I love tea! When I first started blogging here, I had fun sharing tea reviews (something I'd love to get back into doing, if time allows... even though I'm not sure if tea reviews interest many of my readers here...).

I've been a more "serious" tea drinker for over a decade, and I can really taste whether a tea has been well-brewed. So here are a few tips for brewing delicious cups! :)

Start with fresh, cold water. I also prefer filtered water (we have a Berkey filtering system) since using city drinking water or well water (which can be full of iron or a variety of other flavorful things!) gives a different taste to the tea.

Cold water can hold much more oxygen than hot or warm water. This is the reason it is also recommended to not boil water for long periods of time before pouring the cup of tea, since the water will taste flat.

Heat water to proper temperature. The water temperature you need will depend on the type of tea you are brewing.

For black tea, herbal teas (infusions), and rooibos ("red tea"), the water can be at its boiling point.

For oolong and white teas, water temperature should be about 190 degrees. When I can look into the tea pot and see tiny bubbles starting to form on the bottom and a little steam from the top, I use it at that point for white or oolong teas.

For green teas, the water should be even cooler (160-170 degrees). I look inside my tea pot and when the water is just starting to steam, I pour it for green tea!

Brew tea for the "right" amount of time. This will vary according to taste, so there is no hard-and-fast rule. The general recommendations are as follows:

Black teas -- 3-5 minutes
Oolong teas -- 5-6 minutes
White teas -- 4-5 minutes
Green teas -- 1-3 minutes
Rooibos and other herbal teas -- Varies, but usually at least 5 minutes

Do any of you have more tea tips to add to my list? :)

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