What Is A Tea Calculator
The team at The Tea Club has worked very hard to make sure you have the best selection of teas to choose from. Its important to us that you enjoy drinking tea as much as we enjoy discovering new tea blends for you to try. Making the perfect cup of tea isnt difficult, but if youre new to the world of loose leaf tea then you may need some help to get the ratio and timing perfected.
If you over or under-steep a tea then you wont get to enjoy its flavor and you could potentially ruin its health benefits. A lot of people are under the impression that they dont enjoy a certain type of tea simply because they didnt make it right.
One example is when a person over-steeps black tea, it ends up tasting way too strong and may upset their stomach. This could lead them to believe black tea is awful and makes them sick. However, if they gave black tea another chance while using the tea calculator they could have a very different opinion. With the right steeping time and temperature, black tea has a bold and often nutty flavor that is very enjoyable. Those flavors can easily be ruined by over-steeping.
We have created an interactive tea calculator to help you learn how to make the perfect steeped tea suited to your tastes. Making a perfect cup of tea isnt complicated once you know how to brew tea the right way.
Variety Is The Name Of The Game
The nature of loose teas makes it easy for you to add flavors and aromas that you want.
Not only do loose teas come in huge varieties, but you can also add a touch of flavor-inducing ingredients like chamomile, cardamom, cinnamon, peppermint, and so forth.
Whatever tickles your taste buds, you can always find loose teas that have your specific flavor.
This means you can personalize your tea-drinking experience, and make sure that you know what actually goes into your cup.
Every season comes with different blends, flavors and aromas of loose tea.
You can go for exotic varieties or choose run-of-the-mill flavors. You can steep and enjoy limitless mix of flavors rather than stick to just a few mundane tastes.
Does It Matter What I Steep The Tea In
A normal teacup should do the job. However, if you want to venture into the depths of the world of tea, then you should know that the temperature of your room can affect the steeping process of tea.
If you want to get serious in tea brewing, try investing in an unglazed earthenware teapot. This type of teapot brews tea faster and keeps the flavor consistent.
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Factors In Brewing Loose Leaf Tea
Loose leaf tea is tea how it was meant to be. When you steep loose tea the leaves are able to expand and unfurl as they interact with hot water. The result is a brewed tea that yields all of the subtle flavor nuances its grower and producer intended.
There are several factors that determine how great your brewed cup will be. Depending on the type of tea, the water temperature and steeping time will play important roles.
Another important factor is the ratio of loose leaf tea to water. In other words, how much tea should we steep to yield the perfect brewed cup? Steeping too many tea leaves could yield a brewed tea thats too strong, astringent, or even bitter. Steeping too few tea leaves could yield a weak tea that tastes more like hot water than a cup of tea. Either scenario is disappointing and a waste of potentially delicious tea.
How To Make Green Tea Taste Good
I admit that I find green tea delicious even plain. However, I know that not everyone feels the same way. With that in mind, here are some simple ways to increase the flavor of green tea to your liking.
- Add a small piece of cinnamon
- Add some ginger fresh ginger, ginger powder, , or syrup.
- Herbs: mint, peppermint, or chocolate mint all work well. Lemongrass is also a great option.
- Add some organic edible flower petals for extra flavor. Jasmine, lavender, and rose are particularly lovely with green tea.
- You can also add natural essential oils for flavor.
- Use dried fruit as a natural flavor booster and sweetener: mango, peach, pineapple, strawberry, blackberry, etc.
- Citrus peel: Add a slice of lemon or even use lemon, orange, or grapefruit peel all work well.
- Add Jam it may sound weird but its fruity and sweet and delicious. Like this raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, or even rose jam.
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The Perfect Serving Size
How much loose-leaf tea to use per cup differs widely from tea to tea. For that reason, it is best to adhere to the instructions of the package for the first attempt. Then you can adjust from there based on your preference. Use more leaves for stronger tea.
If the package your tea came in does not indicate a recommended amount of leaves to use, one teaspoon per cup of tea you are brewing. This is a good starting point, but you will definitely want to adjust the amount based on the results.
What If I Have A Bigger Cup
We measure the correct amount of tea leaves based on a six ounce cup of tea, which is roughly the size of a teacup. But many people enjoy tea in larger cups or mugs – or even in tea pots or pitchers. Its easy to scale up this ratio to accommodate bigger sizes. For instance, if you have a large twelve ounce mug, you should use about two teaspoons of tea. If youre making tea in a sixty ounce pitcher, you should use about ten teaspoons of tea. Its important to remember that this is just a guideline – if youre not sure how many ounces are in a particular mug or pot, its okay to estimate.
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How Long To Steep Loose Leaf Tea
As for the steeping time, each tea will have its own requirement. So, we have:
- White tea start with 1 minute, and keep tasting every half minute. Dont go too far over 5 minutes.
- Green tea 2 minutes, max 3. Anything more and it turns bitter.
- Black tea 3-5 minutes. Keep tasting after 3 minutes for bitterness.
- Oolong tea 3-5 minutes. Keep tasting after 3 minutes for bitterness.
- Puerh tea 3-5 minutes. Keep tasting after 3 minutes for bitterness.
- Herbal tea 5 minutes. Does not really get bitter, but should not be oversteeped.
If you do let your tea steep for too long, youll notice its become bitter. This is true for the Camellia teas, which are all the teas except herbal tea.
Another thing that might happen is that the color might deepen, or rather darken. For example green tea might not look pale green or yellow, but rather a sort of brown if you let it brew for, say, 10 minutes.
Even white tea might get an amber color, which is very far from the whitish yellow you should be getting.
How Does The Tea Calculator Work
How much tea to put in the teapot wont be an issue for you anymore now that youve discovered The Tea Clubs tea calculator. We recommend bookmarking the link so you have easy access whenever you need it.
1.) The first step you need to do is pick out which type of loose leaf tea you would like to make:
- Black
- Rooibos
All 6 types of teas are different from one another, and making sure you have the right ratio, time, and temperature is essential for a great tasting cup of tea.
2.) Since everybody is different, in the second step you will need to select your strength reference:
- Mild: For those who enjoy a lighter flavor
- Suggested: What the tea experts suggest for the best flavor
- Strong: For those who want a more intense flavor in their cup
3.) Next, you will need to select the quantity of tea you plan on making. Whether youre having a solo cup or making a pot for the family, we will help you get the right ratio.
- Cup: For those fancy teacups that make you feel like you are having tea with the queen.
- Mug: For those serious tea drinkers that arent messing around.
- Pot: A family sized serving, or great when company stops by.
- Pitcher: When you have a crowd to serve.
After selecting your loose leaf tea type, your strength preference, and the quantity that you plan on making, this interactive calculator will figure out the rest:
- Amount: A measurement of how much loose leaf tea you really need.
- Steep time: How much time you let it steep for .
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Mistake : Using The Wrong Water Temperature
The temperature of the water is very crucial and varies depending on the type of tea. You may remember your Mom putting the teapot on the stove and awaiting the screech announcing that the water was “ready”. In reality, for most teas, it was too late.
If you are a tea newbie, you will be amazed at the difference in the flavors that are released by using the right water temperature when brewing tea. Different tea varieties release the polyphenols at different temperatures which can alter the flavor caused by an over-extraction or under extraction of these tannins.
It is best to start with fresh, filtered cold water. Added chlorine or other minerals and sediment that may be found in tap water can affect the true flavors of your tea.
Using water that is too hot is called “burning” the tea. This means the tannins have been over-extracted, causing green and white tea to become astringent. Studies have shown that water that is too hot may also destroy the health-promoting compounds in tea such as catechins. If you use water that is not hot enough, then your tea will lack its full flavor potential due to the under extraction. Boiling water and then letting it cool hoping to reach the right temperature removes oxygen from the water, decreasing the resulting flavor of the tea.
- Herbal tea 212°F
How Much Loose Leaf Tea Per Cup
If youre new to brewing loose leaf tea you may be wondering the same thing I did when I first switched from using only tea bags: how much loose tea do you use per cup?
The tea industry standard for measuring loose leaf tea is about 2-3 grams of tea per 6-8 ounces of water. Ideally its best to use a small kitchen scale, but if you only have measuring spoons, the general guideline is to use 1 measuring teaspoon per 6 oz. of water or 1 heaping measuring teaspoon per cup Keep in mind, there are multiple factors that will impact the amount you actually use. So go ahead and adjust the ratio of loose leaf tea to water according to these variables.
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How Much Loose Leaf Tea To Add For One Cup Of Tea
When using loose leaves, the rule of thumb is that you should use 2 heaping teaspoons of leaves for every 8 oz/236 ml of water used.
But some teas will need a little more adjusting, and now two teas will be exactly the same.
This means that one green tea might require 2 teaspoons of tea, but another might need 2 and a half, or something just under two.
In short, be prepared to test things out and see where youre comfortable with the flavor.
If you want to look at teabags, those are usually 2-3 grams of tea leaves per teabag, and they usually steep in 5 oz/150 ml of water, and produce a weaker brew.
If youre using any sort of herbal tea, including rooibos, Ive noticed you will definitely need to add 2.5-3 teaspoons of dried herbs for 8 fl oz of water.
For rooibos this is going to give you a strong enough brew that you can add a little milk and still enjoy it.
Tea Infuser Travel Mug
Tea infuser travel mugs and bottles are all the rage right now, and its not hard to see why. They come in handy when you want to brew a perfect cup at the office, on the beach or on the go.
Take Kool8, for instance. This is sleek-looking bottle is a travel mug, water bottle, and tea infuser, all wrapped in one. What a product, huh?
Kool8 is hands down the best water bottle-cum-travel mug with tea infuser. The infuser rests superbly on the rim of the bottle, allowing you to brew with all kinds of loose-leaf teas.
Its lightweight yet sturdy with stainless steel for a modern look and feel. With a capacity of 500ml , every brew will satisfy even a heavy tea drinker. Not just that Kool8 bottle is eco-friendly, and can keep your tea warm for up to 12 hours.
You can pick your travel mug in pink, green, blue, red or gray theres something for every style and personality.
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How To Make Loose Leaf Tea: Advanced Tips From True Aficionados
The basic instructions given above are all you need to get a good cup of tea. But traditional tea brewing methods are generally more strict. They can improve your tea, but those improvements are not usually noticeable to most people. Nevertheless, some of the following tips are quite easy to implement, so you may as well.
How To Brew Loose Leaf Green White And Oolong Teas
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Mistake : Utilizing The Incorrect Water Temperature
The temperature of the water could be very essential and varies relying on the kind of tea. Chances are youll bear in mind your Mother placing the teapot on the range and awaiting the screech saying that the water was ready. In actuality, for many teas, it was too late.
If youre a tea beginner, you can be amazed on the distinction within the flavors which can be launched through the use of the suitable water temperature when brewing tea. Totally different tea varieties launch the polyphenols at totally different temperatures which may alter the flavour brought on by an over-extraction or beneath extraction of those tannins.
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Utilizing water thats too sizzling is named burning the tea. This implies the tannins have been over-extracted, inflicting inexperienced and white tea to change into astringent. Research have proven that water thats too sizzling might also destroy the health-promoting compounds in tea equivalent to catechins. If you happen to use water that isnt sizzling sufficient, then your tea will lack its full taste potential because of the beneath extraction. Boiling water after which letting it cool hoping to succeed in the suitable temperature removes oxygen from the water, lowering the ensuing taste of the tea.
- Inexperienced tea 150-175°F
- Rooibos tea 205°F
- Natural tea 212°F
How To Make The Perfect Cup Of Loose Leaf Tea
Dont be scared Teabirds! Making the perfect cup of loose leaf tea doesnt need to be at all messy or complicated!
Its the same process as making a regular cup of tea, with just a few tweaks and a bit more love and attention – we promise the resulting flavours you get out of loose tea are 100% worth it!
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Why Is Loose Leaf Tea Better
Most tea drinkers use tea bags instead of loose leaf tea because the bags are just easier to use and more convenient. Clean up is also be easier. All you have to do is place the bag in a cup, pour in hot water and youre ready to go.
While this does make it a lot easier to enjoy a hot cup in just minutes, in reality, youre not getting the best cup. The bags are mass-produced and made with shake and trimmings.
You also dont know how old the tea really is. For all you know you could be drinking tea that was packaged almost a year ago. As you can imagine, the tea wont taste very fresh and whatever flavor there is will be nowhere as strong as it should be.
The bags themselves are made out of food-grade plastic or filtered paper, both of which can negatively impact the flavor of your tea.
With loose leaves, youll enjoy better flavor and better quality. You can control the flavor of your tea by controlling which leaves to use, how many to use and what to brew them in.
Tea bags are also tempting, because they seem cheaper. But if you compare the cost directly, in terms of how many cups you actually get, loose leaf tea is far cheaper. That is true for even the highest quality teas. Youll find a detailed cost comparison of loose tea vs tea bags here.