How to Brew Your Tea
When it comes to brewing tea, timing and temperature do matter. Every variety of Fraser tea - be it herbal or green tea, black tea or matcha, Oolong or rooibos tea - comes with its own set of parameters. The water temperature, steeping time and process will vary somewhat for any original Fraser Tea or signature blend. We've got tips to make sure your organic tea of choice will taste its very best.
Unfortunately, many people who are turned off by tea or claim “I don’t like the taste,” are victims of the improper brewing of tea. Brewing tea is an art and not as simple of throwing a tea bag in boiling water which unfortunately if the practice of most commercial restaurants.
To make a great cup of tea there are some good basic principles to consider.
1. Water
Perfect water is not a necessity, but it is important to consider if your water “taste funny” then so will your tea. If you have good water, as we do in Michigan, then you will be in good shape. Great water will have around 150 parts per million (PPM) of balanced mineral content. For perspective, extremely hard water in some major U.S. cities is around 900+ PPM. Too hard of water will add extra astringency to your tea, or too much chlorine may make your tea taste like a swimming pool. Whereas Water that is too soft will not extract enough of the polyphenols that deliver astringency, health benefits AND taste... so you'll have a weak, fuzzy-muddy cup. Most tea shops deal with these issues by running their water to an reverse osmosis filtration system, however at home a simple carbon filter will help to deliver you a great cup of tea.
2. Weight
How much tea you brew is also important. Adding too much tea can make your tea taste bitter and too little will make it taste week. If you are using one of our pyramidal tea bags then you will have the perfect amount of tea for a cup. Otherwise it’s important to measure our about 2 grams per 8oz cup of water. This is where the perfect measuring spoon comes in handy.
3. Temperature
Temperature if very important in brewing tea because some teas are tough (Black, dark Oolongs, and herbals) and can withstand the burn (boiling, 212F), and actually require it in order to break down the leaf and release the antioxidants. However more delicate teas Such as whites and greens require a lower temperature (180F). If the water is too hot then these delicate teas will elicit an overly astringent or bitter tea. If you don’t have a thermometer a good rule for 180f water is to boil water let stand for 5 min.
4. Time
Time is also another very important thing to consider in brewing your tea. Steeping for too long may make your tea taste astringent whereas steeping for too short of time will make it taste week. A good rule of thumb is 3-5 minutes for most black teas, depending on your preference for strength. Any longer, and they'll become overly astringent and puckery. Dark Oolong and White teas, on the other hand, are much more forgiving. These teas will taste best when steeped for 3-5 minutes but will still be drinkable if steeped a little longer. For light Oolong and green teas steeping for only 2 minutes - 3 if you're looking for a strong cup.
Perfect water is not a necessity, but it is important to consider if your water “taste funny” then so will your tea. If you have good water, as we do in Michigan, then you will be in good shape. Great water will have around 150 parts per million (PPM) of balanced mineral content. For perspective, extremely hard water in some major U.S. cities is around 900+ PPM. Too hard of water will add extra astringency to your tea, or too much chlorine may make your tea taste like a swimming pool. Whereas Water that is too soft will not extract enough of the polyphenols that deliver astringency, health benefits AND taste... so you'll have a weak, fuzzy-muddy cup. Most tea shops deal with these issues by running their water to an reverse osmosis filtration system, however at home a simple carbon filter will help to deliver you a great cup of tea.
2. Weight
How much tea you brew is also important. Adding too much tea can make your tea taste bitter and too little will make it taste week. If you are using one of our pyramidal tea bags then you will have the perfect amount of tea for a cup. Otherwise it’s important to measure our about 2 grams per 8oz cup of water. This is where the perfect measuring spoon comes in handy.
3. Temperature
Temperature if very important in brewing tea because some teas are tough (Black, dark Oolongs, and herbals) and can withstand the burn (boiling, 212F), and actually require it in order to break down the leaf and release the antioxidants. However more delicate teas Such as whites and greens require a lower temperature (180F). If the water is too hot then these delicate teas will elicit an overly astringent or bitter tea. If you don’t have a thermometer a good rule for 180f water is to boil water let stand for 5 min.
4. Time
Time is also another very important thing to consider in brewing your tea. Steeping for too long may make your tea taste astringent whereas steeping for too short of time will make it taste week. A good rule of thumb is 3-5 minutes for most black teas, depending on your preference for strength. Any longer, and they'll become overly astringent and puckery. Dark Oolong and White teas, on the other hand, are much more forgiving. These teas will taste best when steeped for 3-5 minutes but will still be drinkable if steeped a little longer. For light Oolong and green teas steeping for only 2 minutes - 3 if you're looking for a strong cup.
Please note for your convenience we have placed on all our packages the correct temperature and time so that you can easily reference how to make a great cup of tea!