The Myth of Teabag Convenience
The primary reason people choose teabags is ’The Myth of Teabag Convenience.‘ This is the big gun of teabag advocates, that teabags are much more convenient than loose-leaf tea. This is just a myth but it has been around so long, that it has almost achieved the status of accepted wisdom. But it is simply not true.
If you would think that converting to loose-leaf tea will be extra work then I can tell you that it takes no more time to prepare loose leaf tea than a pot with teabags. Try it yourself and then taste the two teas. The loose-leaf tea almost sells itself. There are so many clever ways to steep loose-leaf tea today (do-it-yourself disposable teabags, in-cup or in-pot brewing baskets etc.) that it doesn‘t take any longer to prepare a two-cup pot of tea, than it takes to prepare a two-cup pot of tea with teabags. But the difference in quality and flavour is big.
First of all, to get the full amount of flavor from tea leaves, they must have room to expand fully. In the case of oolong teas, the difference between the tightly rolled dry leaves and the unfurled steeped leaves is quite dramatic. If they are unable to unfurl, some of the flavor stays trapped within the leaves. Ideally, the leaves should be able to swirl freely in the water in which they are steeping to get the full flavor.
The second reason is because of the size of the leaf. That's what effects the resulting cup of tea. Tea leaves contain chemicals and essential oils, which are the basis for the delightful flavour of tea. When the tea leaves are broken up, those oils can evaporate, leaving a dull and tasteless tea. The smaller the leaf, the more quickly bitter tannins are released, and the more quickly tea becomes bitter. Most loose leaf tea is whole leaf, while tea bags are filled with fannings, or tea dust from the bottoms of crates and barrels of teas. Basically, the cast off bits of tea. Teabags also tend to go stale more quickly. Tea can stay fresh for up to two years, if properly stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dark place, like a cabinet. Teabags are frequently improperly packaged for freshness.
Even if you prefer a simple cup of black Keemun, or Assam (which is the major component of most bagged teas), try getting your tea loose instead of in bags. If you enjoy a change now and again, you can get a wide variety of teas in bags, but there are many more to choose from if you shop for loose tea.
Brewing up a perfect pot of loose leaf teas is really simple. There are a few general rules that you must familiar yourself with, and a few tools that you'd need to acquire, once you have those down you are all set. You will need a tea pot, and some sort of infuser to contain the leafs. There are teapots that come with infusers or you can use large mesh ball. It is important that the size of the infuser, whichever kind you choose, corresponds to the size of the pot. The goal here, again, is to have a large enough space to allow free circulation of water and for the leafs to unfurl properly. This means your infuser must be big enough for your pot, and must have enough perforation so that water could flow easily through. That means big ceramic or glass infusers with a few decorative holes will not work. You will also need to be able to remove the infuser from the pot after the desired brewing period, leaving the tea leafs in the pot will turn the tea bitter and astringent. Some types of tea leafs can be rebrewed, but they should not be left for an extended period in the pot.
Water temperature: boiling hot for black tea, a little less hot for oolong, and even less for delicate green and white tea. And no, you won't need a thermometer for this, all you need to do is boil a pot of water. Use the boiling water immediately on black teas. Leave the boiling water to settle down for a minute or so before you pour it on to oolongs, or even couple more minutes longer for green and white teas.
Measure your tea leafs:How much tea leafs you need will vary, depending on your taste and the types of tea, but you could begin by using between 2-3g of tea leafs per one 8oz cup, and adjust the amount to your taste when you make it later. Different types of leafs vary in volume, but generally 2 g of leafs is about two teaspoons, the measuring teaspoon, not the fancy one in your silver set.
Prep your tea pot and infuser:I'm sorry boys, but size matters on this one: make sure the size of your infuser corresponds to the size of the pot. A good general rule of thumb here is the dry tea leafs needed for the size of the pot should fill less than half of the infuser, but bigger is always better on this one. Pour a bit of hot water over the pot before brewing to warm it up.
Brew the tea:Some people rinse the tea leafs first, by pouring a bit of water directly over the infuser and discard the water. This is to temper the leafs to the temperature of the hot water, as well as rinse out any dust or impurities. But you can easily skip this step. Pour hot water into the pot and set your timer. I suggest you begin by brewing the tea for 3 minutes, then adjust to your taste later. It is also useful to try it a few different times after brewing the tea for 2 minutes -which is generally the shortest suggested time. This way you could judge by yourself how long you'd like your tea to brew. The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf the longer the brewing time.
Black:
Water Temp: 90-100 C (195-210 F) Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
Oolong:
Water Temp: 80-93 C (185-200 F ) Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes
Green:
Water Temp: 73-80 C (165-185 F) Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
White:
Water Temp: 70 - 80 C (160-175 F) Steeping Time: 1-3 minutes
Herbal/Fruit tisanes:
Water Temp: 95 - 100 C (205-210 F) Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes
Remove the leafs: It is important to remove the brewed leafs immediately after the desired brewing period. You could set aside the brewed leafs to make another pot later, but it's not a good idea to leave the leafs in the pot indefinitely.
Tea Storage Tea easily absorbs moisture and odours and so it is essential that it is kept in a cool dry and dark place away from any strong smelling items. It must be stored in an airtight container not exposed to light and used within a reasonable time. Because light breaks down the quality of tea, glass containers are not suitable for the storage of tea unless stored away from light.
Kupa Tea offers a wide variety of high quality Loose Leaf Teas from around the world. Visit Kupa Tea website or Contact us for more details.
Water temperature: boiling hot for black tea, a little less hot for oolong, and even less for delicate green and white tea. And no, you won't need a thermometer for this, all you need to do is boil a pot of water. Use the boiling water immediately on black teas. Leave the boiling water to settle down for a minute or so before you pour it on to oolongs, or even couple more minutes longer for green and white teas.
Measure your tea leafs:How much tea leafs you need will vary, depending on your taste and the types of tea, but you could begin by using between 2-3g of tea leafs per one 8oz cup, and adjust the amount to your taste when you make it later. Different types of leafs vary in volume, but generally 2 g of leafs is about two teaspoons, the measuring teaspoon, not the fancy one in your silver set.
Prep your tea pot and infuser:I'm sorry boys, but size matters on this one: make sure the size of your infuser corresponds to the size of the pot. A good general rule of thumb here is the dry tea leafs needed for the size of the pot should fill less than half of the infuser, but bigger is always better on this one. Pour a bit of hot water over the pot before brewing to warm it up.
Brew the tea:Some people rinse the tea leafs first, by pouring a bit of water directly over the infuser and discard the water. This is to temper the leafs to the temperature of the hot water, as well as rinse out any dust or impurities. But you can easily skip this step. Pour hot water into the pot and set your timer. I suggest you begin by brewing the tea for 3 minutes, then adjust to your taste later. It is also useful to try it a few different times after brewing the tea for 2 minutes -which is generally the shortest suggested time. This way you could judge by yourself how long you'd like your tea to brew. The time it takes to brew tea correlates to the size of the leaf in your blend. This means the larger the leaf the longer the brewing time.
Black:
Water Temp: 90-100 C (195-210 F) Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
Oolong:
Water Temp: 80-93 C (185-200 F ) Steeping Time: 2-5 minutes
Green:
Water Temp: 73-80 C (165-185 F) Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes
White:
Water Temp: 70 - 80 C (160-175 F) Steeping Time: 1-3 minutes
Herbal/Fruit tisanes:
Water Temp: 95 - 100 C (205-210 F) Steeping Time: 5-7 minutes
Remove the leafs: It is important to remove the brewed leafs immediately after the desired brewing period. You could set aside the brewed leafs to make another pot later, but it's not a good idea to leave the leafs in the pot indefinitely.
Tea Storage Tea easily absorbs moisture and odours and so it is essential that it is kept in a cool dry and dark place away from any strong smelling items. It must be stored in an airtight container not exposed to light and used within a reasonable time. Because light breaks down the quality of tea, glass containers are not suitable for the storage of tea unless stored away from light.
Kupa Tea offers a wide variety of high quality Loose Leaf Teas from around the world. Visit Kupa Tea website or Contact us for more details.
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