How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (2024)

How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (1)

Everyone makes tea differently – but if you popped round to our place for a visit, this is how we’d make you a brew.

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Mug or Teapot?

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  1. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (4)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (5) Treat your water kindly

    Run the tap a little so the water’s nicely aerated, and only boil it once to keep the oxygen level up. Oxygen in water helps flavour!

  2. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (6)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (7)Add tea and water

    Pop a tea bag into your mug, pour over the hot water and stir briefly.

  3. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (8)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (9)Wait patiently

    Tea needs time to unlock all its flavour, so give it 4-5 minutes to do its thing. This is a perfect time to munch a sneaky biscuit or daydream about holidays.

  4. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (10)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (11)Give it a squeeze

    Before removing the tea bag, gently squidge it against the side of the mug. Just the once, mind – if you really mash it, it'll taste bitter.

  5. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (12)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (13)Customise your brew

    We like a splash of semi-skimmed or whole milk, but your brew is unique to you – so add milk, sugar, honey, lemon or nothing at all. Most importantly, enjoy!

  1. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (14)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (15) Treat your water kindly

    Run the tap a little so the water’s nicely aerated, and only boil it once to keep the oxygen level up. Oxygen in water helps flavour!

  2. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (16)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (17)Keep everything toasty

    Tea likes hot water, but a chilly teapot cools things down – so swirl a little boiling water around the empty pot first. For bonus points, use that water to warm the cups too.

  3. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (18)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (19)Add tea and water

    Add two tea bags to a regular teapot or one tea bag to a mini teapot. If you’re using loose tea, add one teaspoon per person and one for the pot. Pour the hot water in and stir a bit.

  4. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (20)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (21)Wait patiently

    Tea needs time to unlock all its flavour, so give it 4-5 minutes to do its thing. This is a perfect time to munch a sneaky biscuit or daydream about holidays.

  5. How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (22)

    How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (23)Customise your brew

    We like a splash of semi-skimmed or whole milk, but your brew is unique to you – so add milk, sugar, honey, lemon or nothing at all. Most importantly, enjoy!

So when should you add the milk? It’s an issue that divides tea drinkers into two camps: those who pour the milk into their mug first (Miffys) and those who pour their tea in before the milk (Tiffys). Like the Montagues and the Capulets, these warring factions may never see eye to eye – but the truth is that this great debate can be solved in less time than it takes to dunk a digestive.

It’s all a question of heat. Tea brews best in very hot water, but adding milk cools things down. So if you’re brewing tea directly in a mug, it’s better to add the milk last, after it’s brewed. And if you’re brewing in a teapot, the order doesn’t matter at all – it’s just a question of personal preference!

How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea (2024)

FAQs

How to make Tea | Cup of Tea | Teapot | Yorkshire Tea? ›

Add tea and water

How do you make tea in a teacup? ›

Prepare loose tea by placing 1-2 teaspoons of loose tea into a tea strainer, put the strainer into your cup, then pour properly heated water directly over the leaves. If using a teapot, measure 1-2 teaspoons per 8oz of water.

How much tea do I use for a cup of tea? ›

Loose leaf can seem fiddly, but the truth is it's as easy as teabags. Just remember: use one teaspoon (around 2g) per cup of tea, or two per cup if you're brewing white tea, yellow tea or a fruit and herbal infusion.

How to make tea for beginners? ›

Use 1 teaspoon for every 8 ounces of water and steep the leaves for 2 to 4 minutes. In traditional brewing methods, the leaves are rinsed once or twice with hot water. To do this, simply place the loose leaves in a tea infuser. Add the strainer to a cup and pour hot water over the leaves.

Why does tea taste better in a teacup? ›

The Smooth Surface

The smoother this surface is, the fewer natural tannins from the tea will stick to the mug itself. Not only does this mean that white bone china mugs are easier to clean and less prone to staining, but it also means that the flavour of the tea stays precisely where it should; in the liquid itself.

Do you put milk or hot water first in tea? ›

Based on the research conducted by Dr Stapley of Loughborough University, it has been confirmed that putting the milk in before the hot tea is the correct way to make a brew. Sorry to those of you who have been putting the milk in last all this time, you've been doing it wrong!

How long should tea steep? ›

The common loose-leaf tea should not be steeped for more than 5 minutes. Depending on the variety, steeping longer than 5 minutes won't hurt your cup of tea but it can change the flavor of the tea, increase the amount of potential caffeine and may cause the tea to have a more bitter taste.

Why do English put milk in their tea first? ›

Given its delicacy, the porcelain would often crack due to the high water temperature. Therefore, people started adding milk to cool down the cup. Another popular theory is that milk was used to balance the natural bitterness of tea, giving it a smoother, more delicate flavour.

How long do you steep loose tea? ›

Tea steep time guidelines
  1. Black tea: 3 to 5 minutes.
  2. Green tea: 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. White tea: 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Oolong tea: 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Pu-erh tea: 5 minutes.
  6. Purple tea: 3 minutes.
  7. Herbal tea: 5+ minutes.
  8. Rooibos tea: 5+ minutes.

How long should you steep loose leaf tea? ›

Most will recommend that White and Green teas be steeped for the shortest amount of time to avoid bitterness (about 2-3 minutes). For black tea, normally 3-5 minutes is recommended. Again, due to risk of bitterness, it's not recommended to exceed that time.

How to make tea from scratch? ›

When making herbal tea, use two to three teaspoonfuls of fresh or dried herbs for one cup of water. Bring the water to a boil and allow the herbs to steep for 10 to 15 minutes and then strain the herbs out of the tea before serving. Use a tea strainer or tea ball to contain the herbs if desired.

Should you stir tea while it steeps? ›

It's a bit like opening the oven door while trying to bake something. The interior of the oven cools and so does the water in that teapot, gaiwan, etc. So keep that stirring to a minimum. However, if you can swirl with the teapot/gaiwan lid still on, then you don't have to worry about that factor.

How long do you leave a tea bag in? ›

Bring water to a rolling boil and immediately pour over your tea bag. Steep for a good 3 to 5 minutes. (Great taste can't be rushed—it really does take the full time to release the tea's entire flavor.) Remove the tea bag, relax and enjoy!

Should you squeeze your tea bag? ›

Experts at Ringtons Tea say that “most tea aficionados would agree that you shouldn't squeeze your tea bags after it has steeped.” “The liquid that remains trapped inside the tea bag has even higher instances of tannic acid than what is able to steep out of the bag on its own,” they add.

How many tea bags do you put in a teapot? ›

Add one tea bag per cup or one heaping teaspoon of loose leaf tea per cup to your teapot (read below for full loose leaf tea brewing instructions). Many teapots are one liter in size, which is about 4 cups (meaning 4 tea bags).

What is the ratio of loose tea to water? ›

Generally, you should measure 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea per 8 oz cup of water. However, fluffier blends such as white teas and Chamomile may require as much as one tablespoon or more, while denser teas such as Gunpowder may require less than one teaspoon.

Can you microwave water for tea? ›

Microwaving Tea Goes Against the Laws of Physics

It turns out that the electric field that acts as a warming source in the appliance causes the water to end up at different temperatures at the top and bottom of your mug. And a good cup of tea is about achieving a uniform temperature throughout your mug.

How do you make a cup of tea in 3 steps? ›

Simple steps to make a cup of tea:

Warm the pot. Add tea leaves/bags in the pot. Pour water & rinse. Pour & steep.

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