The Five Steps the Perfect Steep
The best way to conjure up the perfect cup is to start with the 5 basic steps of brewing black tea.
First you will need is cold, clean and preferably filtred water. Why cold? Because cold water filtered contains less dissolved minerals and chemicals that can give your tea an off-flavor.
The second step is heating your water. Whether it’s a classic kettle, the more contemporary Keurig or fire breathing dragon, it’s not important how you heat your water, but how high you heat it too. To make the most of black tea you will need boiling (212*F) water. Anything less will leave your tea leaves less than luscious.
The third and most critical step is timing. Whoever said “timing is everything”, must have been a tea drinker. Black tea steep time is three - four minutes. Only. Black tea turns from tasty to testy in just a minute, so make sure to set a timer. At the shop we set timers for all teas and I reckoned you do the same for your brew.
The type of infuser you choose also plays a pivotal role in the perfect cup. The best infusers leave plenty of room for your tea leaves to bloom. I do not recommend the ‘ball’ strainers. They leak and like their cute silicone counterparts the compress the tea and not allow it to fully bloom. Using an inferior strainer is like swimming in a bathtub compared to a pool. Give your leaves room to move!
The final step to the perfect steep is your tea. With black tea being the second most popular beverage in the world, just behind water, there are countless teas to choose from.
Your tea should be high-quality dried tea leaves that feel how they look: smooth, whole and sturdy.
Never pre-bagged and preferably grown regeneratively, and/or biodynamically without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or insecticides. In other words, your tea should be consciously sourced.
So grab your favorite cup, put the kettle on and unless you opted for the fire breathing dragon option, steeping the perfect cup of black tea is effortless and tasty!
Happy Sipping!
Kim