Using a teapot for loose tea.
Making a pot of tea is probably something you’ve never thought about needing to know. But if you been brought up in a house without a teapot because teabags are the tea of choice, then keep reading and I’ll get you trained up.
Traditionally teapots were used to make big pots of tea that would stand on the kitchen table with a tea cosy on ready to pour. The tea made would be strong and malty and benefitted from a splash of milk. Nowadays along side the big teapots are the small 1-2 cup teapots that are perfect for experimenting with the huge range of teas available.
Read more about the evolution of the teapot in this blog here
Teapot choice
Teapots come with or without an infuser, both can be used for loose leaf tea.
Teapots with infusers contain the leaves in the basket and let the water and tea leaves infuse and mingle to produce your delicious tea. Once the tea is infused, the strainer can be removed and the lid replaced. Removing the leaves stops the tea from stewing and if there's any tea left in the teapot, a great tasting second cup.
Teapots without infusers are used by placing the loose tea directly in the teapot and leaving the leaves and water to infuse. Once the tea is ready, the leaves stay in the pot and a tea strainer is placed over the cup to catch the leaves as the tea is poured.
Both ways make a great cup of tea, the tea leaves left in the teapot, unless the teapot is completely emptied, will continue to infuse making a stronger second cup of tea.
How to use a teapot
1. Warm the teapot
2. Put the loose leaf tea in the infuser or directly into the teapot
3. Pour over boiling water
4. Use a timer to brew your tea to be perfect
5. Remove infuser carefully to stop the tea from brewing, If the tea is directly in the teapot, place a strainer over your cup to capture the tea leaves.
6. Pour into your cup
7. Add milk and sugar to taste or drink it as it is.
Top tips
1. Whatever your teapot ceramic, metal or glass they all benefit from a pre warm. Pour a little boiling water into the teapot and leave for a couple of minutes
2. All teapots are sized by the number of cups they make. This is how you know how many teaspoons of tea to put in the teapot. 2 cup teapot = 2 teaspoons of tea.
3. Because it’s loose tea you can adjust to taste, add more if you prefect the tea stronger or less if you want it weaker.
4. Let your inner mixologist out and have fun blending your own tea flavours. Add a fruit blend to an assam or blend different herbals
5. Invest in a tea timer to brew your tea to perfection. As a guide black & flavoured tea 3 minutes, Green tea 2 minutes, and herbals & fruit tea 5 minutes
6. Add the milk after you’ve poured your tea. You can add more this way to get the right balance.
7. To dispose of the tea leaves put them in the garden, green bin, compost or landfill bin. The tea will rot down releasing goodness into the ground.
