Help with proper tea brewing technique?

Question

I drink high quality loose leaf teas, and I was wondering the proper way to heat the water for tea. I know depending on the type of tea your drinking, the water should be a certain temperature.

When heating water, are you supposed to bring the water to a complete boil first and then let it cool down? Or do you steep the tea once the water reaches the proper temperature, before it boils? I've seen both techniques in different places...

Does it make a difference in flavor? Anyone know the proper technique?

Answer 1

Huge difference.  Google what it says for the specific type of tea.  Greens are different from black and Herbal.

Answer 2

if you are brewing a black tea it is best to bring it to a rolling boil, take it off the heat then add your tea and steep for three minutes.  then remove the tea because it will get bitter.

Answer 3

It makes a huge difference to me if the water isn't at boiling point for black tea. Some people believe that 185 degrees is hot enough. I believe you lose extra flavor and aroma if the water isn't at boiling point.

Green tea is different. Water should be about 180 degrees. I use tea bags for herbal tea so I can't speak to the proper way to prepare it. But I make it with water about 160 degrees because it seems to lose flavor if the water is too hot.

I use a glass teapot that I have warmed by swishing hot water around in it. I also use a tea infuser in the pot. For years I used a tea ball, but an infuser allows the tea to float around, uses all the leaves. I use fresh water every time. Otherwise the taste gets flat as oxygen is boiled from the water (when you reheat the same water over and over).



Some people think that 2-3 minutes is long enough for tea to steep, some think 5. I like my tea a little strong so I go the whole time of 5 minutes for black tea.  Green tea can steep longer without getting bitter.  My friend has a little scale on which she carefully weighs tea  leaves. I'm not sure how much she uses.  I use a rounded teaspoon per tea cup, heaping for mugs. I have found that using more tea for very strong teas is better than steeping it longer.

If I'm making iced tea, I use double for black tea, about 2 1/2 times the amount (per cup) for green  and herbal teas. Sugar before it cools. Then pour it over ice.

Answer 4

It depends upon your tastes.  The higher the temp, the more tanins are leached from the leaves, therefore the more bitter it becomes.  The perfect temp for brewing tea is just higher than coffe, which is 190 F.  In general, the darker the leaf, the higher the temp. Darker Tea has more caffeine.

Answer 5

God dam i love tea!, THE MAIN RULE WITH TEA IS !!!! MAKE SURE THE WATER IS BLOODY BOILING HOT OR YOU DONT GET TEA!!! you get horrible non english tasting p**s water! And dont just leave the tea in there for a few secounds and pour! Let that bad boy sit there and absord the brilliant tea goodness, then pour milk and then some tea and add awesome sugar for the ultimate in tea tastes! A POINT TO NOTE< DRINK TEA FROM FINE CHINA CUPS TASTES BETTER THAN ANY OTHER METHOD< DO IT AND SEE!

Answer 6

im not sure about the proper technique but this is how we do it in my country.

we boil water, as soon as it starts boiling we pour it in a cup where are the tea lieves and let it stand with covered top for 5 minutes before we start drinking it. but also u have stir it up so the flavor can come from bottom to the top.

Answer 7

i suppose you should brinq the water to a complete boil and then steep the tea. dependinq how lonq it is steeped the flavor would be liqht or bitter.

i drink these kinds of tea as well and to be honest i don't actually find any difference with the techniques unless you steep the tea too lonq or somethinq.