Tazo Tea Recipe

Heat water

Bring fresh filtered water to the appropriate temperature: boiling (212°F / 100°C) for black teas (English Breakfast, Earl Grey) and chai; just-off-boil (about 200°F / 93°C) acceptable for chai as well. For green tea (Zen) heat to 175–185°F (80–85°C). For chamomile and mint steep in water at 200–212°F (93–100°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and let sit 1–2 minutes for green tea.

Measure tea

Use one Tazo tea bag (or 1 rounded teaspoon loose-leaf equivalent) per 8-ounce (1 cup) serving. Adjust number of bags for multiple servings.

Steep times

Steep times vary by variety: English Breakfast & Earl Grey: 3–5 minutes. Chai: 4–6 minutes (longer for stronger spice infusion). Green Zen: 2–3 minutes. Chamomile: 5–7 minutes. Mint: 5–7 minutes.

Hot chai - brew

Bring 1 cup (240 ml) water to a near boil. Place 1 chai tea bag in a mug or pot, pour the hot water over the bag, and steep 4–6 minutes depending on desired strength. Remove the tea bag and gently press to extract liquid.

Hot chai - finish

Warm ¾ cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon half-and-half (optional) in a small saucepan until steaming but not boiling. Froth or whisk to create light foam. Sweeten brewed chai to taste with 1–2 teaspoons honey or sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla syrup if desired. Pour milk over brewed chai and stir. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or a light dusting of ground cinnamon.

Iced chai

Brew double-strength chai (use 2 tea bags per 1 cup or brew 2 cups normally and let cool) and let cool to room temperature. Fill a glass with ice, pour the cooled concentrate over ice, add ½–¾ cup cold milk (or dairy-free alternative) and sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Mint or Zen hot brew

Heat 1 cup water to appropriate temperature: for Zen (green) use 175–185°F, for peppermint or spearmint use near-boil. Place 1 mint tea bag or 1 Zen tea bag in a cup, pour over hot water and steep: Zen 2–3 minutes, mint 5–7 minutes. Remove tea bag and add 1–2 fresh mint sprigs to steep briefly for extra aroma.

Iced mint/zen

Brew double-strength (2 bags per cup) and chill. Fill a glass with ice, pour the chilled tea, add a few fresh mint sprigs and a slice of lemon if desired. Sweeten lightly with 1 teaspoon honey or sugar, stir and serve.

Chamomile brew

Bring 1 cup water to a boil, pour over 1 chamomile tea bag, and steep 5–7 minutes. Remove bag. Sweeten with 1 teaspoon honey if desired. Serve hot or chill for iced chamomile following the same double-strength method described above.

Black tea brew

Bring 1 cup water to a rolling boil. Place 1 Earl Grey or English Breakfast tea bag in a cup, pour boiling water over the bag and steep 3–5 minutes. For stronger flavor steep up to 5 minutes but avoid excessive steeping to prevent bitterness.

Finish & variations

Earl Grey: add a slice of lemon or a splash of milk (milk is less common but acceptable) and sweeten to taste. English Breakfast: commonly served with milk and sugar—add 2–3 tablespoons milk and sweeten with 1–2 teaspoons sugar or to taste. For iced versions, brew double-strength, chill, then serve over ice with lemon or milk as preferred.

Serve

Serve hot teas immediately after finishing for best aroma and flavor. For iced teas, serve over plenty of ice and garnish with mint or lemon as appropriate.

Store brewed tea

Refrigerate leftover brewed tea in a sealed container for up to 48 hours. Do not keep for longer as flavor degrades. Reheat only once for hot service; iced tea can be served cold from fridge.