How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea
Loose Leaf — No Bags!
At Rujani Tea, we aspire to reintroduce the making, brewing and enjoyment of tea, the way it was traditionally intended.
In a previous blog, we delved into the loose leaf vs. tea bag debate. Taking into account the full flavour and enormous health benefits of loose leaf tea, as well as being better for the environment than tea bags, we firmly believe loose leaf tea is the way to go.
Sure, making a cup of tea with a tea bag is simple, but contrary to popular belief, using loose leaf tea is not arduous, and once you become used to it, we’re confident there’ll be no going back!
That said, how do you brew the perfect cuppa, using loose leaf tea?
Steeping techniques can differ between teas. Each of our Rujani product labels has a simple image showing the amount of tea required, recommended water temperature and steeping time. Our teas are harvested and processed by hand to ensure the leaves remain whole, and taking care to steep them will ensure you have full enjoyment from the process.
Here’s how:
1. Fill your electric kettle (or saucepan) with cool tap water (or bottled water if preferred). Water is an important part of your brew, and you can read more about that in this article.
2. Boil/heat the water to the suggested temperature. For optimum flavour, follow the water temperature on our packaging. You can do this by using an instant-read thermometer. You may prefer to boil the water and then let it cool to the correct temperature before adding loose tea leaves.
3. Weigh the tea, using the amount indicated on the label, and spoon it into a teapot or tea strainer. As loose leaf tea leaves expand with water, be careful not to overfill. Without having to worry about the weight too much, over time you will build a preference for the amount of loose leaf for each steep. A pinch is all that is needed for a cup.
4. Pour the hot water over the tea leaves — ensuring you cover the tea leaves entirely — and steep for the amount of time printed on the label. For a more robust and stronger cup of tea, rather than steeping for longer, just add more loose leaf tea.
5. Lift the strainer to remove the tea leaves from the water. If your strainer doesn’t fit correctly in your teapot, you can place the measured tea leaves directly into your teapot, and after steeping, hold the tea strainer over your cup to catch the leaves as you pour. Do not discard the used tea leaves. You can re-steep tea for multiple cups. The flavour profile will change with every steep and you will get accustomed to your favourite steep.
Straining options include a teapot with strainer, tea strainer, disposable tea filter bag for particularly fine tea or a mess-free, one cup option, or even a travel mug with built-in strainer for when you’re on-the-go. All of these are available online and at a tea shop near you.
For your favourite cuppa, buy your loose leaf tea from Rujani Tea Australia.
Simple and delicious — enjoy!