Everyone makes tea differently, but a few things make a real difference. This guide brings together the advice Yorkshire Tea publishes for its own tea and the brewing guidance of the UK Tea & Infusions Association (UKTIA).
Start with fresh water
Both agree: use freshly drawn water and only boil it once. Yorkshire Tea suggests running the tap for a moment so the water is nicely aerated, because oxygen in the water helps the flavour. Reboiling reduces the oxygen (and wastes energy). UKTIA adds that hard or soft water can affect the taste, and suggests a water filter if your tap water is very hard.
Water temperature
- Black tea: 90–98°C (UKTIA), so freshly boiled water is right.
- Green tea: around 80°C (UKTIA). Boiling water makes it bitter.
Always check the instructions on the pack.
How much tea?
- Mug: one tea bag.
- Teapot: Yorkshire Tea suggests two tea bags in a regular teapot or one in a mini pot. For loose tea, one teaspoon per person and one for the pot.
- UKTIA suggests 1 tea bag or 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup.
Warm the pot
A cold teapot cools the water. Swirl a little boiling water round the empty pot first; Yorkshire Tea suggests using that water to warm the cups as well.
Give it time
Yorkshire Tea recommends brewing for 4–5 minutes to release all the flavour. In a mug, give the tea bag one gentle squeeze against the side before you take it out. Just once: mashing it makes the tea taste bitter.
UKTIA's brewing times vary by tea:
- Assam, Darjeeling, Kenya and Earl Grey: 3–4 minutes
- Ceylon Uva: 3 minutes
- Lapsang Souchong: 4–5 minutes
- Oolong: 3–5 minutes
- Japanese sencha: 2–2½ minutes
- Jasmine: 2–3 minutes
- Gunpowder green: 3–4 minutes
Milk in first, or last?
Yorkshire Tea calls the two camps 'Miffys' (milk in first) and 'Tiffys' (tea in first). The answer comes down to heat: tea brews best in very hot water, and milk cools it down. So if you brew in a mug, add the milk last, after brewing. In a teapot it doesn't matter; it's personal preference. UKTIA agrees: 'milk in last is best' when brewing from a bag in a mug.
Storing tea
Keep tea in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, away from light, heat, moisture and strongly flavoured or perfumed foods.
Follow the recipes: the perfect cup of Yorkshire Tea, loose-leaf tea in a teapot, Earl Grey and green tea.
Watch
Sources
- Yorkshire Tea — How to make a proper brew
- Yorkshire Tea — How to make loose leaf tea
- UK Tea & Infusions Association — The perfect brew
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