How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea

Have you ever made a cup of tea that tasted bitter? The key to great tea drinking is making the perfect cup of tea.

Whether you prefer a bag of tea or loose tea, always start with a pot (or kettle, preferably) of cold water

Bring water to a boil* and then remove the kettle from the stove (overboiling the water could hasten the natural brewing time and make for a less-than-perfect cup of tea).

Use 1 tea bag per cup or 1-2 teaspoons of loose tea per cup

To prepare a cup of tea using loose leaves, add about 1-2 teaspoons into the tea strainer, set the strainer over your cup, and let the hot water flow over the strainer into your cup.

When using a tea bag to make tea, let it steep in the heated water according to the recommended times (white tea takes less time to brew, while black tea takes longer)

For a personalized taste, add cold milk (whole or condensed) and/or sugar (or honey) to the tea Stir slowly to prevent the tea from cooling too fast

Recommended Brew Times

Green 2 mins

Black 3-5 mins

White 1-2 mins

Herbal 3-4 mins

Throughout history, tea has been linked to a variety of health benefits, short-term and long-term. While the art of tea drinking has its own pluses, others are associated with the key ingredients in tea leaves, and how they are processed after cultivation.

Green Tea

Fresh tea leaves are heated or steamed to produce green tea.

Caffeinated

Contains antioxidants that may boost heart health to lower blood pressure, triglycerides and total cholesterol

Matcha is a fine green tea powder; it is considered potent as it contains more antioxidants than regular green tea

Black Tea

Tea leaves are “oxidized,” dried and fermented

Richer flavor than green tea

Contains the highest level of caffeine of all teas

May have heart-associated benefits

Steam, cool and press tea-soaked pad on minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises to help relieve pain and reduce swelling