This Is How To Brew The Perfect Cup Of Tea Every Single Time

Unsplash/Suhyeon Choi

As temperatures drop dramatically, we’re reaching for that tea kettle to provide us with some warm and oh-so-soothing relief. But it’s recently come to our attention that we (along with the majority of tea drinkers out there) don’t brew our favorite cups correctly.

We met with Stephen Twining, a 10th-generation member of the family that founded the famous, London-based tea company more than 300 years ago, and he shared with us the ideal tea brewing techniques for each style of tea. Prepare to have your mind blown.

Twinings of London

First things first, you need to be using a legitimate tea kettle (none of that microwaving hot water shit). And your kettle needs to be clean for every cup of tea, so warm the kettle with some hot water, pour it out, and then refill it with the water you intend to use in your brew. You also need to start your tea with clean, cold water.

You might think you can walk away from that heating tea kettle and let it do its thing, but don’t leave it untended. The second that water starts to boil is when you want to pour it over your black or herbal tea bag. Letting it boil too long before using it allows necessary oxygen to escape from the water, which can result in a flat cup of tea. (Who knew?) And when you’re going with green tea, you want to take the kettle off the heat the second it begins to boil, let it cool to 180 degrees and then pour it over the leaves.

Unsplash/Matthew Henry

Once you’ve poured the water over your tea bag of choice, leave it alone. Don’t dunk it, don’t swirl it, don’t touch it. Just let it be and work its magic. Both black and herbal teas need four minutes to steep while green teas need two minutes. So keep a timer (or the one on your phone) handy and pay attention.

Finally, when the time is right, you can remove the tea bag and enjoy your cup as it was intended to be by the master teamen behind each box. And trust us — it’s going to taste so much better.