Designer & bike rider in British Columbia, Canada

A Good Pot of Tea

Actually, I’m asking: How do you make a good pot of tea? Mine always seems bitter and I’ve been using a quasi-scientific method of elimination to determine the cause, but no luck. I try steeping in fresh boiled water for two, three, five minutes, or just leave the dang tea bag in there. I usually use two cups of water per one-cup bag, but have experimented with one cup per bag, 4cups/bag, etc. I try pre-heating the pot with boiling water; pre-heating the glass or mug with boiling water. With sugar or honey and without.
I have a nice tea pot. The Moms picked it up in Japan 30 years ago and recently passed it down to me. It’s off-white and porcelain-looking, your typical round tea pot. Wicker handle. Small screen inside over the entrance to the spout. Cute little round lid with breathing hole. Don’t generally do more than rinse it out, but cleaned it briskly once or twice with scrubbing and dishsoap.
The actual tea I currently use is Tetley, Orange Pekoe, box of 170, round, one-cup bags. Had similar Red Rose brand before, same result. Suggestions?


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4 Responses to “A Good Pot of Tea”

  1. /A\ Avatar
    /A\

    start with cold water?
    put milk in cup before tea?
    what are you using for a kettle?
    make sure the steam hits the roof before you use the water.
    buy some water from the grocery store.
    get a filter.

  2. Jeff Werner Avatar

    Yes, cold water from tap. I empty old water out of kettle first. Don’t usually use milk. It’s a small, black, modern-looking, 1000W Proctor-Silex model K 1057 kettle that came with my apartment. Steam hits the roof…not really, I’ll try letting it boil longer. Not going to buy water from the store but do have a new Brita filter I could use rather than straight from the tap.

  3. Ross Avatar
    Ross

    Firstly tea bags are not for home use. go down to murchies or silk road and buy loose tea and a metal or cloth strainer that will fit around the neck of your pot. how much tea you use depends on the size of the pot and can only be discovered through careful testing. I usually steep for exactly three minutes, and the water has to be boiling not boiled.
    Never ever scrub out a tea pot. the black stuff that clings to the inside is your friend. pot scrubbing is a hanging offense in england. do not make hebal tea in the same pot you make black tea in. tea cosies are good. I can hook you up with one if need be.
    The above mentioned are crap teas. loose tea is much fresher and more flavourful. english afternoon and earl grey are pretty reliable teas but experimenting is good too.

  4. Wake up and smell the coffee Avatar

    Wake up and smell the coffee

    This is about as fun as pouring a hot cup of coffee into your lap. While the legalese is unfortunately a necessity, a good community will go out of its way to recognize and acknowledge community members who submit ideas that are acted upon.

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