It is perhaps presumptuous to think that one can teach another to make tea. One has been making tea for years and does not need someone else to tell how a perfect cup may be brewed, one may well say! But even tea lovers, may yet improve upon the entire tea drinking exercise with some of these useful tips:

Loose Leaf Tea is Best

While, for reasons of convenience or lack of time, we do often find ourselves constrained to use the ubiquitous tea bag, whenever possible, use loose leaf tea to brew your cup. One reason for this is, when tea leaves are separate they are better able to infuse the water with aroma and taste. Another reason to try and use loose leaf tea when possible is that some of the less reputed manufacturers use very low grade dust tea in the bags that are packaged and sold. The left over dust from loose leaf tea is sometimes used in tea bags.

Use a Teapot

To get the best possible results of steeping tea in terms of aroma, flavor and taste, a teapot is great. Whether iron, ceramic or porcelain, each can bring out distinctive flavors and nuances of the tea and add to the experience of tea drinking because of their visual appeal.

Steep it for the Optimal Amount of Time

When steeping tea, it is important to do so in water that is the right temperature and it is important to do so for the right amount of time. Tea steeped for too little time or in water that is not hot enough, may not bring out all of the flavor and taste. You may end up with tepid, weak tea that is less palatable. Steeping for too long can result in too much caffeine in the tea which some people cannot tolerate very well.

Buy Right

As the wine connoisseur knows his vintage from his plonk, so does the tea connoisseur know his fine tea from the common or garden variety.  Judging tea is after all a matter of taste but many enjoy fine teas the same way that they enjoy the other finer things of life. For people such as these, the grocery store or supermarket is not the place to source tea. An actual tea shop, one that specializes only in tea would be a better bet. It is here that one would receive guidance from a person knowledgeable in teas. The next best is an online tea store which will also offer as wide or perhaps a wider range of fine teas, so that each of us can indulge our taste for tea to the hilt!

Tags: loose leaf, steep. blend, tea, tips