When you crave a hot cup of tea, consider preparing it at home. Brewing your own loose leaf tea can save you time and money and provide you with a satisfying drink prepared to perfection. Creating the perfect beverage to suit your tastes and soothe your craving can be simple. The six steps described here will guide you in preparing loose leaf tea properly, so you can brew your own loose leaf tea and pour yourself a cup. Then, sit back and enjoy your warm, comforting beverage.
To make loose leaf tea, you will need: drinkable water, a container for heating water, loose leaf tea, a teapot, a teaspoon and a teacup. Sugar, honey and milk are optional.
Prepare your teapot. The amount of loose leaf tea required to prepare your cup will depend on the type of tea leaves you select. As a general rule of thumb, one teaspoon of loose leaf tea will make an eight ounce cup of tea. Measure your loose leaf tea and place it in your empty tea pot.
Heat your water. Heat the water for your cup of tea in a separate container, such as a pot or kettle on the stove top or a glass measuring cup in the microwave. Use about eight ounces of water for each cup of tea. The temperature you will need to heat the water to will depend on the type of tea you drink. Some teas brew best with boiling water while others taste best when prepared with water that is merely steaming. In general, darker colored teas take longer to brew than lighter colored teas.
Add hot water to the loose leaf tea. Begin the process of transforming your loose leaf tea into a delicious beverage by adding hot water to the tea in your teapot. Close the lid and let your tea brew.
Let it steep. Allow your tea to steep in the teapot for approximately two minutes. Ideal brewing time will depend on the type of tea you use. Brew your tea to the desired strength, taking care not to overcook your tea. Brewing the leaves for too long will make your resulting tea taste bitter. Many teas brew to a light golden brown color, so examining the depth of color of your tea can help you determine when it has brewed long enough. Once you have discovered the ideal brewing time for the type of tea and your personal taste, setting a timer can help you continue to create the perfect cup of tea.
Pour your cup. Some teapots will have a strainer or a group of small holes near the spout that retain the tea leafs in the pot as you pour it into your teacup. If your teapot does not retain the tea leaves, you may need to pour your tea through a small strainer into your cup to remove the leaves from your tea.
Flavor your tea as desired. After your tea has steeped, pour it from the teapot into your teacup. Many teas taste great plain, but sugar, honey and milk can also be added to suit your tastes.
Because knowing how to prepare loose leaf tea will allow you to make it at home at your convenience, you don’t have to visit a tea house, coffee shop or cafe to get that great cup of tea when you crave it. Get some tea brewing and get ready to relax with your hot beverage.
