Preparing loose leaf tea can be a intimidating. But fear not! With a few simple tips, you can learn how to properly prepare it and enjoy the full flavour and aroma of this wonderful beverage. 

How to brew loose leaf tea

Here is a quick overview how to brew loose leaf tea, depending on the type.

Step 1: Choose the right tea leaves.

There are many varieties of tea out there, each with its own unique flavour and health benefits. Some popular types of tea include black, green, white, oolong, and herbal tea. 

Some teas have a more pronounced bitter, or even smokey taste, while other tea varieties are much lighter and sweeter. My personal preference is to go for the sweeter white tea, with some cherry blossom or peach flowers. 

Whatever your personal preference is, for best results look for tea that is fresh and fragrant, make sure the leaves are as intact as possible. That's a major sign of high-quality tea.

Specialty tea shops vs supermarket?

Personally, I like to get my tea from specialty tea shops. There you can find excellent high-quality loose leaf tea, and you also get the chance to smell the tea before buying. Also the staff there can help you pick a tea to your taste.

The reason why I don't recommend getting tea from supermarkets is that the quality there is simply not as good, and you don't get the chance to smell the tea before buying it. So, you have no idea what you got until you are home and open the package.

Here is a table summarising the pros and cons of getting your loose leaf tea from specialty tea shops vs supermarket:

Should I go for pure tea or not?

Some teas come with added flavourings or ingredients, such as cherry blossom, fruit pieces, spices, or even toasted rice.

• If you are going for a tea with a lighter taste, like white tea, I personally recommend some flavourings to give it a little extra taste.

• But remember, there is no right or wrong here, it all comes down to your own taste.

• If you are not sure, do not be afraid to experiment with different types and sources of tea to find out what you like.

Step 2: Heat the water.

Fill your kettle with cold, filtered water and turn it on. If you don’t have a kettle, you can use a pot to boil the water. 

The optimal water temperature depends on the type of tea. Some specialty green teas require a temperature as low as 140 degrees, whereas black and herbal teas often need boiling water at 212 degrees.

• If the water is too hot, it could scorch the tea leaves and ruin the taste. If it's too cold, the tea may taste weak and insipid. 

• The water temperature affects the amount of caffeine and antioxidants extracted from the tea.

How do I know the water is at the right temperature?

If you don't have fancy equipment such as an electric kettle with temperature control, do not worry! Here is what you should do: Focus on monitoring the water in your kettle as it heats up - is it just starting to emit steam, steaming vigorously, lightly starting to boil or at full boil? This can tell you a lot about the temperature of the water.

Check the table below for an overview.

Step 3: Measure your tea leaves.

While you are heating your water, place the tea filter in your tea pot. If you don’t have one, you can also use a tea ball to fill with tea.

Now add the tea leaves. Keep in mind - measuring tea leaves is not an exact science, and much depends on your personal taste.

To help you get started, here are a few general guidelines of how much you need depending on your type of tea:

Step 4: Let your tea brew.

Now pour the hot water over your tea leaves. It is important to first add the leaves and then the water. This should help with the extraction. Make sure the tea leaves are completely submerged.

Now you wait. It can be anywhere from 1 to 15 minutes depending on the type of tea you are making. You can either follow the instructions on the package or, otherwise check out the next table for the optimal brewing time:

Step 5: Remove your tea leaves.

This step is easy but essential. Remove the tea leaves on time. Steeping for too long causes the tea to become astringent and taste bitter. 

Step 6: Serve your tea and enjoy.

Now you serve your tea. Some teas are best served plain, while others might need some milk or sugar.

• If you are unsure, just know that all teas can be consumed plain, without milk or sugar.

• Black teas, especially the stronger varieties of black tea, often need something like milk to soften their taste.

Brewing loose leaf tea with a french press

If you don’t have a strainer or a tea infuser, you can use a french press. Just make sure you clean the french press very well before use, because you don’t want the flavour of coffee in your tea.

Brewing loose leaf tea in a teapot

If you don’t have a suitable strainer or a tea infuser, you can also brew your tea directly in a teapot. Just make sure that once the tea is done brewing, you strain and transfer it to another teapot or directly in your cup.

How to cold brew loose leaf tea?

Cold brewing your loose leaf tea is even easier than the classic hot brewing method and the best thing is - you don’t have to worry about water temperature!

To cold brew your loose leaf tea, simply follow the steps above, but instead of hot water just use cold water and instead of brewing for a few minutes, you have to brew your tea overnight.

How to make iced tea from loose leaves?

There are two ways to make iced tea from loose leaves. 

1. To brew your iced tea fast, just follow the steps above, and at the last step pour your hot tea in a cup filled with ice. 

2. If you have more time, you can also cold brew jour tea like explained above, and just serve it in a cup with some ice.

Either way, when making iced tea make your tea stronger than usual, because the ice will dilute it and it might end up tasting bland. So as a general rule, when you want to make iced tea, add about twice the amount of tea leaves you would normally add.