Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, Mother’s Day… thepuriTea Gift Box is the ideal gift for any occasion, and can be customized to suit any tea drinker on your list. Each decorative, sturdy green box bears an attractive thepuriTea label and includes:

• Three different teas, with approximately eight ounces of each

• Two convenient, clear travel infusers

• One stylish storage cylinder

We have carefully chosen six harmonious tea sets to appeal to all levels of tea enthusiasts. Select your recipient’s ideal tea Gift Box from these enticing combinations of our best-selling teas:

Flavored Teas - Strawberry, Passion Fruit, Mango
Black Teas - Hong Jing Luo, Golden Yunnan, Earl Grey
Shades of Tea - Red Dragon Pearl, Jasmine Silver Needle, Ti Kuan Yin
Green Teas - Emerald Needle, Gunpowder White Monkey
Sweetness - Gunpowder, Jasmine Pearl, Milk Oolong
Special Blend - Milk Oolong, Dragonwell, Jasmine Silver Needle

Proportions – We suggest a ratio of one gram of tea for each cup of water. If you prefer a stronger flavor, use up to two grams of tea for each cup of water.

Water – Filtered water is best. Use water at 212ºF (fully boiling) for black teas and water around 180ºF (simmering with tiny bubbles) for oolong, green and white teas. Water that is too hot will leave your tea tasting bitter and harsh. Water that isn’t hot enough will create dull, flat infusion.

Steeping – Steeping times are also important. Like water temperatures, if steeping times are too high, the tea is bitter, and if they’re too low, the tea is weak.

Standard brewing times are five to seven minutes for black tea, three to four minutes for oolongs and one to three minutes for green and white teas.

However, some tea drinkers (including us at thepuriTea) prefer a “flash” method of brewing that’s common in China and Taiwan, where it is known as “gong fu” (or “high skill”) brewing. It requires a higher ratio of tea to water, but it often allows for more infusions of the same leaves and provides a richer, more nuanced flavor and aroma. Here’s how it works: First, we run warm water over the tealeaves and pour it off very quickly. This removes any impurities and “awakens” the tealeaves for brewing. Then, we steep the tea – 35 to 60 seconds for black teas, 15 to 35 seconds for oolongs, or ten to 25 seconds for white or green teas.