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HOW TO MAKE A GOOD CUP OF TEA

Author Info|Video Team Tested
wikiHow is a wiki similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles
are written collaboratively. To create this article, 125 people, some anonymous,
worked to edit and improve it over time.

The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions, and validated
that they work. Learn more...

In this Article:Article SummarySetting UpSteepingServingCommunity Q&AReferences

Good tea is not just something hot to drink. It's a beverage that's steeped in
romance and ritual, and a history filled with everything from quiet ceremonial
tradition to colonial imperialism to turning Boston Harbor into a giant teapot
(not fit for drinking).






STEPS

PART 1
SETTING UP

 1. 1
    Start with the water. Whether you use bags or loose tea, water is the second
    most important ingredient. Off tastes in your water, such as chlorine, iron,
    or sulfur will make your tea noxious to smell and drink. Fill an empty
    kettle with 1 cup (250ml) fresh, cold water. Tap water is acceptable for
    most purposes, but a truly great cup of tea starts with filtered water or
    spring water. Never use distilled water, or previously-boiled water. The
    more oxygen in your water, the better the tea will taste.
    
 2. 2
    Plug in the kettle and turn it on. If you don't have an electric kettle, you
    can use a stovetop tea kettle—as long as it lets you get the water hot, it's
    good.
    
 3. 3
    Bring the water to a boil. Wait until the kettle switches off automatically
    or your tea kettle whistles.
     * Optional: Wait for the water to cool off. Some teas are steeped with
       boiling water, while some are steeped in water that's slightly cooler.
       Experiment with your tea to find what works best.
    
    
 4. 4
    Rinse out the cup with boiling water .
    
    
    


DEL2
LÅT TEET DRA

 1. 1
    Place the tea bag or loose tea into the cup . If using loose tea, spoon in 1
    teaspoon per cup. You can also use a tea ball, or an infuser, but use the
    same amount of tea.
     * If milk is desired, add into the cup . Some believe adding milk before
       the hot water is best, others feel tea brews best in hot water, and don't
       add milk until the tea is done steeping.
    
    
 2. 2
    Add water. Pour water from the kettle into the cup until 4/5th full. Leave
    room for milk, if you wish to add that.
    
 3. 3
    Let steep. Wait for three to five minutes to let tea steep—more or less
    depending on the type of tea you are making, and the recommended brewing
    time.
     * About one minute for green tea.
     * Three to six minutes for black tea.
     * Six to eight minutes for Oolong teas
     * Eight to twelve minutes for herbal teas.
     * Note: if you like stronger tea, don't steep longer—add more tea, instead.
    
    


PART3
SERVING

 1. 1
    Use a teaspoon to Remove the tea bag. Discard it, or recycle it, as desired.
     * If sweetener is desired, Place a spoon of sugar or honey into the cup and
       stir thoroughly.
    
    
 2. 2
    Drink the contents of the cup at a leisurely pace and enjoy the goodness
    that is tea. You might like to add some biscuits or a piece of cake on a
    plate with your tea.
    
 3. 3
    Finished.
    



COMMUNITY Q&A

Search
Add New Question
 * Question
   Can I successfully make tea with milk instead of water?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   Sure, but many people prefer adding milk in afterwards! Just bring it to a
   boil like you would when making hot cocoa. Chai tea is especially good when
   made with milk :)
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 9 Helpful 57
 * Question
   Can I make tea without a kettle?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   Yes. You can either microwave a cup of water until it boils or boil water in
   a sauce pan.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 6 Helpful 22
 * Question
   Can I put loose tea powder directly into an electric kettle?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   No, that will ruin the kettle and the tea. Instead, place loose tea in a
   teapot or directly into the cup.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 15 Helpful 38
 * Question
   Which tea is better, milk tea or lemon tea?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   Whether you add milk or lemon (or nothing at all) depends on the type of tea
   and your personal preference. Indian chai tea is normally made with milk and
   lemon wouldn't really go well with it, while Earl Grey tea goes better with
   lemon (at least in my opinion, there are people whose opinions differ in that
   regard).
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 9 Helpful 22
 * Question
   How long do I need to leave an ordinary tea bag to steep?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   A tea bag only needs to steep about 3-5 minutes to obtain full flavor. If a
   stronger tea is desired, leave the bag in longer.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 22 Helpful 43
 * Question
   How much sugar is suggested for tea?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   It's entirely up to your own taste (and health goals, if you have those).
   It's healthiest not to add any sugar, but you might like the taste better
   with a teaspoon or two (or even more) of sugar. Try out different
   combinations and see what you prefer.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 8 Helpful 19
 * Question
   Is herbal tea a yellow color?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   There are different kinds of herbal tea, and they can be different colors.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 12 Helpful 25
 * Question
   Can my kids drink tea?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   Of course they can! Tea has many natural health benefits, and a lot of kids
   really like it.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 13 Helpful 25
 * Question
   In which direction should tea be stirred?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   This is personal preference and doesn't make much of difference.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 18 Helpful 19
 * Question
   I don't have a tea bag, what should I do?
   wikiHow Contributor
   Community Answer
   If you don't have a tea bag but you have tea leaves, wrap the tea leaves in a
   paper towel.
   Thanks!
   Yes No
   Not Helpful 1 Helpful 3

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TIPS

 * If you prefer tea warm rather than hot, make the tea using boiling water and
   let it cool on its own or adding ice cubes. Using warm water will make a very
   weak tea.
 * Putting the tea in the water before you boil it will produce stewed tea. It's
   a very strong tea usually drunk with a lot of sugar and is not to everyone's
   taste.
 * Enjoy with cookies or tea cake.
 * If you're making green tea, don't steep it for more than a minute or two.
   After a while, it becomes saturated and begins to get bitter.
 * If you don't have an electric kettle and must use a microwave to boil water,
   it should take about 1-2 minutes on full power to reach boiling point. Let it
   cool before making tea.
 * Using tea bags gives you many opportunities to change the taste of the
   beverage:
   * If you have an espresso machine, try putting the tea bag in the espresso
     metal cup. Tea pours through the tea bag instantly (there's no need to
     wait).
   * If you can handle the tea bag by its string, you can shake it inside the
     cup of hot tea after a few minutes. The tea is going to taste stronger or
     have a little more 'aroma'.
 * Try varying the time that you allow the tea to steep before you add the milk.
 * You can also heat water on the stove using a saucepan or an old-fashioned tea
   kettle. The tea kettle should make that familiar high pitched whistling noise
   when the water is boiling.
 * By pouring the tea on top of the tea bags slowly, most of the water will run
   though the bag, reducing the time needed to brew.
 * If you prefer using tea leaves, the tastes achieved by being patient might be
   infinite:
   * Try combining different leaves of similar tastes, buying different brand or
     quality, (many famous English teas brands' names are the surname of the
     families that used to make the mixture).
   * Grannies used to keep apple skins inside tea leaves' wooden boxes for a few
     months until the tea tasted like apples. Then, when poured, try adding some
     cinnamon.
   * When brewing leaves instead of a bag, try boiling the water in a kettle,
     then pouring the water over tea leaves in a teapot. The teapot should then
     be drained and refilled with boiling water, effectively brewing the tea
     twice. This method of only drinking the second batch is a traditional
     Eastern method, and is used to make sure that any impurities are washed
     from the leaves.
 * Familiarize yourself with the type of tea you are making, as most teas
   require water that is less than hot for brewing, a particular water to tea
   ratio, (especially when using powdered teas like Latté) or a require a
   certain brewing time.
 * If you have not made a cup of tea before, put a tea towel or saucer
   underneath the cup in case you spill anything.
 * Add honey, lemon, cinnamon, etc. for flavor.


Show 3 more tips



WARNINGS

 * Mixing milk and lemon in your tea can cause the milk to curdle.
 * Don't use too much sugar or honey if you are diabetic. Try products like
   Agave Nectar instead. It lowers glycemic value and tastes great on your tea.
 * Taste carefully! Not only is it painful to burn your mouth, but it also
   damages your taste buds, making it more difficult to enjoy the tea.
 * Don't stew tea in an electric kettle.
 * Don't let your tea get too cold!
 * Pour the water from the kettle carefully—the steam may burn you.
 * If you are drinking the tea for health purposes—like for EGCG intake—do not
   use milk, as the casein it contains binds to the EGCG. If one desires a milky
   or creamy flavor, use soy, almond, wheat, or other substitute milk instead of
   milk derived from an animal.




THINGS YOU'LL NEED

 * Tea bag
 * Kettle or water heater
 * Tea cup or mug
 * Teapot (optional).
 * Electricity or direct heat source e.g. fire, gas or electric hob
 * Water
 * Teaspoon
 * Milk/Sugar (optional)




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REFERENCES

 * World of Tea
 * Teavana
 * Williams Sonoma




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ARTICLE INFO

wikiHow is a wiki similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles
are written collaboratively. To create this article, 125 people, some anonymous,
worked to edit and improve it over time.

Categories: Brewing Tea | Tea

In other languages:

Italiano: Preparare una Buona Tazza di Tè, Español: hacer una buena taza de
té, Deutsch: Einen guten Tee kochen, Português: Fazer uma Boa Xícara de
Chá, Français: faire une bonne tasse de thé, Русский: приготовить хорошую чашку
чая, Bahasa Indonesia: Membuat Secangkir Teh yang Enak, Nederlands: Een lekkere
kop thee zetten

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Tested By:
wikiHow Video Team

Co-authors: 125
Updated: 15 days ago
Views: 1,074,451

80% of readers found this article helpful.

56 votes - 80%
Click a star to add your vote
80% of people told us that this article helped them.
BT

Burt Tyrell

Aug 21, 2016

"I found this article very helpful for making a good cup of tea. I find that tea
bags do not give a good flavor, and have tried the popular flavored teas with
negative results for both aroma and taste."..." more

OM

Olgamasudi Massudi

May 2, 2018

"I love to ask questions and answers to your website wikiHow. I appreciate your
honor and I thank you!"

DP

Derek Philips

Jan 17, 2017

"I love this. So helpful."

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RELATED ARTICLES

How to

Make Sun Tea

How to

Brew Kung Fu Tea

How to

Make Iced Tea

How to

Minimize Green Tea Caffeine




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ARTICLE SUMMARYX

To make a good cup of tea, start by putting 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves or 1
bag of tea in your cup. Then, pour hot water over the tea until the cup is
four-fifths of the way full. You can also add a splash of milk to enhance the
flavor of your tea. If you're making green tea, let the tea steep for 1 minute.
If you're making black tea, let the tea steep for 3-6 minutes. For herbal tea,
let the tea steep for 8-12 minutes. After you've steeped your tea, remove the
tea leaves and enjoy! For tips on how to serve your cup of tea, read on!


Did this summary help you?YesNo

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