Hot Tea By Artful Tea Recipe

Heat the water

Pour 4 cups of fresh, cold water into a kettle or saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil for black tea (100°C / 212°F). If using green or white tea, bring to just below boiling (about 175–185°F / 80–85°C).

Pre-warm teapot and cups

While the water heats, rinse the teapot and teacups with hot water to pre-warm them. Discard the rinse water.

Measure the tea

Place 4 teaspoons of loose-leaf tea into a tea filter, infuser, or directly into the teapot if you will strain later. This is roughly 1 tsp per 1 cup of water for a standard-strength brew; adjust to taste.

Steep

When the water reaches the appropriate temperature, pour it over the tea in the teapot. Cover and steep for the recommended time: black tea 3–5 minutes, oolong 3–5 minutes, green 2–3 minutes, white 2–4 minutes, herbal 5–7 minutes. For this classic hot tea (black), steep 3–4 minutes for a balanced cup.

Strain and serve

Remove the infuser or strain the tea leaves into the teapot or directly into cups to stop the infusion. Taste and adjust steep time on future brews if needed.

Sweeten

If desired, add honey or sugar to each cup to taste. Start with 1/2 teaspoon per cup and increase if you prefer sweeter tea. Stir until dissolved.

Add milk

For milk tea, pour about 1 tablespoon of milk into each cup (adjust to preference) and stir. Add milk after sweetening to better judge color and strength.

Citrus or herbs

If using lemon, add a slice to the cup after straining. For a mint note, lightly bruise 4 fresh mint leaves and drop them into the teapot or cup to release aroma. Do not add lemon and milk together (they clash).

Spice finish

For a warming touch, sprinkle up to 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon per cup or steep a cinnamon stick with the tea. Adjust to taste.

Pour the brewed tea into pre-warmed cups and present with optional additions on the side so each guest can customize. Re-steep high-quality whole leaves once or twice: increase steep time by 30–60 seconds for subsequent infusions.