UR HAPPY PLACE · TEA GUIDE
Brewing tea
Put the kettle on and pick out your favorite mug. While your tea steeps, give yourself a few quiet minutes, too. Sometimes it's enough to sit by the window and watch the color deepen.
Let the leaves open up
One of the pleasures of loose leaf tea is getting to know the leaves themselves. Scoop a little into a roomy infuser so the leaves have space to unfurl. Notice the scent before you pour, then again when you lift the cup. If you'd like a fuller flavor next time, try a little more tea.
Good tea starts with good water.
Use fresh, filtered water for a cleaner, more balanced flavor.
Find Your Perfect Steep Time
For a morning cup with caffeine, try black tea. If you'd like something caffeine-free in the evening, look for a pure rooibos or chamomile blend. For flavored teas, the base makes the difference. Peach black tea has caffeine, for example, while peach rooibos on its own is caffeine-free.
Cooler water can bring out the gentle sweetness in green tea, while hotter water helps a hearty black tea open up. Here are a few starting points. If your package gives directions for your blend, start there.
- Green tea
- Contains caffeine · 170–185°F (77–85°C) · 2–3 minutes
- White tea
- Contains caffeine · 170–185°F (77–85°C) · 4–5 minutes
- Oolong tea
- Contains caffeine · 185–205°F (85–96°C) · 3–5 minutes
- Black tea
- Contains caffeine · 200–212°F (93–100°C) · 3–5 minutes
- Herbal tea
- Usually caffeine-free · 212°F (100°C) · 5–7 minutes
Choosing an herbal blend? Check the ingredients if you're avoiding caffeine. Pure peppermint, chamomile, and rooibos are naturally caffeine-free, but blends with yerba mate or tea leaves contain caffeine.
When the timer rings, take a sip. The best steep is the one you look forward to making again.