[Professor S]

I am bit of a cofeee and tea snob, so when I really want to enjoy my tea, I normally follow the british afternoon tea method.

You'll need:

One kettle
One small mesh strainer or cup tea strainer
One ceramic teapot, older and more used the better

Boil the water needed and take it off the heat. Pour about one cups worth into the teapot, swirls and pour out (this heats the teapot ahead of time and will help keep the tea warm. Then add one rounded teaspoon of tea per cup (4-6 oz.) always putting one extra teaspoon in "for the pot". Pour in the water.

Let is steep to taste and then serve, prerably with some nice slightly sweet cookies (biscuits)

DON'T:

Pour boiling water directly into a cold teapot. You'll likely break it due to rapid expansion.

Water should always sit for a few minutes after boiling as boiling water will scald the tea. Loose tea is delicate and you don't want to trample the complex flavors. There is an ideal temperature but I can't remember off the top of my head.

Use one of those scissor like loose tea dunkers. They don't allow enough room for the tea to "bloom" and you'll end up with dull, lifeless flavors from otherwise good and expensive tea.

Pour more hot water into an empty pot with used tea. That tea is dead and lifeles in both flavor and caffeine. Caffiene is the first thing released when you steep tea. Rinse out the pot and steep new tea if you'd like to make more.


My preferences: I like British style teas as Japanese teas tend to be too subtle for me. British style are far more robust and less floral in character. I like Earl Grey (Twinings my fav), Yorkshire, Gunpowder with a touch of Lapsang Suchong (smoked green tea I use as a flavorant), Hyson, Orange Pekoe with Lemon and Bigelow makes a great Mango Green Tea. Locally, my store makes a pear and apple green tea that is amazing.