same water that you used to rinse your leaves. What this will do is heat up the inside of your teapot. Thus, when you pour the rest of the water, the teapot won’t cool it down. Remember, you want your water to remain at the recommended temperature for steeping. Naturally, a room temperature teapot will absorb some of that heat.
If you don’t do this, no sweat. This tip isn’t crucial either, but I’m giving you all the knowledge you need to make a better pot of tea.
6. Set A Timer
Don’t oversteep!
I’ve seen some folks steep their tea for far longer than the recommended time because they “want more caffeine.” Ideally, if you wanted a beverage with a higher amount of caffeine, you would find different tea leaves (black or Earl Grey), or you would make coffee.
In my experience, there seems to be a pervading attitude that drinking your coffee darker and stronger means that you’re more manly, more gutsy, more macho. And if you can’t handle the bitterness, then you’re a bubble blowin’ baby. Putting aside the fact that people should be allowed to enjoy whatever they want however they want so long as it doesn’t harm others, I find it unfortunate that this attitude sometimes carries over to teas.
Teas aren’t meant to be bitter. They should have a more mild flavor, sometimes with floral or fruity notes. So, if you like, read the back of the box, and steep the tea for the recommended amount of time. Setting a timer on your phone can help with this. I’ve forgotten my tea several times and come back to a bitter mess.
Enjoy a better pot of tea.
There you are! Not so hard. All it requires is a teapot, an infuser, some leaves, and maybe an electric kettle. Now, with your newfound knowledge, go and make some tea for a friend. Or a stranger! After all, to again quote Uncle Iroh, “Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.”
– AJG
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