Brewing
How to Brew the Perfect Pot of Tea:
Water
Use the freshest filtered water possible. Fill an empty tea kettle with filtered water.
Warming Teapot
While the water is heating, fill your pot with hot tap water to preheat your teapot. Discard the water once your teapot is preheated.
Measure Out Tea
Measure out 3/4 to one Teaspoon of tea per each 8 oz cup of water. Place your loose leaf tea in an infuser or tea strainer. Place infuser in your teapot or teacup/mug. If you like your tea stronger, try using more tea leaves.
Boiling the Water
Bring water to a rolling boil. Do not let your water boil for an extended period of time, as this draws out the oxygen, which is necessary for the flavor extraction.
About Water Temperature
Only Black, Herb & Fruit, Rooibos, & Herbal Infusions are brewed with boiling water~(212 Degrees F). It is important NOT to use boiling water for Oolong, Green and White Teas. Water at this temperature (212 Degrees F) will "cook" the leaves and destroy the tea and its flavor, creating a bitter tasting tea.
For Oolongs, let your boiling water cool for 1 minute~(190 Degrees F) before adding to your tea leaves. For Green & White Teas, let water cool approximately 2 minutes~(175 Degrees F) before adding to your tea leaves.
Steeping Your Tea
To avoid a bitter taste, never allow your tea to steep beyond the time recommended below. For a stronger cup of tea, add more tea leaves - rather than increasing the steeping time.
WHITE TEA ~ 1-3 Minutes
GREEN TEA ~ 2-3 Minutes
OOLONG TEA ~ 2-3 Minutes
BLACK TEA ~ 3-5 Minutes
ROOIBOS/HERBAL ~ 4-5 Minutes