How to Brew Loose Tea: Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Herbal tea is a guilty pleasure of mine. Some people indulge in chocolate, I indulge in any and every tea available. Many people share my passion for a good cup of tea, but there are some who do not. The two most common responses from people who dislike tea are, to the effect of, "It has no taste" or "It is too bitter". Usually, this is because they do not know HOW to brew tea. I have found that a lot of people who say they do not care for tea are shocked when given a mug of fresh loose tea "properly" brewed.

The taste difference is due to three things. The quality of tea, the type of tea ( loose or bagged ), and how you brew the tea. Those who are used to just tossing the tea in with the water to boil are usually quite surprised by the taste difference when shown a different way of brewing it. Also, many people do not branch out and try different teas. They have tasted a generic grocery store bagged tea ( iced or herbal ) and disliked it, so they assume they just dislike tea. I have a friend who severely disliked the Lipton tea her mother used to make all summer long when she was young. Due to this she would say she hated all tea. It was not until recently that she realized she actually did like tea! I decided to sent her a handmade tea basket for Christmas this past year. I order all my teas from a bulk supplier so I always have pounds of different teas in my pantry. I selected black teas, hibiscus, chamomint, and berry blends among others and made up a very nice gift basket for her family. I included a bamboo tea strainer and tea brewing instructions. She (reluctantly) decided to try them. She followed the instructions and I got a phone call saying how surprised she was that she really enjoyed most of the teas she received. She is not addicted like I am but she enjoys a few cups ever now and then.

I recommend buying tea from a tea supplier. They have much better quality and variety than a grocery store does. They are also a lot cheaper. You can pick up a pound of your favorite tea for, usually, less than $13. In comparison to a grocery store charging $5 for 25 poorer quality tea bags that amount to less than 4 ounces of tea. If you want the best tasting tea, loose tea produces a much better taste and aroma than tea bags. No matter which you option you choose, loose or bags, store your tea in airtight containers. The little boxes tea bags come in at the grocery store do nothing for protecting the teas quality.

The trick to a perfect cup of loose tea:

Bring fresh cold water to a boil. Do NOT over boil the water. As soon as the water gets to a rolling boil take it off the stove and allow it to "cool down" for a minute. The longer water is boiled the less oxygen it contains. Oxygen in the water is what brings out the tea flavor.

Tip : NEVER boil the loose tea in the pot or kettle! Tea is delicate as is the taste and you do not want to scorch the tea leaves. Scorching tea leaves will result in a bitter tasting tea.

While the water is boiling measure 1- 2 teaspoons ( depending on your taste preference ) of loose tea per 6 ounces of water and place into a tea ball, strainer, or tea pot with strainer. If you prefer, you could also place the leaves directly in the mug and strain later.

Tip : For best results, I use a glass tea pot. Glass heats better and eliminates the metallic taste caused by metal strainers. If glass is not available, a bamboo strainer is the next best choice. Bamboo strainers are quite cheap, usually $1 - $2 at Chinese grocery shops. Warm your tea pot up first with hot water and then empty before adding tea and boiling water. A cold tea pot cools down the tea faster and you want your pot hot so the leaves can steep enough.

Tip : Do not add too much tea. This can make the tea too strong and cause it to turn bitter faster. Depending on the type of tea you will need to add more or less tea. Tea expands quite well. A full teaspoon will expand to double when exposed to water. This is especially true with rolled teas like gun powder. Rolled teas resemble "pellets" and tend to expand more than other teas. Also, gunpowder is one of the strongest tasting teas. To tone down the taste of gun powder try using 1/3 - 1/2 a teaspoon. For dense teas only use 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of tea leaves unless you like strong tea. For finer teas, like chamomile, use the general 1 -2 teaspoons.

Once water has come to a boil, pour boiling water into mug over loose tea, tea ball, strainer, or tea pot. Cover the mug (a saucer works well) and let steep 3 - 5 minutes based on taste preference. If you prefer really strong tea try 8 - 10 minutes. For green tea try only 2 - 3 minutes. Green tea can turn strong and bitter quite quickly.

Tip : Keep in mind the taste of individual teas. For instance, My favorite tea is Double Bergamont Earl Grey. Earl Grey is a very strong tea. If you prefer "weaker" tasting teas ( A light "hint" of taste ) do not steep your tea the full time. Try steeping 2 - 3 minutes for stronger, bolder tasting teas. If you prefer a strong deep taste in your tea try to steep weaker teas a little longer. For instance, chamomile tea has a very "light" taste. Try steeping it for around 6 - 8 minutes to really bring out the taste. It will probably take you a couple trys to know just how long to brew each kind of tea you like because each tea will have a slightly different result at the same brewing times due to each teas unique tastes and "strength". Just keep trying until you find your preferred taste.

Once your tea has reached your desired taste, remove the tea leaves and sit them aside.

Tip : Do not throw your tea leaves away after brewing a cup of tea. If you use a good quality loose tea you can reuse them! Tea is not a one hit wonder. You can typically get 3 good cups of tea out of the same tea leaves! ( Never reuse tea leaves you have sit aside and forgotten about for more than a couple hours! Unless you lay the used tea leaves between two sheets of cheese cloth or paper towels, pat some of the moisture out, and leave to dry. This is because bacteria and possibly mold can grow on the warm wet tea leaves if left in a strainer or tea ball for to long. )

Tip 2 : If you use a tea ball or tea pot with a built in strainer, remove the tea ball or strainer once tea is steeped! Unless you like strong tea of course. The longer you leave the leaves in the water the stronger it gets because it will continue to steep. The more it steeps, the more bitter it will turn once the tea starts cooling. Just remove the strainer or tea ball and sit on a saucer for later use.

Time saver tip for brewing large amounts of tea:

If you want to make a large pitcher of tea or have quite a few guests to serve, you can save time by investing in a tea sock. ( Around $5 or less ) A tea sock is a large muslin "sock" to hold large amounts of loose tea that will fit nicely into a large pitcher. It works just like a tea strainer. Follow instructions above. Once steeped, remove sock and empty tea leaves. ( Unless you plan on making more tea within a few hours ) Then just rinse and hang tea sock to dry. They last forever!

If these methods do not work for you, create your own! Sample out different ways of brewing tea, different kinds and brands, and different ways of drinking your tea. If you add milk, sugar, or lemon to your tea normally, try skipping it for a cup and see how you like it. I personally find most teas taste "funny" when you start to add things to them. Sugar is OK occasionally with iced teas but tends to ruin all other teas for me and I have yet to find a tea I like that tastes good with milk. While I prefer my tea "all natural", I do occasionally add herbal tonics to my tea. My favorite thing to add to tea is 'sweet fruit drops'. ( A Chinese health tonic for your liver.) Just one or two drops will sweeten your tea without the ill effects of sugar. These are my personal preferences and hopefully you can find yours. Just sample out different techniques and HAPPY TEA DRINKING!