How to Brew Tea | Why I Hated Tea & The Mistakes I Made

I’ll never forget the first time I made myself a cup of tea. I looked at tea as a rite of passage to maturity and elegance. I poured boiling water into my cup, dunked my tea bag in, breathed in the aroma, took my first sip… and immediately spat it out.

Though I managed to finish my tea (wasting food in my house is a cardinal sin), I hated every sip and asked my dad how he loved tea. It all felt like a practical joke! My dad and others have taught me how to enjoy tea over the years and now, I drink all kinds of tea!

Here are some mistakes I made that you might be making as well (that is, if you’re not enjoying your brews).

You’re keeping the tea bag in for too long. I always thought that drinking tea meant that I had to keep the tea bag in my mug at all times. After all, that’s how I saw tea consumption on TV and social media. Turns out, leaving your tea bag in the mug for such a long time leads to a bitter taste. I recommend removing your tea bag after 3-5 minutes. If you add milk to your tea, you can keep the teabag in your mug for longer as milk lightens the tea’s flavor.
Your water is too hot. Adding your tea to boiling hot water can burn the tea leaves, creating an unpleasant taste. Instead, wait 2-4 minutes after the water has reached its boiling point before pouring it into your cup. This assures that you can brew your tea without risking scorching the tea leaves.
Tap vs. filtered water. Tap water across the country (or within your own state) varies in taste. This is because the composition of minerals in tap water can vary. This can interfere with the taste of the tea leaves you’re brewing, creating a drink that leaves much to be desired. Try using a water filter for your drinking water and use the filtered water for your tea and observe any differences.

I hope these tips help you because they’re certainly helped me. For a very long time, I could understand the hype surrounding tea, but that’s just because my preparation was totally incorrect.

In light,
Akash