Make the Perfect Cup!

Step 1: Use Fresh Water

If you want the best quality, avoid boiling again or using previously boiled water. Pour fresh water into a tea kettle, boil it, and be sure to only use that hot water to steep your tea.

Step 2: Pouring

Pour the hot water over the tea bag or leaves, always (not the other way around).

Using teabags? Do not squeeze the tea bags after brewing!

Using loose leaf? Remove the tea leaves immediately after its brewed. You can utilize a teapot to steep your loose tea for the recommended amount of time.

Step 3: Steeping

With your boiling water poured in your tea cup or teapot, you have begun to steep tea. Remember to keep your cup covered during the whole steeping process (perhaps a small round ceramic plate). The purpose of steeping is to infuse the water with the tea, and the type of tea you use will affect this.

It is important to know what tea you are steeping, to ensure you brew it to perfection (and avoid over-steeping, which can make your tea bitter).

Loose leaf tea can be re-steeped multiple times per cup — and they will provide better taste and aroma with each steep.

How to Steep Different Types of Tea

Whether you prefer green tea or herbal tea, everyone has their personal favorite, and each tea has its own unique specifications! These preferences vary based on many factors, including caffeine content. While black tea has about 30-40 milligrams of caffeine, rooibos tea is completely caffeine-free.

The steeping process is also heavily contingent on whether the tea is in a bag or loose leaf. For tea bags, the proper instructions will be listed on the packaging. With loose leaf tea, you might need to figure out the optimal steeping time on your own. Here’s an overview of how to steep different types of loose leaf tea,  according to the tea manufacturer Silk Road Teas.