Almost everyone knows how to make tea. But, what does it take to make a perfect cup of tea? Well, the secret is in learning how to steep tea. Whether you are a fan of brewing tea or not, there's much more to it than just dropping a tea bag in hot water. Mastering how to steep tea will enable you to extract the best flavor out of any tea. Of course, steeping process is slightly different depending on the type of tea. But, it's fairly easy and enjoyable. Here is what you need to steep your perfect cup of tea.

Heating the Water

The key element of any tea is water. So, it's logical to start the steeping process with heating the water. For the best effect, it's always smarter to use spring, filtered or boiled water. Naturally, fresh water will yield a better cup of tea. So, the first thing you need to do is to fill the kettle with cold, fresh water. Heat the water to a boil (unless you are brewing white or green tea). You can also use your microwave in order to heat the water. When the water reaches the boiling point, it's time to measure out the tea. Use one teaspoon of loose tea leaves or one tea bag per six-ounce cup.

Steep Tea

As we've mentioned earlier, steeping time is different depending on the type of tea. But, we have the exact steeping times for the most popular teas. Here is how it goes: In case you are brewing black tea, make sure to pour the boiling water directly over the tea in order to steep tea the right way. For white, green or herbal tea, it's best to take them off the heat and wait for about 30 seconds until the boil stops. Afterwards, pour it directly over in order to steep tea in the best possible way. This will prevent delicate loose tea leaves from being overcooked which results in a bitter taste of tea. So, here are the exact times, temperatures and measures to steep tea:

• Green tea is best steeped at a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (74 to 85 degrees Celsius) - 1 tsp/cup
• Black tea - steep at a temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit (95 degrees Celsius) - 0.5 teaspoon per cup
• Oolong tea is best steeped using a temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit (95 degrees Celsius) - 0.5 tsp/cup
• White tea - steep at a temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius) - 1 tsp/cup
• Herbal teas should be steeped using a temperature of 203 degrees Fahrenheit (95 degrees Celsius) - 1 tsp/cup

Steep Tea - Tips

• When steeping is over remove the loose tea leaves immediately for better flavor
• Always use fresh, cold water for boiling
• Do not re-boil old and stale water
• Pour the water over the tea directly into the cup and not the other way around
• In case you are using teabags, don’t squeeze the teabags after the steeping is over
• Always cover the cup with something for the entire time of steeping

The last thing you need to do is simply pour the steaming tea into your favorite cup and enjoy your tea. We hope that now you will not have any dilemmas about steeping tea. It's fairly easy and won't take a lot of your time and effort. Now that you know how to do it, make sure to visit Teabloom for more tea brewing techniques, recipes and valuable tips.