There’s no denying it, tea is the nation’s favourite drink – with it being estimated that each day in the UK 165,000,000 cups of tea are drunk, with over 60 billion being drunk each year.

But how do you make the perfect cup?

According to 98% of tea drinkers adding milk is important, 30% believe you should add sugar, whilst 96% of all tea drunk in the UK is brewed using a tea bag [source: http://www.tea.co.uk/tea-facts]. Each of these bring up questions as to how you can get the perfect brew, to ensure you can enjoy your cuppa.

Tea Bag vs. Loose Leaf:

To enjoy the full flavour and aromas of your tea of choice, whether it’s an Assam, Darjeeling, an Oolong or the trusted English Breakfast, the tea leaves need room to move freely, as this gives the leaves room to unfurl as they infuse.

Unfortunately, many tea bags do not provide the required room to help the tea unfurl properly – and even those which offer more room (such as pyramid tea bags) limit the amount of room your tea has. [source: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2013/jul/03/how-to-make-perfect-tea-without-teabags]

To fully enjoy the flavours of your favourite tea, it’s recommended to use loose leaf tea in a tea pot, such as the Bodum tea pot.

These offer enough room for your tea to unfurl and infuse with the water, ensuring the essential oils and flavours are released, helping you to enjoy the perfect cuppa. Despite many misconceptions, using loose leaf tea for your favourite brew is neither more time consuming or difficult.

To further enhance the flavour of your loose leaf tea, why not consider using a tea press which allows you full control of the tea steeping process – in a similar way to using a cafetiere for your coffee.

Milk – Before or After:

It’s an age old debate – milk before the brewing process or after?

Traditionally, milk first was used as a rule of thumb to protect the bone china tea was served in. With few of us now using bone china to drink our morning cuppa from, the milk first or not is (generally) down to personal preference.

According to Yorkshire Tea, if you’re brewing your cuppa in a teapot there is no definitive right answer. But, if you’re making your tea straight in the cup, the milk should never come first as this reduces the water temperature meaning the tea won’t brew properly.

Brewing Time:

How long you brew your tea for will not only depend on personal preferences, such as how strong or weak you prefer your cuppa – but it’ll also depend on how you’re making your cup of tea and what tea you’re using.

For example, if you’re making your tea straight in the cup, according to Twinings, the teabag should be left to brew for two-and-a-half to three minutes, as this allows the flavour to fully develop. Yorkshire Tea however, suggest boiling water should be poured directly onto the teabag in the cup to help the tea to infuse, before being left for 4 to 5 minutes.

When it comes to loose leaf tea, Twinings suggest leaving the tea in the pot for several minutes, with larger leaf tea needing longer to brew. Yorkshire Tea on the other hand suggest you should heat the teapot first by swilling boiling water around it, before leaving the tea to brew for 4 to 5 minutes.

Partial to tea other than English Breakfast? Make the most out of it and enjoy the flavours on offer, by brewing it for the correct amount of time.

Assam and Darjeeling tea for example should be left to brew for 3 to 4 minutes, Lapsong Souchong should be left for 4 to 5 minutes, whilst Oolong tea should be left for even longer, around 5 to 7 minutes. And to further enhance the taste of your loose leaf tea, control the steeping process when brewing it, by using a Bodum tea press.

Along with brewing your tea for the right amount of time, you should make sure the water being used is the perfect temperature. It is widely believed that for green and white tea the water should be 70⁰C, for oolong tea it should be 80⁰C, whilst for black tea it should be slightly hotter at 85⁰C.

By taking the time to allow your tea to brew, using the correct temperature of water and switching from tea bags to loose leaf tea, can make all the difference to the taste of your cuppa – helping you to enjoy the refreshing taste, whenever you brew up.

Tags: Bodum, Cuppa, Tea