How To Make Perfect Tea

The best way to generate tea is a topic of great debate for centuries.

1. Always use fresh water if possible. Spring water is best because of its purity and absence of additives like chlorine and fluoride which may influence the taste. If you use tap water then run the faucet until the water is cold and clean.

Good quality water is crucial for the perfect cup of tea.

2. Preferably use a teapot made from china or earthenware.

Pots made of certain kinds of metal like enamel silver or aluminum can impart flavor to the water. Stainless steel is fine.

3. Warm the pot ahead with a little hot water.

4. Insert at least one level teaspoon for each cup of water that you're going to add. Adding loose tea into the pot is the easiest method for the tea to infuse properly but lots of individuals prefer using a tea strainer or infusing basket for convenience sake.

5. Pour boiling water directly onto the leaves and stir the water before putting lid back to the teapot.

6. Allow the tea steep for between four and five minutes. If using green tea minutes is best.

7. Eliminate or strain the leaves to prevent overbrewing.

8. The cup that you drink from can greatly affect the flavor of this tea so select wisely. A fantastic excellent cup made from china will surely enhance the entire tea drinking experience. Avoid wide shallow cups that cause the tea to cool in next to no time.

9. Pour milk into the cup . Ah, yes this is the step that causes most controversy. Many an argument has been had regarding whether it is ideal to bring the milk to the tea or vice versa. I've always preferred milk then tea but my husband asserts it is easier to regulate the ideal quantity of milk with the addition of milk afterwards!

Now scientists have waded into the debate and the verdict is clear. The UK Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)has cautioned against the practice of adding milk to tea after it's poured. It appears that dribbling a flow of milk to hot water makes"denaturation of milk proteins" more likely.

And who would want that?! At high temperatures, milk proteins - that are normally all curled up foetus-like, start to unfold and connect together in clumps. That is what happens in UHT [ultra heat-treated] milk, and that's why it does not taste as great a new milk," says Dr Andrew Stapley, a chemical engineer at Loughborough University.

It is much better to have the chilled milk massed at the bottom of the cup, anticipating the flow of hot tea. This permits the milk to cool the tea, instead of the tea ruinously increase the temperature of the milk.

So it's now settled. The tea or milk first argument is now over! Umm, somehow I do not think so!!

10. Lastly, drink tea with no sugar. I have to admit to being a reformed carbonated tea drinker and you know what that means. Yes, I'm now passionately against putting sugar in tea. As one who has sat on both sides of the fence I will say that tea is so much better without sweetening. Sugar only serves to mask the flavor of the tea. Not only that too much sugar isn't great for you and why spoil what is currently being recognized among the world's great health drinks with the addition of sugar. As soon as I stopped taking my 2 spoonfuls of sugar in my tea it took me about three or four weeks to become accustomed to the new taste. But once I got used to it there was no going back.