The Perfect Cup of Tea

Click here to see the Table
of Recommended Steeping Instructions

Selecting the Water

One must not forget that tea is subtly flavored water. Water selection is therefore an important step. The water must be clear, pure, odorless and tartar free. Distilled water or spring water is ideal. However, well water or tap water is often adequate, but even better if passed through an activated charcoal filtering system like those found on the market.

In an ideal world, it would be preferable to own one teapot for each type of tea we drink. For practical and often financial reasons, we use the same teapot to prepare several types of tea. It is preferable not to steep green and white teas in teapots previously used to prepare black, smoked or flavored teas. Hence, one should own at least one teapot for light teas, one teapot for strong and bold teas and one teapot for flavored teas. Should you wish to read more about teapots, we suggest that you refer to the various texts describing the teapots in the section Boutique/Indispensable Tools/Teapots.

Generally speaking, 2.5 grams of black tea are required to brew one cup, whereas 4 to 5 grams of green tea are required to brew one cup. This translates into one generous teaspoon for whole leaf black teas. Two teaspoons will be required for Oolongs.

Water temperature is also very important. Water must be brought to boiling point, but not boiled for a long period of time, as this would decrease the oxygen concentration. Boiling water should never be poured on the leaves because such temperature could destroy some fragile elements of the leaf, thus affecting the tea's subtle aromas. A glance at the annexed Table will help you determine the best water temperature for your type of tea.

Finally, steeping time must be respected. Those who complain about bitterness have usually far exceeded recommended steeping periods.

It is not necessary to own a thermometer, a scale and a chronometer to prepare good tea. Try to follow our guidelines. However, an error is rarely dramatic. Preparing tea should be an enjoyable experience, not a source of stress and anxiety. Enjoy !

Click here to see the Table of Recommended Steeping Instructions