This will only take around 2-3 minutes with an electric kettle. You can boil as much water as the amount of tea you want to make. English tea requires boiling water, and hot or tepid water is a poor substitute.
If the water happens to stay in the kettle for longer than around 3 minutes, pour it out, get fresh water, and boil the new batch. Never reboil water, as this can give it a metallic taste.
You can place the thermometer in the same place where you poured the water into the teapot. You will have to leave the lid off to do this.
The longer the tea steeps for, the stronger it will be. [6] X Research source Black tea is the most common type of tea that is used when making English tea, but green tea is also a firm favorite![7] X Research source If you don’t have tea with instructions on the package, black tea in tea bags normally takes 2-3 minutes to steep. Green tea in tea bags usually steeps for 2-4 minutes. [8] X Research source
After closing the lid on the teapot, this is the time to place your tea cosy on the teapot if you have one. This will also help to insulate the teapot and keep the tea warm. For convenience, tea bags are usually chosen over loose leaf tea.
Make sure that you remove the tea bags as soon as it is ready. If they are left in for too long, the tea will taste bitter. [11] X Research source When you are removing the tea bags, don’t stir or squeeze them. This can also make the tea taste bitter. You can either throw away the used tea bags, or rip them up into small pieces and place them in the compost heap. [12] X Research source
Smaller tea leaves will infuse faster than larger tea leaves. If you don’t have an infuser, you can place the tea leaves directly into the teapot. Use a strainer when you are pouring the tea into cups to ensure that you catch all of the leaves. If you are unsure as to how strong you prefer your tea, taste the tea at 1 minute, and then every 30 seconds following to find the perfect brewing time.
Avoid using plastic or metallic cups to serve tea, as this can affect the flavor. In more formal or traditional settings, saucers are often included for the cups to sit on. This isn’t necessary in casual settings.
Take care not to overfill the cups. Around ¾ full is usually the appropriate amount to make sure that spillages are unlikely. [17] X Research source
People have different preferences for how they like their tea. If you are unsure, always ask your guests first about their preferences for milk and sugar. Low-fat milk is commonly used for tea in Britain. Cream or high-fat milk are usually avoided. [19] X Research source Milk and sugar are normally only added to black tea, as green tea is best enjoyed plain.
If somebody asks for a particular number of sugars, this means the number of teaspoons of sugar that they would like. For example, “2 sugars” means “2 teaspoons of sugar”.
