Brewing Tea: 5 Things to Know

25 Oct Brewing Tea: 5 Things to Know

When it comes to brewing a great cup of tea, there is no magic.  Ultimately, if you’ll pardon the pun, brewing tea boils down to your personal taste and preference.  That being said, there are a few general steps we use here at Cafe Brew Collection by Medelco that you can follow to ensure a blissful cup of tea!

Fresh Water

Fresh water forms the foundation of your brew so if you begin with poor water, your tea doesn’t stand a chance.  We recommend brewing tea with filtered water or even bottled water in your Café Brew Collection Stovetop Whistling Kettle that has the right balance of natural minerals.  Fresh water also contains more oxygen with will result in a richer tea aroma and taste.

Café Brew brand Glass Stovetop Whistling Kettle by Medelco

Water Temperature

The water temperature you choose for brewing tea will depend on the type of tea leaves.  Herbal and Dark teas should be prepared with water that is nearly boiling directly from your stovetop whistling kettle.  Do not boil too long because the oxygen will be depleted from the water resulting in a flat tasting tea.  The ideal temperature for lighter tea such as white and green tea is between 170-180 degrees F.  If the temperature is any higher the tea leaves will cook and ruin the flavor.

Tea Measurements

As a rule of thumb, for every 6 ounces of water you should use one rounded teaspoon of tea leaves.  Depending on your tea blend, you may need to adjust your tea amount.

Tea Infusers

When brewing loose leaf teas, be sure to use a quality tea infuser that provides proper steeping and keeps your tea leaves intact.  We recommend using Dunkfish Tea Infusers or Personal Tea Infusers from the Café Brew Collection.  These innovative infusers are constructed of high quality stainless materials and the novel Dunkfish Tea Infusers make for great discussion around the table!

Brewing Tea with the Café Brew brand Dunkfish Tea Infuser by Medelco

Steep Time

Smaller leaves infuse faster than larger leaves so the steep time really depends on the type of tea leaves being brewed.  Generally, we recommend brewing tea for 2-3 minutes, but taste is subjective so feel free to experiment with steep times.  Following are a few guidelines recommended by The Fragrant Leaf:

• Japanese Green Teas: 1-2 minutes
• Chinese Green Teas: 2-3 minutes
• White Teas: 2-5 minutes
• Dark Oolong Teas & Black Teas: 3-5 minutes
• Herbal Infusions: 5-10 minutes