The Perfect Brew
Tea is a fantastic way to enjoy water! After spending your time and money selecting a quality tea of your choice (which of course we hope is one of our organic & biodynamic teas) – why shouldn’t you have some fun and spend a little extra time to make it the right way?
For many years’ tea has been drunk in a dust format via a tea bag (we know, doesn't sound great). At Hampstead Tea we don’t use dust in any of our products! We use broken tea leaves in our Tea Bags which are larger fragments of the leaf. These deliver a deeper and more flavoursome character to the tea which means you are all set to get the perfect brew before you even switch the kettle on!
In our Loose Leaf Pouches, Tins & Pyramids we only use the finest whole leaf tea which goes a whole step further. With all the flavour, nutrients & aromas kept packed into the leaf and ready to be released in your brew.
Here is Hampstead Tea's simple guide on how to make the perfect brew.
Step 1 - Preparing For The Brew
We recommend using whole loose leaf tea, however if you prefer the convenience of a tea bag, use pyramids or double chambered tea bags to ensure the tea can swirl around during brewing to extract maximum flavour, nutrients & aromas.
For loose leaf tea, you get to choose the strength to your own preference. However we recommend using 2 grams per 300ml (cup/mug), this works out to be approx 1 teaspoon generously heaped with whole leaf tea. This can go straight into your pot or infuser ready for brewing.
Step 2 - The Quality Of Water
Rested fresh water from the tap is best, it tastes familiar and contains lots of oxygen to help release all those delicious flavours. Don’t reboil your water, all the oxygen has gone – push the boat out and use fresh again.
Step 3 - Temperatures
Making sure the temperature is right for each tea variety will give you the best balance of the flavours & aromas for the perfect brew.
White & Green Tea - 85c-90c (Leave to stand for a minute after boiling) Oolong & First Flush Darjeeling 90c-95c (Leave to stand for 30 secs after boiling) Black Tea & Infusions - 95c-98c (Perfect straight off the boil)
Step 4 - Brewing/Steeping Time
When tea steeps in hot water off the boil, it takes a few minutes for the certain qualities of the tea to be released but we recommend 3 minutes for the perfect brew.
- 1st Minute - Release of the colour qualities of the tea.
- 2nd Minute - All the flavours are now being released.
- 3rd Minute - Now you are letting all of the remaining antioxidants release from the tea into you pot or cup/mug.
If you like a lighter tea then try 1-2 minutes and this will still give you a great tasting tea.
Some like it just on its own, some like it with a little squeeze of lemon and some like it with milk (black teas).....we have no recommendations here other than give them all a go and see what you like the most.
Sit back and enjoy your Tea!
Click here to see our accessories that can help you make that perfect brew.