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Introduction to issues with too much tea

When I sit down to brew a single cup of tea I usually use a metal tea ball or some type of tea strainer, and in my rush to make a nice strong cup of tea I usually fill it up too much and am left somewhat disappointed by the final product and that is because I usually forget one of the important aspects of making tea.

Get the right water temp for your tea

The thing about tea is that it is great to have the right water temperature and all the other things that go along with making a great cup of tea, but it is important to remember that you are steeping something not just mixing it up. Unlike iced tea or other powder beverages you need more contact time than to just dissolve the sugar you added to your water. You have to give the tea and water ample room to get to know each other and really interact.

Having enough room for movement of tea and water

Making tea is a delicate dance between the leaves and the water, and this is not a quick dance. Most teas require at least 2 minutes before they really start to make a nice cup to enjoy, while others might be over 6 minutes. Although the time is important to watch as too much time lapsed will ruin a cup of tea, there is nothing worse than a cup of tea that is ruined due to lack of movement.

Lack of Movement you might say? Dancing with water and tea leaves, movement, what are you talking about?

Quick answer, when filling up your tea balls/strainers, or whatever you use to brew your own tea you must always remember that the tea needs to be able to expand and transfer its tastes to the water. If you fill up the strainer full when the tea is dry, just think of how little room it will have when it tries to expand?

Conclusion

To ensure you have a great cup of tea, please make sure that you leave the tea enough room to expand as too tightly packed tea will only release the flavor of the tea that is in contact with the water.