Last Updated on September 19, 2021 by Ed Joven
Learn How to Master the Art of Brewing Tea
The art of brewing tea is not a small ordeal. Many enthusiasts around the world spend years perfecting the methods. It is a revered art form and is greatly valued in certain cultures, such as the Asians and the British. There are a variety of ways to brew tea. In fact, there is a massive assortment of tea types that can be purchased. Needless to say, each type of tea has its own method of preparation.
This article solely focuses on the ways to master the art of brewing tea. We have included a small briefing on automated methods, while also including manual steps that you can take to brew your own cup of tea. There is a lot to learn, as brewing tea is usually not as simple as it seems. Sure you can prepare a cup, but without the right amounts of ingredients, it might as well just be a cup of water.
Read this article to learn the important aspects to look out for.
Use a Keurig and K-Cup Machine
People opting for machine-produced, ready-made tea or coffee can use a Keurig machine. These devices can be used in both commercial and personal spaces with relative ease without worrying about the consistency in taste. A Keurig machine implements the use of K cups or pods for brewing and supplying the tea to the consumer. These pods determine the flavor and type of tea that the machine will provide and can be changed when needed.
There is a wide assortment of the best K cup tea options that you can choose from, depending on your taste and preference. The fact that you can pick a single K cup having a particular flavor makes these appliances extremely useful. Additionally, the technology used in the Keurig machines can keep the tea fresh even after hours of brewing, making them the ideal choice for people looking to make tea without a lot of hassle.
Methods of Mastering the Art of Brewing Tea
As mentioned above, brewing a cup of tea is actually not a difficult task, unless you want to do it right. Below is a list of factors that you should consider in order to properly learn the art.
Quality is Crucial
This is, arguably, the most important factor to consider if you truly want a delicious and fresh cup of tea. Unless this is achieved, the tea will definitely not taste good, despite the perfection of your brewing process. You can use a Keurig machine, tea bags, or even tea leaves directly; it will not matter if the quality is not up to par.
Experts recommend using as many of your senses as possible to determine the intensity of the aroma, which is a vital deciding factor. Make sure you check the condition of the leaves. If they are too dry, the taste of the tea will be affected. Even the color of these leaves can highlight their quality. Try to find out the origin of the tea leaves by asking the suppliers or checking the packaging. Occasionally, you may end up with very old tea that had not been sold for months. Although they might still seem fresh, it is advisable to not go for those older products and, instead, look for newer options.
Know the Proportions
Cooking hot beverages like coffee or tea requires perfection in the proportion of the ingredients involved. However, there is no set standard. It totally depends on the preference of the cook. However, we do suggest adding tea worth 2 grams for every 150mL of water. This is not a rule but a good practice to maintain the consistency of your brew. Make sure you understand the concentration of tea before adding it to the water, as certain types require less to achieve the same level compared to other brands.
Know Your Preferred Type - Tea Bags or Loose Leaves
There is a persistent social conflict among tea lovers regarding the type of tea and the ease of brewing each. Many prefer tea bags over loose leaves due to the simplicity of the brewing process. All you need to do is take a cup of hot water and dip a tea bag into it. Stir the cup, or simply wait for a while, and the tea should be ready for consumption.
However, loose-leaf tea lovers choose leaves over tea bags as they feel the taste is stronger in this method. While this is not entirely true, they do have a point. Teabags can be really old and still make their way onto the shelves of supermarkets. Unless you have an adequate understanding of such tea bags, you might end up with a year-old pack of tea bags that will not taste quite as good as expected. Make sure you are aware of all these intricacies before purchasing some.
Many people like the taste of exotic tea found in selective places of the world. Some of the best Asian tea is famous around the world due to its iconic origin and wholesome taste. There is virtually no end to the options. We suggest you start trying out some of these variants and judge on your own.
Milk Is Essential, but Not for Everyone
Many enthusiastic tea lovers claim that tea without milk is not tea at all! In fact, it is really hard to beat this logic, as tea indeed does taste a whole lot better when milk is added. However, as taste is a perceptual concept, there is nothing wrong with consuming tea without milk. Some people like adding honey or lemon slices, along with a host of spices to make the taste stronger and unique. There is no wrong choice here. It depends on the consumer’s preference.
If milk is indeed being used, add it after you have infused the tea leaves into the water. This way, you can monitor and control the amount of milk being added by simply seeing the color of the mixture. The proportion is, again, an individual decision.
Final Words
Tea is not very different from coffee in the sense that there are various ways to brew them both. Knowing the right proportions is simply not enough. A proper understanding of the tea’s quality also determines the success of the process. We believe this article has taught you the basic factors that will help you to master the art of brewing tea.
Leave a Reply