Making tea...what am I doing wrong?

[bayareaking510]

Well I've tried several times to make tea I've bought from Adagio and every time I make it, it tastes either too biter or too watery. I first thought I wasn't putting enough tea leaves, so I put about twice as much and it still tastes bad. Do you guys add anything to your tea to make it taste "good"? Maybe honey or sugar?

I have blood orange and grapefruit herbal teas. What should I do to make good tea? I love iced tea I buy in cans or bottles, like Lipton's white tea and Arizona's 99 cent teas in that huge can.

[secret-steve-crumbles]

I love iced tea I buy in cans or bottles, like Lipton's white tea and Arizona's 99 cent teas in that huge can.Then yes, you need to add about 700 cups of sugar.

[thopkins1985]

I rarely ever make my tea without sugar. And lots of it. Just add a couple teaspoons of sugar, try it, and if you need more sugar, just keep going until you think you have enough. I tried Alex's herbal tea, and it tasted rather weird to me to have it hot.

Just pay attention to how hot the water you brew the tea in is, and how long you do it for. If the water is too hot, or you brew too long, you're basically burning the tea leaves, which will make it bitter. Just cut back on how long/hot you microwave/boil the water, and then how long you let the tea steep, and don't worry too much about using too many leaves. At worst your tea will be strong and you'll have to add more sugar.

It takes practice to get it right, but it's quite worth it. I never could stand bottled teas though.. only one I'll drink is Lipton Brisk, which doesn't even taste like tea.

[kronos6948]

IIRC, when you put your tea leaves into the water, the water shouldn't be boilling. It should be just off the boil. 3 minutes for steeping, no more than that usually comes out pretty well. And, yes, since you've been drinking sweet tea, you'll need to add sugar to it.

Remember, since you're drinking fruit teas, you're not having regular tea, so it will taste quite different. Some of those specialty loose leaf teas taste like drinking flowers or perfume (hell, some of them have flowers in it), which is why I steer clear of those and try to go just for straight tea leaves, or maybe Earl Grey (which is flavored with Oil of Bergamot).

[secret-steve-crumbles]

...or maybe Earl GreyTea. Earl Grey. Hot.

[bayareaking510]

Thanks. I'll try that next time!

[tokenuser]

Well I've tried several times to make tea I've bought from Adagio and every time I make it, it tastes either too biter or too watery. I first thought I wasn't putting enough tea leaves, so I put about twice as much and it still tastes bad. Do you guys add anything to your tea to make it taste "good"? This is going to sound odd, but how are you making your tea?

Bag or loose leaf?
How long are you steeping it for?
Do you warm the pot first?

I make tea for my wife a lot (Earl Grey - Hot ...) using loose leaf tea. Basic rule of thumb ... 1 teaspoon (get it - the standard measure for tea is the tea spoon)m per cup, plus one for the pot. So for two cups of tea, the pot gets three teaspoons of leaves. Once the water has finished boiling, pour some boiling water into the tea pot. Swirl it around until the pot heats up - then tip out the water. Add the tea (our pot has a basket, but if using loose leaf an immersion ball works well, as does just putting leaves in the pot and straining the output). Pour in the water (it wll have cooled down to the just of the boil temp"). Let it steep for about 3-5 minutes. No longer. Pour the tea into warmed cups. If you are using a basket or immersion ball, remove the tea leaves from the pot so it doesn't continue to brew - if you want to keep it hot, get yourself a thermos flask.

Milk in tea is a matter of preference. My uncle would leave room at the top of the cup for milk - and top it up with cold water to cool the tea down. Sugar depends on the tea .... but try to avoid processed white sugar, and get raw sugar or turbinado sugar - 1-2 teaspoons should be enough for good quality tea. Honey? Yeah, sure. Lemon? Only for breakfast teas or if yo are feeling sick.

[sommers]

Add some milk to the tea and make sure to follow the recommended steeping times.

[Brownout]

... but do a favour to yourself: don't put milk in Earl Grey :rolleyes:

As a general rule: water for green tea should be at 70°C (yes, I am a metric guy) and 90°C for black tea. Don't drink boiling water as Kevin does :D

Sugar is a matter of personal taste, if you drink coffee without sugar you'd probably want it out of your tea, otherwise start with a teaspoon and eventually add until you reach your taste.

[unhap]

if its bitter you could be steeping it too long

[aaroncampbell]

I'm a huge tea fan. As for the problem with the bitterness, I would assume that you are heating the water too hot (as others have said). My main question is, has anyone here ever tried New Zealand Sunny Slope tea? I used to live in San Diego, and regularly went to The Living Room (http://www.livingroomcafe.com/index1.html) coffee shop (usually the SDSU location). They had this tea, and I loved it. Unfortunately, I have since moved to Phoenix, and I can't find it out here. Instead, I buy it by the pound from them whenever I'm in San Diego. It's a really fruity blend, that actually brews a red colored tea. If you live in that area, you have to go try it. If you live near me, and know of a place out here that sells it, please let me know.

[ariastar]

I think optimal flavor depends on what each drinker wants. Some people want it more bitter, some may want it weaker. You're going to have to experiment to find the flavor that works best for you. As for myself, I tend to like darker teas a little lighter, so steep for less time. You might like Earl Grey darker than I do, or lighter. You're only going to know by playing around.

[flashbak]

Firstly despite the name of the vendor, you're not making a tea. You are making an infusion. Most fruit infusions are best made with boiling water, unless there is a specific ingredient that prohibits that. Generally unless the mix is particularly light, boiling water is the way to go.

If you find it too bitter, the best way to take the edge off the flavour is to use a blossom honey. It will add a little sweetness to mitigate the bitterness whilst not overpowering the infusion as processed sugar would.

Lastly, to echo somewhat the comments AriaStar made, to each drinker their own. If you don't like the flavour try different blends; it may just not be to your palate you can't force it. Personally I enjoy many different tea blends, but I've never found a fruit infusion I find remotely drinkable. Adagio have plenty of other options to try.

[mizzike]

Well I've tried several times to make tea I've bought from Adagio and every time I make it, it tastes either too biter or too watery. I first thought I wasn't putting enough tea leaves, so I put about twice as much and it still tastes bad. Do you guys add anything to your tea to make it taste "good"? Maybe honey or sugar?

I have blood orange and grapefruit herbal teas. What should I do to make good tea? I love iced tea I buy in cans or bottles, like Lipton's white tea and Arizona's 99 cent teas in that huge can.

Hey dude,

Some tea tips:


Avoid microwaving the water; always boil it if you can.
For most teas, it's 1 tsp per cup. Some teas require 2 tsp per cup, but it should say that on the packaging.
Different teas steep for different times. General rule of thumb is 3-7 minutes.
Don't put the leaves directly in the tea pot. Instead, use a tea or coffee press (also called a french press). I use the french press and have never had a bad cup o tea.
Sweeten to taste. I use honey most of the time, but you're free to use sugar. Which kind is up to you, but the more natural the better. Bleached white sugar is, of course, not the most natural sweetener. Instead, as someone else mentioned before me, go with a turbinado sugar.


Pro Tips:

Most teas allow for two infusions, and some teas can even go for three infusions. When you first pour your hot water into your tea/french press and let it steep, that's called an infusion. Most people toss out the tea leaves once they've drank their infusion. However, you can usually get one more infusion out of those tea leaves! Go ahead and pour some more hot water in there and enjoy the second batch. It's not going to be as strong as the first batch, of course, but it's still enjoyable.
Pro Tip 2: If your tea has caffeine, you can naturally decaffeinate your tea by dumping out the first batch. That's right. You see, during the first infusion, most (though not all) of the caffeine is leeched out of the tea leaves and binds with the water. So, since most the caffeine went down the drain, you'll have much less caffeine the second time around.


And finally, a little trivia: How many different plants does tea come from?

Answer: Just one: The tea plant. Its scientific name is Camellia sinensis. This one plant is used to make white, green, oolong and black tea. But how? The differences can be found in how the tea leaves are processed.

Enjoy your tea,

Mike

[bayareaking510]

Hey dude,

Some tea tips:

Avoid microwaving the water; always boil it if you can.
For most teas, it's 1 tsp per cup. Some teas require 2 tsp per cup, but it should say that on the packaging.
Different teas steep for different times. General rule of thumb is 3-7 minutes.
Don't put the leaves directly in the tea pot. Instead, use a tea or coffee press (also called a french press). I use the french press and have never had a bad cup o tea.
Sweeten to taste. I use honey most of the time, but you're free to use sugar. Which kind is up to you, but the more natural the better. Bleached white sugar is, of course, not the most natural sweetener. Instead, as someone else mentioned before me, go with a turbinado sugar.
Pro Tips:
Most teas allow for two infusions, and some teas can even go for three infusions. When you first pour your hot water into your tea/french press and let it steep, that's called an infusion. Most people toss out the tea leaves once they've drank their infusion. However, you can usually get one more infusion out of those tea leaves! Go ahead and pour some more hot water in there and enjoy the second batch. It's not going to be as strong as the first batch, of course, but it's still enjoyable.
Pro Tip 2: If your tea has caffeine, you can naturally decaffeinate your tea by dumping out the first batch. That's right. You see, during the first infusion, most (though not all) of the caffeine is leeched out of the tea leaves and binds with the water. So, since most the caffeine went down the drain, you'll have much less caffeine the second time around.
And finally, a little trivia: How many different plants does tea come from?

Answer: Just one: The tea plant. Its scientific name is Camellia sinensis. This one plant is used to make white, green, oolong and black tea. But how? The differences can be found in how the tea leaves are processed.

Enjoy your tea,

Mike
Cool. Thanks for all your tips. I'll be going out and buying some of that turbinado sugar and a small strainer (used to just dump the leaves in the cup and just get most of the leaves out by pouring it into another cup).