Maximize your tea experience with these 10 tea tips.

 1. Do not scorch your tea.

Do not scorch your tea leaves! Boiling your tea at too high of a temperature can cause the tea to release some of the more bitter qualities of a tea. Instead make sure to follow the temperature instruction on your tea heat your tea just right. On the same note, do not under heat your tea. The flavor of the tea won't be properly released without the proper temperature being reached. Bonus tip: How does on do this? You can use a thermometer or there are teapots out there that have temperature levels built into them. 

2. Do not over steep your tea.

Letting your tea sit too long an have a similar effect as scorching your tea. Eventually you start to release some of the less desirable flavors in the leaf such as the bitterness.

3. Select loose leaf teas.

Tea from tea bags are often crushed and full of dust. A great tea will contain the whole leaf which will uncurl as it is heated to temperature releasing the best flavor.

4. Use filtered water.

It makes sense that if your water tastes off, so will your tea! Some waters are high in minerals or chlorine which can impact the flavor of your tea. By using filtered water your water base is as impartial as it gets, which means that your tea flavors are what will be present in each sip. 

5. Don't go crazy with the leaf.

Follow the recommended amount of tea leaves per 8oz of water. This ensures your tea isn't too strong or too weak. One of the benefits of a quality loose leaf tea is that you don't need huge amounts of leaf to make a great cup of tea.

6. Steep that tea more than once.

When you purchase a good quality tea that hasn't  been on the shelf too long, it can be re-steeped sometimes as much as 7 times! For North Americans our tea works great for this as it travels only a short distance to reach our customers right from the tea fields in Mississippi. Most often the tea we are selling will reach you within one year of harvest if not sooner! So this means your tea is super fresh and can most definitely be re-steeped.

7. Use a professional tea tasting set.

When you use a professional tea tasting set you set yourself up to brew your tea the way the professionals do it. Along with brewing the tea to the correct time and temperature a tea tasting set will give you the ability to review the tea from a neutral setting. It is perfect for assessing aroma, tea color, looking at the wet leaf and of course taste. We do currently have some available for purchase in the store here.

8. Store your tea correctly to retain flavor.

Light and moisture will impact the quality of your tea. Slowly over time degrading it. Make sure to store your tea in a container that does not get any light and that is sealed and safe from any moisture. 

9. Use fresh water.

Fresh water contains more oxygen which will just taste better than water that has been re-boiled multiple times. Start with fresh water each time to ensure great tasting tea.

10. Allow your tea leaves room to unroll.

You don't want your loose leaf tea crammed into a ball where it cannot unroll.  As the leaf unrolls in the proper tea making process the flavors are released more evenly in the cup.

Did we miss an important tip? Make sure to share it in the comments below.