How to Brew a Great Cup of Tea

The Jasmine Pearl's Guide to Brewing a great cuppa tea!

1) Scoop - approx. 1 tsp to 1 TBSP of dry tea leaf into an infuser. Basket or paper infusers are best. 2) Heat - bottled or filtered water to desired temp. (see Temp/Time Table below) 3) Steep - Pour heated water over dry leaves and steep for desired time. 4) Remove tea filter to prevent bitterness avoid over steeping. 5) Relax and enjoy!

Things to Remember:

Tea brewing is a function of leaf, temp, and time. It takes only 2 grams' worth of tea (about the weight of a dime) to make an 8oz. cup. Generally, a mounded teaspoon is plenty, keeping in mind that the bulkier the tea, the bulkier the scoopful needed.

White and green teas generally require 180°-190° water and 3 - 4 minutes to steep. Oolongs and black teas are in the 190°-200° range and can steep 3.5 - 4.5 minutes. Herbals, generally, can be steeped hotter and longer, say between 200° and boiling and 4 minutes' steep or more. Remember that many teas can be steeped multiple times - oolongs are known for this, and the higher the grade, the more steepings one can expect from them!