Tips for Brewing Tea

Here is a list of tea brewing tips that can be used to add some additional flavor to your favorite cup of tea:

• The first thing you should do is purchase a high quality tea. You will receive far more pleasure by purchasing teas that have the quality ingredients that you love. Try to find a reputable supplier, one who preferably has many glowing reviews from other consumers.
• Also try to use high quality water when making your tea. You can use fresh water if you have a good supply yourself, or even buy bottled water from a well-known company. You will also want to avoid boiling the water as this will expel oxygen and makes the water taste flat, believe it or not. It is recommended to steep your tea in water that is not quite to the boiling point.
• Try to measure out the correct weight of tea leaves for the amount you are making. You can accomplish this by using a tea balance. Many say to use between 2.5 to 3 grams of leaves per 5-6 ounces of water.
• Use the correct steeping temperature for the type of tea you are steeping. This is best accomplished by using a thermometer to get the water just right. The following are some generally accepted steeping temperatures: Black and Herbal teas should actually use water at a full boil or around 212 degrees, Oolong tea should be steeped between 190 and 203 degrees, Green tea between 160 and 180 degrees, and White tea is brewed best in a cooler water with a range of 150 to 160 degrees.
• Using the correct steeping time is another important consideration to brewing the perfect cup. Use the following recommendations for the type of tea you enjoy the most: Black tea should be steeped for 4-6 minutes, Puerh teas are known as hard teas and should be steeped for a minimum of 7-8 minutes, Oolong teas have a wider variety of steeping times from as little as 3-4 minutes to upwards of 6-8 minutes, Green teas are ready to go in a brief 2 to 3 minutes, and White teas are the most sensitive and should not be steeped for more than 2 minutes.
• You should provide plenty of space during infusion and avoid cramping the tea leaves. Try to make sure that there is enough space in the infuser for the teas to fully expand. It is best to infuse tea in a kettle since the tealeaves can quickly expand to three times their starting size as they release the stored flavor and aroma.
• And lastly let's not overlook storage. Your tea will lose its flavor if it is exposed to oxygen or light. To enjoy your tea completely make sure that you keep it in an airtight container. Any dark colored or tightly rolled teas can stay fresh for more than six months if stored this way.