How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea
You deserve a better cup of tea. In fact, you deserve the perfect cup of tea. Choosing your favourite Twinings blend is an excellent start. Simply follow these helpful steps to make every cup the perfect cup.
Time and Temperature
Whether you prefer your tea bagged or loose, always start with freshly drawn cold water. If using a teapot, warm the inside first with hot water, then pour it out. And, of course, make sure your mugs, teapot and kettle are clean as a whistle.
Tea Bags
Bring water to a boil*, and pour over the tea as soon as it reaches boiling. Over-boiling will cause oxygen to be reduced, making the tea taste 'flat'. Use 1 tea bag per cup, or 1 teaspoon of loose tea per cup (6 oz.). Steep the tea for the required time as indicated on the chart to the right.
Never judge tea by its colour. Colour comes more quickly, but flavour takes a bit longer to develop. Allow the correct steeping time to fully extract the best flavour. Adjust the amount of tea you use and the steeping time to your taste. "The best cup of tea is the one you like the most."
*For optimum tea flavour, we recommend you refrain from using a microwave to boil your water.
Loose Tea
Prepare loose tea by placing 1-2 teaspoons of loose tea into a tea strainer, put the strainer into your cup, then pour properly heated water directly over the leaves. If using a teapot, measure 1-2 teaspoons per 8oz of water.
Recommended Brew Times
| Tea Type | Brew Time |
| Black | 3-5 mins |
| Chai | 3-5 mins |
| Green | 2 mins |
| Herbal | 3-4 mins |
| Red | 3-4 mins |
| Oolong | 2-3 mins |
| White | 1-2 mins |
| Cold Brewed Iced Tea | 3-5 mins |
For milder tea flavour, shorten brew time.
For stronger tea flavour, increase brewing time.
While milk and sugar is a matter of personal taste, we find that some of our blends are enhanced with a little added sweetness or creaminess. When adding milk, pour it into the cup before adding your tea. This allows the milk to cool the tea, rather than letting the tea heat the milk.
