How to brew tea
As one begins their journey into the world of tea, questions are bound to arise. How do I steep loose-leaf tea? Do I need some magical item to ensure the concoction is perfect? If I ruin it, will it bring the age of calamity? No need to worry! Making a good cup of tea is easier than you may think.
1. Choose your tea
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In our opinion, this is the most important part of your tea-drinking experience. Here at The Gilded Teafling, our teas are blended with care and magic. Each tea is unique and will take you on a different journey. Some great beginner’s teas are The Gilded Teafling, a warm caramel chai; Chimera Call by Circe, an enticing rose white chocolate honeybush tea; and Palace Gardens, a delicate rose rhubarb earl grey. We have a plethora of teas in our collection for your enjoyment.
2. Heat your water.
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You can use an electric kettle for this, preferably one with a temperature setting on it as it will make it easier to steep your teas at the correct temperature accurately. You will need to identify what type of tea you are drinking. Certain types of tea will require different steeping temperatures. If you do choose to use a regular stove-top kettle, or even just a pot of water, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, and wait five minutes for the water to cool down before steeping black tea and herbal tea. For teas like white tea, purple tea and green tea, you want your water to be cooler than below boiling, the best way to do this is to pour your water into a mug (without your tea at first) and transfer it between two cups until the water is a bit too hot to dip your finger in it. If you steep green and white tea at too high a temperature, they will become bitter to the taste, and you will lose the light floral notes that they are well-loved and known for.
Here is a list of steeping temperatures for our teas at The Gilded Teafling:
Black Tea: 200 Degrees (195 for Holy Moly)
Herbal Tea: 200 Degrees
Green tea: 185 Degrees
2. Measure your tea.
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We suggest 1-2 tsp of tea per 8 oz of water.
3. Put your tea in a diffuser.
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You can use a teapot to do this, a French press, a tea infuser, or even a small square of cheesecloth tied together with some twine. Whatever you have at home will work just fine! If you find that there are too many residual tea leaves in your tea after using these methods, pour your tea through a fine mesh strainer or through cheese cloth to remove the residual leaves!
4. Add your hot water, let your tea steep for the recommended time, strain and enjoy!
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Now that you have your tea and hot water ready, it’s time to combine both in a mug. (or in your teapot if you’re going that route). Let your tea steep for 2-3 minutes. Depending on if you want your tea to be stronger and more bitter, you can let it steep for longer than instructed. Need your tea to be a bit lighter? Steep it for less time. The possibilities really are endless when it comes to your individual tea experience.
After you’ve waited the recommended time, your tea is ready to drink.
Now that you have learned how to brew your tea, the possibilities are endless! You can use this base to make plenty of recipes, hot or cold! If you’re looking for a refreshing summer drink, check out our recipe for a sparkling tea lemonade made with our new EPIC: The Musical themed tea, Morning Sleepyhead by Calypso!