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Lyons Master Tea Taster Tells How to Make the Perfect Cup

teadog.com — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 14:00:29 +0000

Lyons Master Tea Taster Nick Bunston offers these tips on making the perfect cup of tea. When trying these tips, it is best to use Lyons Gold Tea.

Run your fresh water tap for about 15 seconds before you fill a kettle.
Ensure the kettle is empty
Fill kettle with freshly drawn tap water which will be full of oxygen to help the flavor develop.
If using a teapot then heat it before using.
Bring the kettle to the boil and pour straight onto the tea bags in pot or mugs.
Leave for 1 to 2 minutes to brew then stir. If you like very strong tea then up to 5 minutes is about the max.
If serving from a teapot, add the milk first as the flavor will be preferable. If brewing in a mug, the milk has to be added last and stir to help the taste.
Do not drink the tea too hot as this will impair your taste buds – you may even scald your tongue
Use fresh milk – long life or UHT milk will ruin the taste.

This information is courtesy of Ireland.com. You can read more here.

Best Water Temperature for Your Tea

teadog.com — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 20:59:52 +0000

Here is a Tea Test.

Should you make sure to fully boil the water for all types of tea?

No.

Different types of tea require the water to be at different temperatures.

Black Tea – Water should be at a rolling boil

Green Tea – Water should be about 160 degrees (bubbles begin to come to the top)

White Tea – Water should be abut 180 degrees (just before boiling)

Herbal Tea – Water should be at rolling boil

Drink Loose Tea? Do You Need a Strainer or Infuser

teadog.com — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:06:10 +0000

Both tea strainers and tea infusers are used with loose tea. How you use loose tea determines if a tea strainer or tea infuser is best.

Tea strainers are best when using a teapot. With tea strainers, loose tea is placed directly in the teapot. Then, the tea strainer catches tea leaves before entering your cup. Simply hold the strainer over your cup as your pour. Some strainers can fit directly into a teapot or a cup. Here is an example of an infuser.

Tea infusers are used directly in a cup or teapot. Just open and fill the tea infusers with tea and placed directly into a teapot or mug. Here is a sample of a strainer.

Some tea strainer and tea infusers come with a bowl to catch dripping tea.

Tips for Buying Tea

teadog.com — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:48:15 +0000

If you are shopping for an imported brand of tea (such as Barrys, Lyons, PG Tips, etc), here are some tips.

First, look for a “Best By” date for the tea you are buying. Most brands put a “Best By” date for their tea on the packaging. It is usually located on the bottom, but sometimes on the side. A few brands of tea do not include this date on this box, but most do. Try to get a box with the “Best By” date at least a few months in the future.

Tea does not go bad. If you store tea properly, it will last a long time. The “Best By” date is placed on the box during the production process. Tea can safely be consumed after the “Best By” date. The “Best By” date is totally different than the “Use By” date. The “Use By” date means foods should not be consumed after this date.

Make sure you get authentic brand of tea. For example, PG Tips is still made in Manchester, England. For this, deal with a merchant you trust.

But, most importantly, enjoy your cup of tea.

Tea Trivia: Is it ok to re-boil water to make tea?

teadog.com — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:23:05 +0000

Have a cup of Typhoo Tea and ponder the answer to this tea trivia.

Answer: No.

To make a great cup of tea, the water must contain oxygen. When you boil the same water more than once, all the oxygen in the water is removed.

But, please conserve, only boil the exact amount of water you need for your cup or pot of tea.

Let Your Tea Brew Longer for More Health Benefits

teadog.com — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:21:31 +0000

How can you get the most health benefits from a cup of tea? Just the tea brew longer.

Higher levels of flavonoids and antioxidants result when tea is allowed to brew longer. These are the results of new study conducted by researchers from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

Flavonoids are compounds found in plants that help prevent damage to cells. Flavonoids are a class of antioxidants. Antioxidants generally minimize substances harmful to the body. All tea contain antioxidants.

Researchers made 1 cup of tea (researchers used loose tea equivalent to 1 tea bag). The tea bag was allowed to brew for 3, 5, 7 and 10 minutes. Researchers used 6 different brands of tea in the study.

The levels of flavonoids and antioxidants increased as the tea was allowed to brew longer. Tea allowed to steep for 7 minutes had 60% more flavonoids then tea brewed for 3 minutes. Each brand of tea released the same amount of flavonoids.

Tea Tip: I need a cup of decaf tea but dont have a decaf teabag

teadog.com — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:41:40 +0000

Of course, always make sure to have plenty of decaf tea in the house. A decaf tea such as Taylors Decaf Breakfast is a good place to start. The great thing about Taylors decaf is that it comes in a 50 tea bag box or box of 25 individually wrapped tea bags (to put in your backpack or briefcase).

Here is a tip in case of emergency and you are without a decaffeinated teabag. First, place a standard tea bag in a cup and fill with boiling water. Then, let the tea steep for 30 seconds and discard the water. Most of the caffeine in tea in released in the first 30 seconds. Next, place the tea bag back in the cup and re-fill with boiling water and allow to steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Now, you had a good cup of tea.