With a good cup of tea
General instructions for brewing tea.
1. Clean, fresh water is the foundation of good tea.
2. Measure one teaspoon of tea per cup, or if you want to make a stronger tea, add more to your taste. (A good rule is that one teaspoon of tea equals about 2 - 3 dl of prepared tea.)
3. Pour the heated water over the tea leaves and let it brew for 1 - 10 minutes according to the instructions on the tea package. (You can find the recommended brewing time on the tea packages. Too long a brewing time will make the tea bitter, while too short may not be enough for the tea to be fully/sufficiently extracted.
4. Remove the tea leaves from the drink and add sweetener to taste.
The brewing time depends on the type and the size of the tea leaves.
Green tea is usually brewed for a shorter time than black teas. When brewing black tea, the water can be almost boiling hot (ideal temperature approx. 95 degrees). It is recommended that the water used for green tea be cooled* to 75-90 degrees, depending on the tea type. For the brewing, you can choose a tea strainer, a modern tea presso pot, a cast iron pot or a glass pot that suits the situation and atmosphere.
*Nowadays, there are also kettles available that allow you to select the desired temperature. Of course, the thermometer also works quite well.
If the tea tastes bitter, check the following things:
1. Too long a steeping time
Tea leaves contain tannic acids, which dissolve in hot water during steeping. Too much tannic acid tastes bitter, which is why each tea has its own recommended steeping time. After steeping, the extraction must be stopped, usually by removing the leaves from the tea drink.
2. Careless brewing
You may have only removed some of the tea leaves. The steeping time was correct, but some leaves remained at the bottom of the cup or jug. Leaves remaining at the bottom of the cup/jug can make the drink bitter over time.
3. Incorrect dosage
The tea is too strong If you dose too many leaves, your drink will brew strongly and you will taste this as bitterness in some teas. So don’t just pour the leaves into the cup or jug, but measure the right amount of tea.
4 Teas that contain tannic acids
There are teas that naturally have a high tannic acid content and a slightly bitter basic taste. When tea is grown at high altitudes, where the soil is barren and the climate is cool, the tea leaves become harder and more woody than normal. For example, tea from the Darjeeling region has a characteristic champagne-like tart taste and brewing it too long quickly makes the drink bitter.
5 Improper storage
Dry tea leaves easily absorb moisture and other flavors if you do not store the tea in a dry place protected from sunlight. It is important to keep the tea leaves tightly closed in a bag or in a sealed container.
6. Water
Fresh and clean water is the basis for the taste of good tea. Use only fresh, clean water.
Stewing instructions for busy people:
It is often thought that tea time should be a completely unhurried and peaceful moment. However, there is not always time to calm down over a cup of tea, the tea must be enjoyed quickly. Here are some instructions for the slightly busier tea drinker.
1. Green and white tea brew quickly (brewing time usually 1-2 minutes) When you choose green or white tea for your cup, the tea drink is ready in a few minutes. You probably have a minute or two to make your tea, even in the middle of a rush.
2. Add cold water to the boiling water so you don't necessarily have to wait for the boiling water to cool down to the right temperature. So add a little cold water to the water you have boiled, so it will cool down appropriately and you can pour the water over the tea leaves without the drink becoming bitter. Add a fifth of cold tap water to the boiling water to get the water to a suitable temperature for green tea.
3. Choose tea qualities that do not become bitter easily or at all. Some tea qualities contain less tannic acids, so they do not become bitter so easily. Generally, it is thought that Chinese teas do not become bitter as quickly, while e.g. Indian and Japanese teas become bitter easily when steeped for too long.
Recommended tea brewing times and temperatures:
Black tea
Brewing temperature 90-95°C
Brewing time 3 - 5 min
Recommended brewing times 2 - 3
Green tea
Brewing temperature 70-80°C
Brewing time 1 - 4 min
Recommended brewing times 2 - 3