Don’t let the fancy teapots fool you! Brewing the perfect cup of tea is easy. We’ve outlined simple instructions as well as some tips below.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring fresh, cold water to a rolling boil.

2. LOOSE TEA: Add tealeaves to a teapot, fill-your-own teabag or infuser basket. Use 1 to 2 teaspoons (adjust to taste) per cup (8 oz) of water. TEA SACHET: Place tea sachet(s) in teapot or cup. Each sachet brews 1 to 2 cups (8-16 oz) of tea.

3. Pour boiling water over black & herbal tea. Allow water to cool slightly before brewing Green Tea, White Tea and Maté. Cover.

4. Infuse (steep) leaves for suggested time (see chart). Do not oversteep or tea may become bitter.

5. Remove tea sachet, bag or infuser from water or strain leaves. ENJOY!

ICED TEA
To make fresh iced tea, follow the directions above but use twice as much tea to account for dilution by ice. Once cool, pour over an ice-filled cup and garnish with lemon, fruit or mint.

Brewing loose-leaf tea is as simple as brewing a teabag—only instead of a teabag, use an infuser or Fill-Your-Own teabag to keep the leaves out of your cup. By replacing your old teabag with an alternate method, you will be rewarded with a much higher quality, better tasting, and healthier brew.



ADDITIONAL TIPS:

START WITH GOOD WATER
Even the best tea will taste only as good as the water used to prepare it. Avoid distilled, mineral and soft tap water which will weaken tea's flavor. Bottled, spring or filtered water is best and will provide a much livelier and more aromatic infusion.

NEVER OVER STEEP
Over steeping can make tea taste bitter. If you prefer strong tea, do not over steep; simply use more leaves.

DON’T JUDGE BY COLOR
Different types of tea will yield their own unique hue. For example, White Tea naturally brews a pale, golden color while Black Tea will yield an intense, deep ruby-red or chocolate brown. Instead of using color to tell you when a tea’s done steeping, simply use a timer.

WATER TEMPERATURE
Bringing water to a full boil is the easiest way to gage the water’s temperature. Avoid guessing; otherwise the water may not be hot enough to extract your tea’s full flavor. Pour boiling water directly over Black and Herbal teas. Allow water to cool for a minute or two before brewing delicate teas such as Green tea and Yerba Maté.

ROOM TO EXPAND
Tea expands 2-5 times its size in water. Therefore, we recommend using strainers or bags that allow ample room for the tealeaves to expand. Large strainers provide plenty of room for the water to flow around the leaves, yielding a better, more aromatic flavor.

MULTIPLE INFUSIONS
High-quality tea can be steeped multiple times. Increase steeping time 1 minute with each subsequent infusion.

SERVING SIZE
The traditional rule for brewing tea is 1 teaspoon per cup (8 oz) water. However, as White and Herbal teas (which are much lighter and more voluminous than the traditional teas) increase in popularity, this rule has become slightly outdated. In other words, these tea types require larger spoonfuls to equal the same weight. Don't worry! Serving size is more of an art than a science; Experiment until you find the amount perfect for your taste. In general, the larger and lighter the leaf, the more tea you will use.

STORAGE
Store tea tightly sealed in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and strong odors.

The chart below can help you get started: