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Knowing how to brew tea can make the difference between a drink that exposes its true flavor and color, and a tea that is dark, bitter and unpleasant. There are many aspects that need to be taken into consideration when preparing tea and each of these aspects plays a very important role. The amount of water and tea leaves, the temperature of the water and even the teaware used for brewing the tea influence the final aroma. It must also be noted that the brewing instructions may differ from one variety of tea to the other. Full and semi-full tea leaves, despite being more expensive, can be used for more than one infusion. This is not the case when using crushed leaves or tea bags. Still, this is not the only difference between full leaves and tea bags. Despite being more convenient, tea bags do not offer neither the complexity, nor the color of full leaves. You must keep in mind that the flavor and the color of the brew will differ from one infusion to the other, and not only in terms of intensity. Also, the recommended temperature for the water differs between the infusions. Leaves that have been used for the first time require boiled water that has a temperature of about 85 to 89 degrees Celsius. One the other hand, for leaves that are infused for the last time, a water temperature of 95 degrees Celsius is recommended. Steeping times are also different between the tea varieties. More than that, whether the leaves have been used before or are at the first infusion will also influence the steeping time. For example, Pu-erh tea leaves are infused for 12 to 30 seconds if it is the first time. Steeping times ranging between 2 and 10 minutes are necessary for the last infusions. After brewing the tea, you can add milk and/or sugar, but this is a not a rule, as there are certain varieties of tea that do not go well with milk. White sugar is preferred, because the brown sugar is not adequate for tea. Also, honey should never be used in tea liquor, at least not according to the British habits. Chilling tea is also a popular practice, especially during hot summer days. To make iced tea even more refreshing, you can add slices of lemon or lime, but this may alter the original flavor of the brew. Source: How to Brew Tea at Chi of Tea Loose Leaf Tea Information
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