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A little bit of knowledge goes a long way with tea brewing. Even the best teas will taste terrible if they are prepared incorrectly. For that reason, we consider preparation to be the most important part of your tea experience. Here are some tips for brewing tea at home and elsewhere.
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Steeping Guide
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.
Flash or Gong Fu Steeping
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.
Try both brewing methods and let us know what you think!
Iced Tea
Some of our teas are fantastic iced. The idea behind brewing iced tea is the same as brewing hot tea, but you’ll need to use a higher ratio of tealeaves to water because your tea will be diluted when you pour it over ice. Some people prefer to steep their tea a little longer than usual and add a sweetener, like cane sugar, rock candy, honey or brown sugar. A slice of lemon can also be a great addition to iced black teas.
Some of our favorite teas for serving iced are Red Robe Oolong, Red Dragon Pearl, Mango Black Tea, Strawberry Black Tea and Passion Fruit Black Tea. If you find any gems, let everyone know in your reviews!
