Hot Tea Recipe

Boil water

Pour 2 cups (about 475 ml) of cold fresh water into a kettle or small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.

Preheat cup

Optional: Pour a little boiling water into your teacup, swirl, then discard. This helps keep the brewed tea hot longer.

Steep tea

Place 2 tea bags (or 2 teaspoons loose tea in an infuser) into a teapot or cup. Pour the boiling water directly over the tea. Cover the teapot or cup and steep for 3 to 5 minutes depending on desired strength (3 min for light, 5 min for strong).

Remove tea leaves

After steeping, remove the tea bags or lift out the infuser to stop the extraction. Gently squeeze the tea bags against the side with a spoon if you prefer a slightly stronger cup.

Sweeten

If you like your tea sweetened, stir in about 1 teaspoon of sugar, honey, or maple syrup while the tea is hot so it dissolves fully. Adjust to taste.

Add milk or lemon

For milk tea: add 1–2 tablespoons of milk or cream and stir. For lemon tea: add one slice of lemon. (Do not add lemon and milk together — lemon can curdle dairy.)

Add herbs or spices

If using fresh mint, bruise the leaves lightly and add them to the cup. If using spices (cinnamon stick or crushed cardamom), add them to the kettle during boiling or drop into the cup while steeping for a spiced note.

Taste and adjust

Taste your tea and adjust sweetness, milk, or lemon as desired. If too strong, add a splash of hot water; if too weak, brew next time a bit longer or use more tea.

Serve

Serve the hot tea immediately in a warmed cup. Garnish with lemon slice or mint sprig if desired.