3 Easy Steps on How To Use a Tea Infuser

Want the best tea?

Learning how to use a tea infuser for the best teas is essential to achieve an exotic taste and aroma when having their tea time. Simply, it is pouring around 2 cups of boiling water into a teapot with one or two bags of tea leaves. It is dissolving a proportion of the tea materials into the water. So 2 cups are poured into a small-sized teapot with low to medium heat. Boiling should occur in 5.5 minutes (at 80ºF). It should cool for about 2 minutes, then you’re all set to go.

Depending on the type of infuser, tea infusion involves around 4 to 5 steps. Brew baskets with stainless steel or nylon can make a simple single serving of full-leaf tea. The space in the basket allows tea leaves to swell to bring out the best taste. Wooden flower and wooden leaf infusers are environmentally sustainable. Floating stainless steel infusers allow tea leaves to spread and bring out their full flavors. However, we will deal with the more generic procedure involving only 3 steps.

• Set Tea Materials and Temperatures

This portion discusses the 3 types of temperatures needed for desired results in the infusion process. Medium temperatures, the most common type, are usually from 85ºF to 100ºF.

Low temperatures (usually from 55ºF to less than 80ºF) are typically for thicker, silkier textures with natural sweetness when natural sugars (like stevia) are mixed therein. They also allow amino acids to mix into the water while holding back bitter tasting phenolic compounds.

High temperatures (above 100ºF) are usually for darker (like black tea) teas to bring out their aromatic substances. Each tea type selection may be considered for individual consideration. The best cup from each tea and/or tea type will definitely be dissimilar.

Tea Infusion Involves 3 Basic Steps:

• Pouring hot water over the tea or tea leaves

As we have indicated, 2 cups need to be poured into a small teapot (around 150 ml) and it must be on brick blocks (like in the olden times when cooking by firewood). Hence, the teapot is placed on blocks of bricks or stones with enough space underneath it for firewood.

• Waiting for the time period, also known as “steeping.”

The waiting time is estimated at around 5.5 minutes at a rolling boil for this particular type of tea. The minimum waiting time is at least 3 minutes and a maximum of at most 6 minutes. That means that the water should boil for exactly 5.5 minutes in this case. That would be at 80ºF.

• Removing the Plant matter before drinking

This portion is for fruits and herbal teas only. If the mixture is not a fruit or herbal tea, then all that is needed is to let it cool down for 2 minutes.

Fruits and Herbal Teas

For fruits and herbal teas, we are talking about the 6 kinds of leaves that can only produce fruits and herbal teas from one plant. That plant is called the Camillia Sinensis plant, from which we can produce these teas. The 6 kinds of leaves referred to are black, green, oolong, pu-er, white, and yellow. They have natural flavors that go well with any type of tea!

Whenever we think of infusion, we normally think that they are made from tea leaves. But fruit and herbal teas, are, however, not made from tea leaves at all. All traditional fruit and herbal teas are made from the leaves of Camillia Sinensis and is the only plant from where we can create fruit and herbal teas. The greatest advantage of fruit and herbal teas are that they are entirely caffeine free and they promote a healthy lifestyle.

• Determine Group Sizes

For big family sizes, you would need a larger teapot and more water. A size of 2 cups is appropriate for adult members (that is around 150 ml). 1 cup would be adequate for smaller children or toddlers (about 60 to 75 ml). Half a cup is recommended for babies (about 7 teaspoons). The temperature and boiling time will not change, but you may add other ingredients to make the taste and aroma better. For smaller families, the container size will just have to be smaller. For office workers, however, you will need a thermos that can hold the temperature for about an hour or two. You will need to refill them every now and then.

• Learning and Seeking Mastery

In the infusion process, consumers will certainly take time to educate themselves about the methods of steeping and seek to master them. They will also be making tons of mistakes. Making mistakes, especially at the beginning, is important. It is how experts come to be: they make mistakes at the start and soon become better and better at it. Statistics show that experts practice at least 10,000 hours of the required tasks! Remember, that is, “at least.” When doing something important, do people think, “I’ll be performing this task on average.”? When selecting recruits in employment, do they choose the average performers? Of course, not. They want to do the best they can when doing important tasks, and they always choose the best recruits in employment situations. The same is true for the infusion process.

Tea-Making Strategies

1. Basic Skills

There are main strategies in tea-making. Of course, some manual skills are required in experiencing and understanding the materials:

• Types of tea leaves
• Water measurements
• Types of temperatures
• Taste and aroma

2. Practice

Consumers must practice the procedures, experience them, and study them in order to produce the desired results. The experts’ sharing and teaching of their experiences and results should facilitate the individuals’ mastery of the skills. Overall, though, tea–making is a very easy skill to master. Variations involving the teapot, water, tea leaves, and temperature are actually not that complicated!

Unlike cooking, however, tea-making is overall very easy to master well. The variations with the teapot, water, tea leaves, and temperatures are really not that complicated. Constant practice leads to understanding and discovery. Discovery results to increases in learning, which sparks eureka moments (enlightenment). Once the imagination has been opened, the vast, encompassing horizon of tea can now be explored and treasured, and you will have a great time doing it.

Infusion vs Decoction

Decoction takes a longer time to heat and simmer the tea. They are usually for the harder type of teas. Infusion, on the other hand, always has a fixed amount of time, and we are talking about the boiling time.

Your Tea Preferences

Now that we have discussed how to use a tea infuser for best teas, consumers can now use the information they learned to see if they have mastered the skill in order to produce the taste and aroma they desire. Fruit and herbal infusions are the best. They make you feel good, become rehydrated, and are sugar-free. It is a delicious drink, especially with chocolate, with only 4 calories in each cup! In addition, it is made of 100% natural ingredients. All over the world, it consists of over 50 blends. They can be enjoyed hot or cold, winter and summer; they make great iced teas and iced cocktails and they are caffeine free. The fruit and herbal infusions are packaged and easy to find in the aisle of any grocery or store. Pretty soon, we shall become the nation’s favorite!

Growing Your Own Tea

By the way, you can also grow a garden where the tea leaves are in small patches all over your garden area. Normally, you require around a minimum of 3 feet to a maximum of 6 feet. You would be required to create worm bins. Worm bins can accommodate all your organic trash and yet they do not smell bad. They smell like fresh forest soil. So, as you can see, they are a great way to set your garden. Composting requires high temperatures and at least 3 to 6 months to be able to obtain results. A better method known as vermicomposting requires only 30 days to obtain results. You will only put 6 inches of leftover fruits and vegetables (already chopped and cut) on your soil, regardless of its area and/or depth. Furthermore, your produce will yield at least 20% to 40% more. Plus, you can always have fruit and herbal teas.

The table below shows suggestions for 6 oz (20cc) servings.