Tea is great for so many reasons – but here are the eight deadly sins you can commit, when actually making tea.
1. Oversteeping your tea.
If you steep your tea too long, the tannins come out too much making the tea bitter.
2. Understeeping tea.
If you want to make me drink water, serve me water. Don’t call it tea.
3. Wrong water temperature.
If you use water that is too hot, it could scald certain more delicate tea leaves. Wonder why you get a bitter, gross tasting brew, this could be the culprit. You can let the water cool down to the right temperature after it has boiled.
4. Poor tea storage.
Ever wonder why your tea smelled or tasted like garlic? Perhaps you stored it incorrectly. Using an airtight container and keep it away from heat, sunlight and strong smells will help ensure this never happens again!
5. Weirdly underwhelming tea from great leaves.
Often due to constricted tea leaves. Don’t jam them too tightly into a tea ball, tea leaves need to have space to expand and move around to release their flavours. Better yet, use a roomy infuser or let them steep freely in the cup or a Chinese Gaiwan (lidded cup)
6. Using the wrong amount of tea.
Depending on the freshness or potency of the tea, size of the tea leaves, this will affect how much tea you use. One size does not fit all.
7. Using poor quality tea.
Yes, I’m talking to you! Generic supermarket tea bag, you little bag full of mystery dust and fannings of tea leaves. High quality loose leaf is best. You can actually see what you are steeping.
8. Not using fresh drawn cold water.
Clean fresh spring water is best. If using tap water, let it run for a little while first. You can read more about water quality and tea here.
Try to avoid committing any sins, follow the chart below, don’t forget to preheat your teapot or tea cup and you should be able to make one snazzy great cup of tea!
Steeping Guide for Tea
- White – 185ºF / 85ºC – (Steep 1-2 min)
- Green – 175ºF / 80ºC – Just about to boil or let it boil then cool for a minute (Steep 1-2 min)
- Oolong – 195ºF / 90ºC – Just about to boil to full rolling boil. If you pour boiling water into a cup that hasn’t been preheated, this can bring the temperature down to 195ºF / 90ºC (Steep 2-3 min)
- Black – 12ºF / 100 ºC – Boiling (Steep 3-5 min)
- Herba – 212ºF / 100 ºC – Boiling (Steep 3-6 min)
Rita Fong is a Certified Tea Sommelier based in Toronto. Rita was one of the first tea sommeliers to be certified by the Tea Association of Canada. You can send her questions and read about her tea adventures here.
