How to Brew Hot Tea

Specific instructions for each tea will always be listed on your bag of Tea Sip tea. There you will find listed the tablespoon measurement, amount of water, water temperature, and brew (steep) time.

Heat your water.

Heat your water to your desired water temperature. We highly recommend investing in an electric variable temperature kettle so you can get your temperature precise. If you don’t want to invest extra in a variable temperature kettle, we highly recommend at least considering a basic electric kettle that makes boiling water and not a stovetop kettle. Electric kettles heat much more rapidly and are more precise then stovetop kettles. We do not recommend microwaving your water. For those that love their Keurig, your water temperature out of the Keurig is typically only 185 degrees Fahrenheit, so your tea may be a little weak for teas that require 195 or above. Also, filtered water is best here, but tap works as well. Just remember if you use tap water, the flavor of the infusion may be changed.

Quick Water Temperature Cheat Method:

If your electric kettle only heats to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, you can mix with cool water to create other temperatures. For 205 degrees Fahrenheit, use the water boiling straight out of your kettle, it will cool slightly when hitting your room temperature brewing vessel. To get approximately 195 degrees Fahrenheit, use 4 parts boiling water to 1 part cool water. To get approximately 185 degrees Fahrenheit, use 3 parts boiling water to 1 part cool water. 

Add leaves to brewing vessel.

Place your infuser in your brewing vessel (cup, teapot, etc.). Measure out your tea and add into your infuser. If you are using a Simple Brew Teapot, add leaves directly to the pot (the lid will strain your leaves). The amount of tablespoons will be listed on the front of your bag per 8 ounces. If you would like to be even more specific, you can weigh your tea. We recommend 4 grams of tea per 8 ounces of water.

Note:  If you are using the Quick Water Temperature Cheat Method, add your infuser of leaves after you have added the cool water, pouring boiling water over leaves that require 185-195 degrees Fahrenheit will burn the leaves and create a bitter cup.

Steep.

Let the leaves steep for the amount of time listed on the bag of tea. After the allotted time, remove the leaves. Leaving the leaves in the cup will create a bitter cup of tea. If you are looking to brew a stronger cup, always add more leaves. Do not steep longer. If you are using the Simple Brew Teapot, you will pour out all the liquid, leaving the leaves strained behind in the Teapot.

Caution:  hot tea!

Allow your tea to cool slightly before drinking. Take this opportunity to experience your tea’s aroma. It is difficult to taste all flavor components when the tea is very hot, many flavors will unfold once it is not boiling hot.

Brew Guide

Need specific instructions for one of our teas? Check out our Brew Calculator on the Brew Guide.

Video coming soon!