Loose tea is a guilty pleasure of mine. Some people spoil themselves with chocolate, but I spoil myself with every tea I can put my hands on.
Many people share my passion for tea, but some do not. I’ve found that those who don’t are easily won over with a properly brewed cup of loose tea.
The difference in taste alone is often due to the quality of loose leaf tea versus tea bags. How the tea is brewed also makes a big difference.
Guide to Making Loose Tea
1. Making loose tea begins with hot water. You need 8 oz. water per serving. You can boil water on your stove, use an electric tea kettle, or an automatic tea maker.
How hot you heat your water depends on the type of tea you are making – black tea needs boiling water, but white and green teas need cooler water or they’ll taste bitter.
Here’s a simple chart to make sure you have the right hot water for your loose tea:
| Type of Tea | Temperature | How Long to Brew |
| Black Tea | Boiling: 212°F | 3 – 5 minutes |
| Green Tea | 180-200°F | 1 – 2 minutes |
| Oolong Tea | 212°F | 1 – 2 minutes |
| White Tea | 180-200°F | 1 – 3 minutes |
2. Once your water is heated, pour it into your teapot or mug. Let it sit for about a minute and then pour it out. This is called steaming the pot. It raises the temperature of your teapot or mug, so that it doesn’t cool down your tea, allowing your tea to stay hotter longer.
3. Add a teaspoon of tea per person to your teapot, plus one extra teaspoon for the kettle. If you’re making tea for two people, you will need 3 teaspoons of tea.
If you’re using a mug, you’ll use the same amount of tea (1 teaspoon per person, plus an extra teaspoon for the mug). You can either add the tea directly to your mug or put it in a tea infuser if you don’t want tea leaves in your tea.
4. Add your water to your tea.
5. Let it steep for the amount of time listed in the chart above.
6. If you’re using a teapot, strain your tea into mugs.
7. Drink and enjoy.
Important Tips for Making Loose Tea
Just because you’ve made one pot of tea, it doesn’t mean you need to throw your tea leaves out. Loose tea can be steeped up to five times.
When you’re ready to throw out your tea, add it to your compost or to plants. It adds a lot of beneficial nutrients to soil.
Top Loose Tea Resources
COSORI Electric Kettle – This glass tea kettle has an auto-shut off so it won’t boil dry.
One Touch Tea Maker – Simply add water and tea, and let it make you tea free of leaves.
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