Not really.
Most of the tea-drinkers I know say they like black tea a lot more than green tea. Now, I don't think this is completely due to your inborn taste preferences but because when you don't brew green tea properly, it's pretty much just bitter water with a hint of grass flavoring and that doesn't sound good to anyone. Heck, I've been brewing green tea properly for about two months now and when my mom (who brews tea by sticking it in a coffee pot DON'T DO THAT EVER) gave me some "green tea" she brewed, I just wanted to punch something. It's really not that difficult and if you don't have time, this is where I really recommend getting a water heater since it's quick, easy and safer than a stove.
Note: These are general guidlines for people who probably don't get any really fancy tea and who don't have any special equipment If you have a really expensive tea which requires you to be ultra-specific when it comes to temperature and timing, you're going to have to do research on your own.
1. Tea is not Coffee: My mom isn't the only person out there who uses a coffee pot to brew tea. Coffee tends to need a higher temperature to release the right amount of flavor and even if you are dealing with something like black tea, you're not going to have the correct steep time. There's also those Kerug machines which leave me feeling apprehensive. I don't know if all of them are like this but the one at work uses the same setting for tea and coffee. Plus a lot of the tea they offer is green tea! Just trust me on this one and don't do it.
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| I couldn't find anything to do with rinsing so enjoy this picture of a cat in a cup! |
2. "Rinsing" the Tea: I've just started practicing this recently. Fill the cup or teaware with enough water to submerge the tea leaves, let it soak for a couple of seconds then dump the water out. This is said to yield a better brew and I have to admit that my tea doesn't taste as bitter as it use to. Something controversial I've noticed is the amount of time, some people say 1 or 2 seconds while others say a full 30 seconds or even 3 to 5 minutes! I think it all depends on the amount of caffeine you want in your tea (high: 1-2 sec, low: 30 sec) so rinse longer if you want less caffeine.
3. Each specific tea is different: So, we aren't brewing our tea coffee-style, we rinsed the tea and now we're going to brew it. When I said that tea isn't coffee, I also should have added that each type of tea is its own special little snowflake (or...tealeaf). You should treat black tea and green tea differently or else you'll have crappy tea. Heck, some people think you should treat tea from specific regions differently and honestly, that's all up to you. Here's a list of tea and what's an appropriate steeping time, temperature and measurement.
Black Tea:
-The most common type we see in the US and Europe. Strong taste and lots of caffeine
-Temperature: 90 to 100 degrees Celsius
-Time: 3 to 5 minutes
-Amount: 1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup
Green Tea:
-Picked then dried. Freshest and has tons of antioxidants. Also, some of the highest variety.
-Temperature: 65 to 85 degrees Celsius
-Time: 1 to 3 minutes. I've even seen as low as 30 seconds
-Amount: 2 to 3 teaspoons/8 oz.
White Tea:
-Made from the youngest tea leaves. Slightly oxidized like Oolong.
-Temperature: 75 to 90 degrees Celsius.
-Time: 2 to 3 minutes
-Amount: 2 teaspoons/8 oz.
Red Tea:
-Not technically "tea", made from the African Rooibos plant. No caffeine, high in antioxidents.
-Temperature: 90 to 100 degrees Celsius
-Time: It doesn't matter. The tea doesn't get bitter.
-Amount: 1 teaspoon/8 oz cup
Oolong Tea:
-Slightly oxidized, halfway between green and black. Good for weightloss.
-Temp: 75 to 90 degrees C
-Time: 2 to 3 minutes
-Amount: 2 teaspoons/8 oz.
Herbal Tea:
-If it's with a tea in the above list, follow suggestions
-Temp: 95 degrees C and above
-Time: 3 to 7 minutes depending on the herb
-Amount: Depends on the herb
There are other types of tea out there, the most "common" type is Pu-erh which behaves like black tea for quick reference, but I haven't even found anywhere that sells yellow tea or any of the other crazy blends. My advice for them is that the internet is a wonderful place and looking up info on them (or even some of the teas I just made a few points about) is not a bad idea.
4. Multiple Infusions: This goes along with the rinsing point. Some people use tea meant for 1 cup of tea to make several cups of tea (like grandma used to). I understand that tea is expensive but I feel like most tea just ends up losing too much flavor/getting bitter after the first batch. Rinse it for 30 seconds if you want it decaf but after that, just use the bag/tea once. And this is coming from a cheap person!
Well, these are all the basic tips you need. And because I just LOVE bullet points....
-Don't brew tea in a coffee machine
-Try to rinse the tea with hot water for a couple of seconds
-Each tea is different. The less done to it, the more gentle you should be in terms of temperature and time.
-Don't be a cheapo and just use the teabag for one cup of tea.
Oh, and here's the obligatory cute picture of Tommy.
Happy Drinking
-Domino
Here's my sources: Wikipedia, Teachat and Enjoying Tea.
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