How to Make the Perfect Cup of Tea

Untitled design (4).jpg__PID:e188311f-0d7d-4276-a042-a446f644606c

A cup of tea is part of many morning and daily rituals. It is estimated that the number of cups of tea drunk daily in Britain is around 165 million.

Tea is a core part of our daily lives, and no matter what you drink or when you drink it, we believe that everyone should have that perfect cup of tea. Every. Single. Day.

There are many rules and ideas behind making the perfect tea, and everyone has their own unique way, their favourite way, right down to their favourite mug.

Here’s our perfect method to make that special cup of tea.

1) Choose a Tea to Suit Your Mood

The best place to start is to find a tea blend to suit your mood.

If you're tired, a good cup of black tea could give you an energising boost. If you're a bit full up from that delicious meal you have just eaten, a soothing cup of peppermint or Digest is said to aid digestion. And if you're wide awake but want to go to bed, a calming cup of camomile or Sleep tea could help you relax into that deep, peaceful sleep.

Whatever your mood, there is a brew to lift it.

Shop All Superblends

2) Use Good Quality Tea. Always

Strong, fragrant, and full-bodied, whatever your cup of tea, always use a decent tea. Start your day with an English Breakfast, add some zing with Lady Grey, and revive with a refreshing afternoon tea.

Shop Black Tea

3) Choose Your Favourite Mug, Cup or Teapot

Once you've matched a tea to your mood, you now need to choose the perfect cup to drink it.

We personally believe that the teacup is one of the most vital ingredients to the ultimate cup of tea. If you love the cup you're drinking out of, the tea will instantly taste better.

With over 100 mugs, cups and teapots to choose from, there’s something for every occasion, including our KeepCups for when you’re on the go!

Shop All Teaware

4) How Much Per Cup?

The rule of thumb is one tea bag per person. And, it is just as easy for loose tea.

We would recommend 1 tea spoon (2g) orTwinings scoop of loose leaf tea per person.

If your choice is a milder white or green tea you can add in another spoonful per person for good measure.

We recommend warming your cup or pot by swirling a small amount of hot water in it before adding either the leaves or the tea bags.

Shop All Loose Leaf

5) Always Use Freshly Drawn Cold Water

Always use freshly drawn (filtered if possible) cold water in the kettle. Tea loves oxygen as it helps the flavour develop. If you boil the kettle with fresh water, you’ll have a delicious cup of oxygenated tea that tastes divine.

If you keep re-boiling the water in the kettle, it loses all of its oxygen and you’ll be left with a really flat cup of tea.

Also, only boil the water you need. You will use up much more energy if you’re boiling a whole kettle for just one or two cups of tea.

Once your kettle has boiled with fresh water, leave it for a few minutes to cool down.

Our top tip is never to pour boiling water over a tea bag or loose tea. The reason for this is that the boiling water will burn the tea and scald it; therefore, the tea doesn't release all of its maximum flavours.

Tea is a delicate plant and needs to be cared for carefully to receive the full benefits. So once your water has rested for about 2-3 minutes, it's ready to be poured onto your tea.

Shop All Fruit And Herbal

6) Stick to the Brewing Instructions

Now you have poured your water onto your tea; you need to let it brew for the recommended time.

Our professional tea tasters have travelled the world finding and tasting every tea you could imagine, and you’ll find their recommendation for the perfect time to brew any blend on the box or pouch.

Obviously, if you like your tea stronger or weaker, that is a personal taste. However, the optimal brewing time will produce a beautiful, smooth cup that will leave you wanting more.

Shop All Teaware

Now, relax, unwind and enjoy your perfect cup of tea.

Milk in First or Last?

Lactose Intolerance or Nut Allergy Milk Alternative

This has long been a controversial topic. Do you put the milk in first? Or splash it in after the tea has steeped?

This comes down to personal choice, of course, but the milk-in-first approach refers to the early days of tea-drinking. Lower quality china would sometimes crack when the hot water was poured onto the tea leaves. Adding the milk first, resolved the issue. All modern day teaware is made to cope with boiling water which means it is no longer necessary to add the milk first.

When using tea bags, let the tea fully infuse the water first before adding your milk. On the other hand if you’re using loose leaf tea, the tea will already have brewed in the pot and so adding a dash of milk to your tea cup first won’t impact the infusion and “steeping time”.

Milk goes well with the stronger black teas – but we would suggest avoid adding it to green, herbal and fruit teas.

What To Drink And When?

It's personal preference all the way, but, here's what you could drink and when.

For the early risers, a Strong English Breakfast will get the day off to a great start!

During the day – experiment with how you’re feeling. A light pick me up mid morning or afternoon would be an Earl Grey or a Smoky Lapsang Souchong.

Herbal, Fruit and Green Teas make fantastic palate cleansers as well as accompanying light lunches and salads well. See our article on tea and food pairing.

Strong Blacks are a wonderful replacement for an after dinner coffee. Or try a cup of Digest or tumeric tea.

And for a delicious and soothing night time drink experiment with our Sleep teas.

Best Way To Store Tea

Whether you prefer loose leaf tea or tea bags, using an airtight container or tea caddy helps to keep your tea dry, fresh and also stops any strongly scented teas from passing their flavour onto more delicate varieties in your cupboard.

If you are using loose tea leaves instead of a teabag, make sure to use a good quality strainer. We recommend an open top strainer you place into the cup. This way the tea leaves have a lot of freedom to move around in the cup, if you use a small strainer ball the tea doesn't have a lot of room to infuse.

Another a good tip for loose tea is, don't use so much. Many people pack their strainers full because they feel that the more tea they have, the more intense the flavour will be. As we said, that is not the case; tea needs movement and freedom and even a pinch of loose tea will give you that fantastic flavour you deserve.

Related Recipes

Caffeine in Tea – Your Questions Answered

One question we get asked often at Twinings, is ‘Is there caffeine in tea?’. The truth is, it’s not a simple yes or no answer, as there are so many teas and infusions available!

Read More
How Is Tea Made - All About the Process

Explore the journey of your cup of tea. Learn from Twinings how your tea is made from the leaf all the way to your perfect afternoon tea time.

Read More
How To Taste Tea

Tea tasting is a skill. Learn how to recognise the key flavour notes and identify different tea blends to get the most from your Twinings tea using our guide.

Read More

How To Make The Perfect Cup of Tea