Ceramics brand Denby has shared advice for making the ideal cup of tea. Many love the convenience and simplicity of shop-bought tea bags, but if you’re looking to go all out and brew the perfect cup, you may prefer to opt for a loose leaf variety.
Loose leaf tea tends to be fresher than shop bought tea bags, which can also make them more flavourful. Plus, it can give you more control over the strength of your tea, as you can simply sprinkle a few more leaves in if you prefer a stronger taste.
As well as being full in flavour, loose leaf tea is fairly easy to make so you’ll find it isn’t much extra effort than using a tea bag. Simply put your desired amount of loose leaf tea into your tea pot (around a teaspoon per 170ml of water is the average, but you can top this up or cut it down depending on your desired strength). Allow it to brew for around 3 to 5 minutes for black loose leaf teas, or 3 to 4 minutes for green varieties, and then simply pop a tea strainer over your tea cup and pour the brew in. Some teapots come with internal strainers to make it even easier for loose leaf lovers to enjoy a brew.
If you can’t do without a tea bag but you want to try something a little different, you can even try making your own. Crafting handmade tea bags is easy and low effort, with only a few products needed, including loose leaf tea, food grade muslin squares, and thin thread.
Many of us simply wait until the kettle has boiled and pour the boiling water on top of our tea bag. But if you’re looking to brew the perfect tea, it’s actually a lot more precise than this. The right temperature for your tea depends largely on the type of tea leaf you’re brewing. You can use the temperatures below as a guide, but you can also check the packaging of your tea for the most accurate temperature recommendation.
· Black tea: 90°C to 98°C
· Green tea: Around 80°C
While some prefer their cups of tea to be as simple as possible, others enjoy enhancing the flavour with a few extra additions.
· Honey: This can be used with a variety of teas, including black tea, green tea, and chamomile.
· Mint leaves: As well as being ideal for enhancing the minty flavour of peppermint tea, mint leaves can also add a refreshing taste to green tea and lemon balm tea.
· Ginger: Use this to add even more of a kick to your ginger tea, or add it to citrus-based teas to create a bold flavour.
· Lemon: A slice of lemon is traditionally served with an Earl Grey, but this citrus fruit also makes a great addition to ginger flavoured teas, as well as black and green varieties.
If you’re opting for loose leaf tea, a tea pot is a necessity for brewing your drink. But even if you opt for tea bags instead, a tea pot is still a good idea as it gives you an easy and convenient way to top up your cup without heading back to the kitchen and brewing a new drink from scratch. Ceramic tea pots are particularly popular as the material can retain heat for a long period of time.
Many claim that tea cups make the drink taste better. But mugs tend to hold more liquid, making them a great choice for those who enjoy a larger cup of tea.
