How to brew a great cup of tea

That said, brewing a good cup of tea is a skill anyone can learn. The step-by-step guide below is a good place to start.

Step 1: A teapot or a mug?

The most important rule here: the tea leaves need space to release their flavours. A teapot with a built-in strainer is ideal. A cup or mug with a separate strainer works just as well.

There are many different types of strainer, but a small ball infuser is not recommended for large loose-leaf tea. The leaves have too little space to expand and release their flavours.

A few methods for steeping your tea:

• Teapot with a built-in strainer: Place the right amount of tea leaves in the strainer, pour hot water into the teapot, and leave to steep.
• Mug with a separate strainer: Place the right amount of tea leaves in the strainer, place it in your mug, pour hot water over it, and leave to steep.
• The two-pot method: This uses two teapots: one for brewing and one to pour into. The leaves steep in the first pot and are then quickly transferred to the second to prevent over-steeping.

Step 2: Choose the right water

"If the leaf is the soul of tea, then water is its heart."

A cup of tea consists of 99 per cent water. Its quality has a direct influence on the flavour, aroma, colour, and clarity of your tea.

Avoid water that is too high in limestone. Excess minerals can negatively affect the lively flavours and aromas of delicate tea leaves.

To make the most of the flavour potential of your tea leaves, aim for water with a dry residue of less than 50 mg per litre and a pH value between 6 and 7. Spa Reine, Mont Roucous, and Mont Calme all meet these requirements. Filtered water is also a good option.

As well as a clear colour, low-mineral water gives your tea a pleasant aroma and flavour.

Read more about this in our article on the important role of water in tea.

Step 3: Heat the water

The correct water temperature is crucial for a good brew. Each type of tea has a different optimal temperature.

• White tea: White tea is delicate and requires particular care. Use water at a temperature of 65–75°C. Delicate white teas such as Silver Needle require the lower end of that range; more robust white teas such as White Peony can handle slightly more.
• Green tea: Green tea prefers water at a maximum temperature of 80°C, which preserves the delicate flavours and prevents bitterness.
• Oolong tea: Oolong varies considerably. Light, floral oolong is best brewed at 80–85°C, while dark or roasted oolong such as Wuyi rock oolong can handle higher temperatures of 90–95°C.
• Black tea: Black tea can handle relatively higher temperatures (90–95°C) to bring out its rich, robust flavour fully. Delicate black teas such as Darjeeling first flush are better at 85–90°C.

There are various ways to bring water to the right temperature:

• Some kettles have a built-in indicator showing the water temperature. The kettle stops heating once a set temperature is reached.
• You can use a cooking thermometer while heating the water.
• If you have neither, you can watch the bubbles in the water as it heats. Note: this is an approximate method that works broadly, but is not very precise.
  • 70°C: When the first small bubbles appear on the base of the kettle, the water has reached approximately 70°C. Ideal for a delicate white or green tea.
  • 80°C: When the bubbles grow in size and the first small wisps of steam rise, the water has reached approximately 80°C. Ideal for a green tea or a light oolong.
  • 90°C: When bubbles begin rising noticeably to the surface, the water has reached approximately 90°C. Ideal for a black tea or a dark oolong.

Step 4: Add your tea leaves

The general rule here is one teaspoon of loose tea leaves per cup. If you have a simple kitchen scale, you can measure the exact weight of the tea leaves straight away.

Place the tea leaves in the strainer of your teapot or cup.

It is perfectly fine to adjust these amounts to your own taste preferences. Using fewer tea leaves will produce a lighter, milder cup. Using more leaves gives a richer, stronger, and sometimes slightly more bitter result.

Step 5: Pour the water and steep

Now gently pour the hot water over your tea leaves. The water-to-leaf ratio matters here: too much or too little water will affect the flavour of your tea.

From this point, the steeping time is an important factor. This also varies by tea type:

• Green tea: 1.5 to 2 minutes
• Light oolong: 2 to 3 minutes
• Dark oolong: 3 to 5 minutes
• White tea: 2 to 3 minutes
• Black tea: 3 to 5 minutes
• Herbal infusions: 5 to 7 minutes

Step 6: Remove the tea leaves

Remove the strainer from your teapot or cup as soon as the tea leaves have steeped for the right amount of time.

Thanks to their high quality, all our loose tea leaves can be used multiple times. Do not discard the leaves after the first brew. Experiment with a second and third infusion and play with the steeping time.

What if your tea does not taste as expected?

Brewing tea is a matter of experimentation. Two common problems and how to solve them:

• Tea tastes bitter: The most common causes are water that was too hot or a steeping time that was too long. Next time, try a lower temperature or remove the tea leaves sooner. When in doubt, always go slightly cooler: water a few degrees too cool does less damage than water that is too hot.
• Tea tastes weak: This is usually due to water that was too cool, too few tea leaves, or too short a steeping time. Adjust one factor at a time so you know what makes the difference.

Step 7: Enjoy

Your cup of tea is ready. Take a moment to breathe in the calming aromas, taste the flavour, and enjoy the warmth.

By using loose tea leaves, you enjoy the natural flavour palette of tea. We recommend enjoying it pure, without added milk or sugar.

Brewing tea is a simple and calming process. Above all, remember that there are no strict rules for making tea. It is all about personal preference.

Want to know how best to store your tea? Read our article on storing loose-leaf tea.