How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea Like a Pro

Did you know that tea is the most consumed beverage in the world next to water? It’s a versatile drink that comes in many flavors, you can drink it on a winter day or poolside under the sun. If you’ve always wanted to brew loose leaf tea like a pro, this is the article for you.

The good news is that it’s not complicated to make a perfect cup of tea. Follow our directions and get ready to impress everyone with your new set of skills.

Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.

Get the Right Tools for the Job

First things first, you’ll need the right tools for the job.

You’ll want to have loose leaf tea, of course. This can be any kind of loose leaf tea, choose your favorite.

Grab a cup, mug, or pot. Anything that you can enjoy your tea in. 

Preparing tea in a tea infuser or filter is the best way to prepare tea. Be sure to grab one and add it to your toolkit. 

You’ll also need an electric or stovetop tea kettle to heat your water. You can also heat the water in a pot on the stove if you don’t have a kettle.

Heat Your Water Up

Start by filling your kettle with cold, filtered water and turn it on. Remember that you can heat water using a pot on the stove if you don’t have a tea kettle. Although we don’t recommend heating water in a microwave, sometimes you’re in a rush, it’s understandable. 

The proper tea brewing temperature for tea can range anywhere from 140 degrees (for specialty green teas) to 212 degrees (for black and herbal teas). Keep in mind that there are gradations in between.

Water temperature is one of the most important aspects of a properly prepared cup of loose leaf tea. If the water is too hot, you could burn the tea leaves. Water that is too cool can make your tea bland and weak. 

The water temperature also influences the caffeine content of your tea. Clearly, the most important element of knowing how to brew loose leaf tea is using water that is the perfect temperature. 

Don’t assume that you need a temperature-controlled electric kettle to get the right cup of tea. These are handy devices but all you need to do is pay attention to the water as it warms.

Measure Your Tea Leaves

As your water heats up, place an infuser or tea filter into your cup or pot and measure the best loose leaf tea leaves into it. Generally, we recommend using one teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every six ounces of water. With that said, different tea leaves might require a different amount. 

For example, some white or herbal teas might require a bigger teaspoon. If you prefer a stronger tea, you’ll also want to use more tea leaves. 

Don’t be too caught up on measurements, it isn’t an exact science when it comes to tea leaves. Feel free to use whatever spoon you have on hand or eyeball it. Once you get used to making a perfect cup of tea, you’ll get a better sense of how much tea leaves you need. 

Steep Your Tea

Once your water is at the desired temperature, it’s time to infuse your tea leaves. Instead of spooning tea leaves into hot water, pour the hot water over the leaves. This ensures that every part of your leaf is saturated, which will make it more flavorful. 

You may be wondering how long you should steep your tea. This depends on the type of tea. Some teas only need to be infused for a minute or two while others can be infused for up to ten minutes.

The best way to get the right steep time is to time your brew. You can use the timer on your phone, a clock, or a designated tea time. Once you get used to how long it takes to infuse tea, you can estimate the times based on what you prefer. 

Generally speaking, oolong and green teas can be steeped for about three minutes, white tea for four minutes, and black teas for five minutes. Try to avoid steeping tea longer than 5 minutes, it’ll end up tasting bitter. For a stronger cup, add more tea leaves and keep the timing the same. 

Herbal teas can be left to steep longer without taking on a bitter flavor.

Remove Tea Leaves and Enjoy

Once your tea is done steeping, it’s time to remove the tea leaves from your pot and enjoy the tea. If you steeped the tea directly in the teapot, you’ll want to hold a strainer over your teacup and catch the damp leaves as you pour out the tea. You should discard the used tea leaves while they’re damn, or wait until they’ve dried out.

How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea

Is there anything better than getting under a warm blanket and sipping a hot cup of tea? It helps that drinking tea has multiple benefits. If you’re looking for the best way to brew loose leaf tea, look no further, this guide has got you covered. 

There’s no need to feel intimidated, the process is quite simple and doesn’t require much. All you need to focus on is making sure the temperature is right and that you’re ready to relax.

Looking for more helpful articles like this? Be sure to check out the Popular Foods section of our blog!