Six Simple Steps to Making the Perfect Cup of Tea

1. Always begin with good quality water

2. Pre-heat the teacup or teapot

The teacup/teapot should be pre-heated to prevent the water from cooling down during the steeping time. While the water is heating up in the tea kettle, fill the teacup/teapot with hot tap water and let it sit until the water in the kettle is ready. Pour out the water in the teacup/teapot and continue to the next step.

3. Add the tea infuser and whole leaf tea

Measure the correct amount of whole leaf tea and pour into the infuser. Place the infuser into the teacup/teapot.

4. Add the hot water

See chart above for the correct water temperature for each tea type. Pour the heated water over the tea leaves in the infuser, completely covering the tea leaves and filling the cup/pot to the top. This will allow the tea leaves to expand and provide the best flavor in your cup/pot. Be sure to use the correct size infuser for the cup/pot you are using. The tea leaves will almost triple in size so they will need the correct amount of space in the infuser to expand.

5. Steep the tea leaves

Place the infuser lid over the infuser (or the teapot lid onto the teapot) to keep the heat in the cup/pot. This will also hold in the aromatic flavor of the tea. Steep the leaves for the appropriate amount of time (see chart above).

6. Sip slowly and enjoy!

Remove the infuser from the teacup/teapot and place into inverted lid. The lid will act as a drip catcher keeping the table area clean. Do not discard the tea leaves. These can be re-infused a number of times and by repeating the above steps, you can make additional perfectly brewed cups of tea. If using a tea cozy, place over teacup/teapot to keep the tea warm. Serving a pot of tea illuminated by a tea light warmer at the end of a meal will leave your customers knowing you care about them and their experience.

** When starting with good quality tea, it is not necessary to add anything to the teacup/teapot. However, if you prefer your tea slightly sweetened, we recommend organic honey or stevia. If you are adding lemon to your tea, do not add milk, because it will cause the milk to curdle. If using milk, add it before the hot water and only a few small drops are needed.