{"id":1790,"date":"2016-01-13T15:50:14","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T14:50:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.coffee-spirit.maxicoffee.com\/article\/the-art-of-making-tea\/"},"modified":"2024-01-22T12:46:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-22T11:46:44","slug":"the-art-of-making-tea","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/www.coffee-spirit.maxicoffee.com\/en-gb\/article\/the-art-of-making-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"The art of making tea"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The 4 key steps to making tea<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"drinking<\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 1: choose the right water<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First and foremost, your tea cannot fulfil its potential without the right water! For you history buffs, the first piece of formal writing dedicated to tea<\/strong> dates all the way back to the year 780 AD (how time flies!) and the importance of water<\/strong> was already recognised back then: \u201cThe best water is that which drips from the stalactites and flows gently on a bed of rock.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Now obviously, heading off to find your water at source for every cup of tea<\/strong> is hardly the most practical solution\u2026 But that\u2019s no reason to neglect the quality of your water<\/strong>! In most regions of France, it\u2019s not advisable to use tap water because it tends to be either too hard, too chlorinated, or both. This has a direct impact on your drink: the purity of the tea is affected and its taste becomes\u2026 well, somewhat synthetic.<\/p>\n

The solution?<\/strong> I suggest that you go for filtered water<\/a> (there are some very effective filters available) or spring water that is pH neutral<\/strong> (and neither too hard, nor too soft). Personally, I like to use Cristaline<\/strong> spring water. Whatever you do, steer clear of mineral waters<\/strong> that are rich in mineral salts<\/strong> and trace elements<\/strong>, which will alter the taste of your tea<\/strong> much more than neutral spring water<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 2:\u00a0the right temperature<\/h3>\n

The next thing to bear in mind is that every type of tea<\/strong> (green tea<\/a>, black tea<\/a>, white tea<\/a>, infusions<\/a>) has its own optimum infusion temperature<\/strong>. Not hot enough<\/strong>, and all those flavours<\/strong> will diffuse too slowly, with some of them remaining prisoners in the leaves; on the other hand, if the water is too hot<\/strong>, it will scold the leaves<\/strong> and produce an unpleasant aftertaste.<\/p>\n

Please bear in mind that opinions differ on this subject: there is more than one point of view, and plenty of debate! I\u2019m going to talk you through my own method, but it\u2019s up to you to test it out and make the necessary adjustments to suit your palate. Many tea lovers<\/strong> ensure that they always have a thermometer<\/strong> on hand to ensure absolute precision. There are also smart kettles<\/strong> that let you choose the temperature of your water with the simple click of a button<\/strong>\u2026 Nice!<\/p>\n\n <\/section>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Step 3: length of infusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Once more, the important thing to remember here is that each tea has its own specific characteristics : its own history<\/strong>, its own place of origin<\/strong>, etc. The infusion time should therefore be adjusted to bring out the best in each tea. Quite simply, it\u2019s a question of taste!<\/p>\n

Infusion time<\/h4>\n