If you want to enjoy a pleasant cup of black tea, then you must learn how to make it correctly.
You are probably wondering, “who doesn’t know how to make black tea? It is as simple as heating water and then adding the tea leaves to steep.”
Well, as much as it is not a difficult task and anybody can do it, there are a few hacks you need to learn to perfect the art.
For instance, if you steep your cup of black tea for long, it becomes bitter. To avoid this, you can try using more tea leaves to make it stronger, rather than steeping it for long.
So, do you want to learn the best way to make black tea? This article contains some insightful tips to help you with that.
How to make a perfect cup of black tea
Brewing tea is a straightforward process that involves getting everything right. You need to be sure of the timing and the quantity of tea leaves to use.
What you need:
- Filter/strainer
- Spoon
- Teacup
- Teapot
- Kettle for boiling the water
- Scale or you can use a measuring spoon
Ingredients:
- Water
- Loose tea leaves ( 1 tablespoon equal to 3 grams)
- Any additive of your choice such as honey, lemon, peppermint, and so on
Procedure:
- Put water in the kettle used for boiling and heat it to 200F.
- You can also preheat the cup or the pot, which you will use to serve the tea. If you don’t do this, the temperature of the boiling water may go down immediately you pour it into the cold pot or cup.
- If you want to make one cup of tea, add 2 grams of loose tea leaves. You must ensure that you get the quantities right so that you can achieve the best flavor.
- After getting the right measurement, put the tea leaves in the teacup or the teapot. Here, you can put the tea leaves directly into the teapot or teacup. Alternatively, you can put them on a filter and place it on the cup.
- Next, cover the teacup or pot with a lid and leave it steep.
How long should you steep black tea? Just like the quantity of the tea leaves, you need to get the timing right, if you are going to achieve the best flavor. If you steep it for too long, more tannin will be extracted, which will make the drink more bitter. - Therefore, allow your black tea to steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. If you wish, you can have a spoon and taste the tea every 30 seconds so that you can get the exact taste that you want.
When you are satisfied with the taste, pour the tea into your cup through a filter to get rid of the tea leaves. If you do not remove the leaves on time, they may affect the taste of your tea.
Things to consider:
You can add any additive of your choice such as honey, tea, lemon, peppermint, or milk. Black tea ordinarily has a malty taste. Including the additives enables you to lift the malty flavor and make it sweeter and more pleasant for you to take.
You can even combine two additives such as honey and lemon. However, do not combine lemon and milk as the milk will curdle.
Besides lifting the taste of the tea, the additives also help to complement the health benefits that black tea offers.
Health benefits that black tea offers include
1. Energy
A cup of black tea in the morning gives you the much-needed energy to face the day. The caffeine in black tea stimulates your brain, keeping you alert and able to concentrate on tasks all through the day.
Unlike coffee, tea contains another component known as l-theanine, which has some calming effects. As such, when you take your cup of tea, the caffeine effects will be evident for the better part of the day.
2. Preventing cancer
Black tea contains antioxidants such as catechins, L-theanine, among others, which help keep cancer at bay.
3. Cure for sore throat
Are you struggling with a sore throat that is making it hard for you to speak or talk?
Worry, no more. A hot cup of black tea is all that you need. First, a hot cup of tea will lift your spirit when you have a cold. Secondly, the antioxidants in black tea will help you deal with the sore throat and also boost your immunity so that your body can resist other disease-causing organisms.
4. Help you poop
Did you know that black tea can help you poop?
If you are having problems with your bowel movements, a cup of black tea will ease your burden.
First, drinking a lot of fluids helps to lubricate your intestines for smooth passage of stool. Additionally, the caffeine in black tea increases peristalsis, which enhances the digestion of food and elimination of waste.
A hot cup of tea also enhances the contraction and relaxation of the intestines to facilitate movement and elimination of waste.
5. Weight loss
Black tea comes in as a worthy partner if you are looking to lose some pounds. First, it activates your mind and keeps you active, which is good for your health.
Also, you can combine it with other additives such as lemons, which also help you in losing weight.
6. Healthy bones
Black tea contains fluoride, which helps keep your bones and teeth strong.
To enjoy these benefits and more, you need to get it right on how to brew black tea. For example, if you brew your tea for too long, you will end up destroying some of the antioxidants that have the health benefits.
Brewing for too long also makes it bitter, which will make it difficult for you to drink.
If you wish, you can experiment with various black tea recipes to make your cup of black tea more pleasant.
How to make black milk tea
You can make black tea with milk using loose tea leaves, or you can also use tea bags. Either way, the process is the same. It is also simple and straightforward, just as the one that doesn’t involve milk.
You can follow the following steps:
- Put a teabag in a cup
- Heat water in a teapot until it boils
- When the water boils, pour it in the cup which has the tea bag and cover it
- Let it steep for about 3 to 5 minutes. During that time, do not squeeze the tea bag or stir the mixture.
- Next, remove the bag and put a little milk. Do not put too much milk as it will mask the flavor of your black tea. You should only use enough milk to enhance the taste and also add some creaminess
- After adding milk, stir the mixture with a spoon
- Serve your cup of black tea with milk and enjoy it with snacks of your choice
How to make iced black tea
Any tea lover will agree that it is pretty frustrating when you cannot enjoy your beverage because the temperatures are too high. This is where iced black tea comes in handy.
Preparing iced black tea is also simple. If you know how to brew tea bags, then making iced tea is simple. You can start by learning the basics and then experiment with more as you continue.
You can follow the following simple steps:
- Put two tea bags in a cup. Teabags are better to use as they are convenient and time-saving.
- Put two cups of water in a teapot. Heat the water until it boils. When the water boils, pour it immediately in the cup with the black tea bags. You can use a teapot with a temperature gauge or thermometer so that you can get it right on temperature.
- Next, leave the tea bags steep for about 3-5 minutes. If it steeps for more than 5 minutes, it becomes bitter. You can have a spoon and taste it after every 30 seconds until the taste satisfies you.
- Next, put the tea in a pitcher and leave it to cool for around five to ten minutes. When the tea reaches room temperature, put 2 cups of cold water and then put it in a refrigerator for about 2 hours.
- Your iced tea is ready to serve, and you can share it with friends and family members
How to make black seed tea
Nothing is as soothing as starting your day with a cup of black seed tea. But how do you brew it?
Well, you can follow the following straightforward steps:
- Put seeds and water in a teapot and boil them together for about six to seven minutes
- After boiling, remove them from the heat and cover it. Leave it steep for about 10 minutes.
- Next, filter the mixture with a filter
- If you wish, add any sweetener of choice such as honey to lift the taste
- Your black seed tea is ready to serve, and you can enjoy the healthy goodness with other tea lovers.
How to make tea for weight loss
In 2016, 49.1% of Americans were struggling to lose weight. The numbers are high, which shows that more people are on the lookout for a solution. As such, a remedy such as black tea that will help you lose weight while also offering you other health benefits is much welcome.
Besides making you active, black tea also regulates your cholesterol levels. It also has low levels of calorie and saturated fat.
But how do you prepare black tea for weight loss?
There is no unique way of preparing tea for weight loss. Follow the simple steps, which include:
- Put a teabag or loose tea leaves in a cup
- Boil water in a teapot
- Add the boiling water in the cup containing your tea and cover it. Allow it steep for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add lemon or any other additive with weight loss properties (Optional)
- Serve the cup of tea and enjoy
Note, taking black tea alone will not make you shed weight. Combine the beverage with other activities such as exercising, taking a walk, and so on.
How do you brew a perfect cup of black tea
To prepare a perfect cup of black tea, you can employ the following hacks.
1. Check the water
The quality of water you use to prepare your cup of tea can affect the flavor of your beverage. Tap water, for example, contains chemicals used for its treatment, and the chemicals will affect the taste of your tea.
Distilled water, on the other hand, does not develop the flavor of your black tea well.
As such, to get the best flavor for your tea, you can use spring water, pure or filtered water.
Apart from water quality, the temperature of the water used to brew is also essential. Black requires you to heat the water to around 212F before you can add tea leaves. You can use a tea kettle with a thermometer or a temperature gauge so that you get the temperatures right.
2. Steeping time
You also need to nail the steeping time for your tea to precision. For instance, you need to learn how long you should steep loose black tea to get a satisfactory flavor.
3 to 5 minutes of brewing are enough to produce the best flavor of black tea. If you brew for more than five minutes, more tannin will be extracted, which makes the tea bitter.
While steeping your tea, you can have a spoon at hand and taste the tea after every 30 seconds to get a taste that satisfies you.
3. Use the right tools
Having the right tools is also crucial in getting the perfect flavor. For instance, you should use a teaspoon, tea kettle, filter, and so on.
Additionally, having a specific teapot for black tea is vital. That will ensure that other flavors do not contaminate the flavor of your tea.
Final thoughts
Having a cup of tea is a great way to start your morning routine. Black tea gives you the energy you need to start the day and also makes you alert.
However, to enjoy these benefits and more, you need to get it right in terms of preparation. Otherwise, you will end up with an unpleasant drink or even destroy the beneficial components in the tea.
Well, no more worries. We have provided you with ways in which you can prepare a perfect cup of coffee and the hacks you can employ in the process.
Nothing should stop you now. Have a cup of tea, and have a beautiful day.
