Clay Tea Pot
How to brew loose leaf tea?
What you'll need
- Tea
- Terracotta Teapot or Mahogany Teapot (~8 oz of water)
- Scale
- A pitcher and teacups for sharing OR a large mug to enjoy solo
Brew time
1 - 2 minutes (depending on the tea and personal taste). You can re-steep the tea leaves for at least 2-3 more times, so don't discard the leaves right after the first infusion.
Brew loose leaf tea
There is nothing better than a homemade cup of tea. Depending on the type of leaf used, our suggested the steeping time can vary. Though, don't be shy to experiment. Try and see what works for your palate.
In this guide we are using Oriental Beauty Oolong, which has a twisted leaf shape. Twisted leaf tea (Oriental Beauty or Jade Rouge) steeps faster than rolled leaf tea (Frozen Summit) so the brewing time should be closer to 1 minute instead of 2. With the ratio we provided (6 grams of tea and 8oz of water), we suggest 3 steepings using the same tea leaves, though feel free adjust pending on your taste. We recommend completing all your steepings within the day.
______
Step 1
Weight 6 grams of tea.
______
Step 2
Use hot water (195, 200 or 212 degree F) to rinse your teapot. This is the same temperature you will use to brew the tea. Heating your teapot to your intended brewing temperature will allow more precise brewing temperature. Please refer to individual tea pages for suggested brewing temperature by tea.
______
Step 3
Pour out the water. Add the loose leaf tea to your tea pot.
_____
Step 4
Add water to your tea. Generically, the water should be lower (~195 degrees F) for twisted tea leaves and higher (~212 degrees F) for tightly rolled tea leaves. Please refer to individual tea pages for suggested brewing temperature by tea.
_____
Step 5
Make sure the tea leaves are wet evenly, gently swirl your tea pot if necessary.
_____
Step 6
Let the tea brew for 1 minute. For tightly rolled tea leaves we prefer a longer steeping time of 2 minutes.
_____
Step 7
When the steeping time is up, pour the tea into a pitcher or a mug. Make sure all the liquid is drained from the teapot. That way the tea doesn't over brew and become bitter when you go back for subsequent steepings. To make sure no small tea residue in your brew, consider using a fine mesh tea strainer.
_____
Step 8
Pour your tea and enjoy!
_____
Step 9
Re-Steep the tea as many times as you fancy. We recommend three in total for this tea to water ratio. To re-steep simply add more water. The second steep's suggested brewing time is the same as the first and the third should be 1-2 minutes longer.
_____
Questions?
Ask us at hello@tecompanytea.com