How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea

Read our guide on Brewing Tea and watch the video below.

Brewing Black Tea

When brewing black tea, it should be prepared in a pot – you can also brew black tea in a cup using a filter or infuser made for that purpose. Especially suitable are pots made of glass or ceramics.

  • Use a teaspoon of black tea per cup and a further teaspoon ‘for the teapot’, or adjust according to your taste.
  • Always pre-heat the porcelain, ceramic or glass with boiling water before brewing tea and only use fresh water which has not been boiled previously.
  • Infuse in boiling water and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes.

Brewing Green and White Tea

  • Take a teaspoon full of green or white tea per cup.Always pre-heat the porcelain, ceramic or glass with hot water.
  • Only use fresh water which has not been boiled previously (if you make a mistake and do not want to start over, let it cool down to the required temperature.)  Soft water is better than hard. Heat the water to no more than 80°C. 
  • Infuse the tea and let sit for 2-5 minutes. (See individual packet for specific instructions)

Brewing Herbal and Fruit Blends

  • Take a teaspoon full of tea per cup.
  • Use freshly drawn water to get the best taste from your fruit or herbal infusion.
  • Use freshly boiled water and infuse for around 8-10 minutes at 100°C.(See individual packs for specific brewing instructions)

Common mistakes when brewing tea

  1. You brewed it too hot. If you brew tea too hot, it will become bitter. This is probably the most common of all mistakes.
  2. You brewed it too long. This depends on the variety, but generally speaking, don’t brew your tea for more than 2-5 minutes.
  3. You used too much tea. It depends on the variety, but for normal sencha (green tea), about one teaspoon to 0.25-0.3 Litres of water. For one type of tea, you may have to use an even level teaspoon, and for another a heaping teaspoon; it will vary from tea to tea.
  4. You didn’t use enough tea. For Gyokuro, you won’t get good results unless you use double the amount used for sencha.

How to make Iced Tea

  • Brew double strength (2 tea spoons per cup) using hot water.
  • Strain & keep in the fridge until cold.
  • Alternatively pour straight over ice cubes.
    OR
  • Put 2 tea spoons of loose tea leaves into a large pot or jug.
  • Fill with cold water & leave to infuse in the fridge, preferably overnight.
  • Most iced teas taste better with added sugar or sweetener.
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