Proper Steps to Making Tea
  • First, rinse your empty teapot and fill it with hot water.  This will warm your pot and prevent the hot water from cooling too quickly when it is added to the leaves. A table mat under your pot and a cozy will help retain the heat during the initial warming of the teapot.
  • Boil freshly drawn water.  If the quality of your tap water is poor, try using filtered or bottled spring water.  Start with room temperature water.  For black tea, use the water when it comes to a boil.  In order to draw the best flavor out of the tea, the water must contain oxygen, this is reduced if the water is left boiling too long or boiled more than once.  For green tea, the water should be heated to a lower temperature (usually approximately 80 degrees Celsius), which may vary from tea to tea.
  • Empty the hot water from your teapot and add 2.25g or one rounded teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup (5.5 oz) of water (or one heaping teaspoon or one teabag per mug).  We suggest placing the tea directly into the bottom of the pot or use a basket infuser.  Tea ball strainers, while convenient, often yield poorer tasting tea as they are often too small to allow all of the leaves to fully unravel.  If you do use a tea ball, be sure to use one that is sufficiently large enough, at least double the volume of infuser to measure of leaves to allow for expansion.
  • Add the freshly boiled water over the leaves in the teapot.  Cover with a tea cozy.  Using a cozy will retain the heat and help make a deeper brew.
  • Brew your tea for the appropriate amount of time.  The amount of time needed to brew your tea varies depending on the leaves being used and the drinker's individual taste.  Careful timing is essential for brewing tea that meets your desire. A general rule to follow is the smaller the leaf, the less time is required for brewing.  Broken grades of tea leaves and most Darjeeling teas usually only need 3-4 minutes to brew.   Whole-leaf teas often need 4-5 minutes.  All teas, however, will become bitter if brewed for longer than 5 or 6 minutes.  So, remove the leaves when brewed to your taste and cover with a cozy to keep it hot for your next cup.
  • Serving the tea.  If you use a basket infuser or a tea ball, remove these promptly when the brewing time has been reached.  If you placed the tea directly into the pot, pour the tea into the cups through a strainer to catch the leaves.  In this instance, if you are not serving your tea immediately, pour your tea through a strainer into another pre-heated tea pot and cover with a cozy to help retain the heat.
  • Your tea is now ready. Add milk, sugar or lemon to taste as recommended from the tea brewing chart below.  Remember, milk OR lemon, never both.



Recommended Tea Brewing Times
  • Assam Teas are a black tea from India and is brewed for 3-5 minutes.  Assam teas have a full-bodied tea with a rich, smooth, malty flavour and is served black or with milk.
  • Ceyton Blend Teas are a black tea from Sri Lanka and is brewed for 3-5 minutes.  Ceyton blend teas have a brisk, full-flavour with a bright color and is served black or with milk.
  • Darjeeling Teas are a black tea from India and is brewed for 3-5 minutes.  Darjeeling teas have a delicate, slightly astringent flavour and is served black or with milk.
  • Earl Grey Teas are a black tea from China or Darjeeling (India) and is brewed for 3-5 minutes.  Ear Grey teas are flavoured with the natural oil of citrus bergamot fruit and is served black or with lemon.
  • Kenya Teas are a black tea from Kenya (Africa) and is brewed for 2-4 minutes.  Kenya teas have a strong tea with a bright color and is served black or with milk.
  • Lapsang Teas are a black tea from China and is brewed for 3-5 minutes.  Lapsang teas have a smoky aroma and flavour and are served black.
  • Oolong Teas are a Oolong tea from China and is brewed for 5-7 minutes.  Oolong teas have a subtle, delicate, light flavour and are served black.



Rachel's Garden Tea Party - enjoyed by young and old.