Experts Recommend Brewing by the Pot to Obtain the Best Cup of Tea

All tea leaves come from the same plant species, but different growing conditions, processing and blending create distinctive tea varieties, including the three major categories--black, green and oolong.

Black tea is created by drying and fermenting the leaves, which are then fired to halt fermentation. It is this final process that turns them black.

Green tea is steamed immediately after harvest to prevent fermentation. The leaves remain green, producing a distinctively different flavor and color.

Oolong tea, grown in China and Taiwan, is partially fermented. This tea is valued for its delicate peach flavor.

Some popular black teas include:

Assam (India)-- Grown in the Brahmaputra Valley and known for its assertive flavor and strong color.

Ceylon (Sri Lanka)-- Has a mellow nutty flavor and bright color.

Darjeeling (India)-- Large leaf tea, grown in the Himalayas; prized for its delicate flavor and rich aroma.

Keemun (China)-- Brews to a deep amber color and has a mellow flavor.

Lapsang Souchong (China)-- Smoky-flavored tea with a pungent aroma.

Nilgiri (India)-- Grown in the mountains at the southern tip of the country, a tea prized for its fragrance.

Well-known blends include:

Earl Grey-- India and China teas combined and flavored with oil of bergamot.

English Breakfast-- Robust blend of Northern India and Ceylon teas noted for its rich flavor.

Jasmine-- Green and black Chinese teas blended with jasmine petals for a delicate flavor and aroma.

To make the best tea, experts recommend brewing by the pot. The simple process requires a minimum of equipment.

Begin by bringing fresh, cold tap water to a rolling boil. It’s important the water is cold and just drawn from the tap so that it’s full of oxygen. This brings out the full character of tea.

Warm the teapot by filling it with hot water while the water comes to a boil. A warm pot keeps brewed tea hot longer.

Empty the pot, then place one teaspoon loose tea (Step 1) or one tea bag per cup of tea desired into the teapot. Loose tea may be placed in an infuser, or tea ball, to eliminate the need to strain the tea before serving. Tea leaves may expand up to seven times, so the infuser should only be filled halfway.

Follow the old maxim “Bring the pot to the kettle, not the kettle to the pot.” Boiling water cools quickly, so have the teapot nearby to ensure that the water will be close to boiling when it comes in contact with the leaves.

Pour six ounces of water into the pot for each cup of tea being prepared (Step 2). Cover the pot and brew three to five minutes. Don’t make the mistake of judging the strength of tea by its color--some brew light, others dark.

Remove the infuser or tea bags and stir the tea once to ensure even taste. If using loose tea, strain before serving. Some teapots have built-in strainers, but any strainer fine enough to prevent leaves from reaching the cup may be used.

If the tea is too strong, add hot water rather than brewing a shorter length of time.

A tea cozy may be used to keep the pot warm (Step 3). These are typically quilted and may be made from cotton, wool, embroidered velvet, silk or satin.

Experts advise serving tea with milk rather than cream, which tends to mask the tea’s flavor. Lemon, sugar or honey also may be added.