It’s no secret that us Brits love to enjoy a cup of tea — one YouGov survey found that 74% of Brits drink at least one cup of tea a week. But how much effort do you usually put into perfecting your brew? Many of us opt for the easy method by simply popping a tea bag in our favourite mug and topping it up with hot water with a dash of milk (and maybe a sugar or two).

While this simple method does the job, you can get even more enjoyment out of your tea by taking the time to make the perfect brew. But how exactly do you do this? Here, the ceramics brand Denby share their advice for making the ideal tea for you, from finding your flavour to serving it up.

Choose your flavour
For a long time, the classic English breakfast tea reigned supreme in Britain and there was little choice of teas outside this. But now there are a variety of different herbal tea flavours to choose from, so you should be able to find a delicious new blend that you enjoy, no matter your tastebuds! Below are a few of the most popular herbal teas and descriptions of their flavours:

Chamomile: This tea offers a subtle herbal taste with a floral aroma, with notes of apple and honey.

Peppermint: A light and refreshing minty tea which provides drinkers a cooling sensation.

Lavender: This distinctive tea has floral and subtle citrussy notes, with herbal undertones.

Lemon balm: A slightly sweet and citrussy herbal tea, with minty notes.

Ginger: This tea flavour has a slightly spicy kick. It’s often paired with lemon.

Start experimenting with some of these popular flavours above to find the perfect one for you. You could even turn your tasting session into a get together with friends to help them find a new favourite tea flavour too!

Choosing your tea: Loose leaf or tea bags?
Many love the convenience and simplicity of shop-bought tea bags, but if you’re looking to go all out and brew the perfect cup, you may prefer to opt for a loose leaf variety. Loose leaf tea tends to be fresher than shop bought tea bags, which can also make them more flavourful. Plus, it can give you more control over the strength of your tea, as you can simply sprinkle a few more leaves in if you prefer a stronger taste.

As well as being full in flavour, loose leaf tea is fairly easy to make so you’ll find it isn’t much extra effort than using a tea bag. Simply put your desired amount of loose leaf tea into your tea pot (around a teaspoon per 170ml of water is the average, but you can top this up or cut it down depending on your desired strength). Allow it to brew for around 3 to 5 minutes for black loose leaf teas, or 3 to 4 minutes for green varieties, and then simply pop a tea strainer over your tea cup and pour the brew in. Some teapots come with internal strainers to make it even easier for loose leaf lovers to enjoy a brew.

If you can’t do without a tea bag but you want to try something a little different, you can even try making your own! Crafting handmade tea bags is easy and low effort, with only a few products needed, including loose leaf tea, food grade muslin squares, and thin thread. So try giving it a go!

Get the right temperature
Many of us simply wait until the kettle has boiled and pour the boiling water on top of our tea bag. But if you’re looking to brew the perfect tea, it’s actually a lot more precise than this. The right temperature for your tea depends largely on the type of tea leaf you’re brewing. You can use the temperatures below as a guide, but you can also check the packaging of your tea for the most accurate temperature recommendation.

Black tea: 90°C to 98°C

Green tea: Around 80°C

Find the perfect additions
While some prefer their cups of tea to be as simple as possible, others enjoy enhancing the flavour with a few extra additions. If you normally just stick to milk and one sugar, why not mix it up and try out a few new extras for your tea? There are a variety of options to choose from, and by experimenting with different ones you may even be able to find a new go-to brew.

Here are some popular tea additions, and the flavours they work best with. If you want to experiment, try setting a few of these out in small bowls to see what works best.

Honey: A great addition for both sweetening up a tea and introducing a slightly floral flavour. This can be used with a variety of teas, including black tea, green tea, and chamomile.

Mint leaves: As well as being ideal for enhancing the minty flavour of peppermint tea, mint leaves can also add a refreshing taste to green tea and lemon balm tea.

Ginger: Use this to add even more of a kick to your ginger tea, or add it to citrus-based teas to create a bold flavour.

Lemon: A slice of lemon is traditionally served with an Earl Grey, but this citrus fruit also makes a great addition to ginger flavoured teas, as well as black and green varieties.

Serve it in style
Once you’ve found the perfect tasting brew, it’s time to find the best way to serve your tea. If you’re opting for loose leaf tea, a tea pot is a necessity for brewing your drink. But even if you opt for tea bags instead, a tea pot is still a good idea as it gives you an easy and convenient way to top up your cup without heading back to the kitchen and brewing a new drink from scratch. Ceramic tea pots are particularly popular as the material can retain heat for a long period of time.

When it comes to choosing the perfect receptacle for your tea, the choice is yours. Many claim that tea cups make the drink taste better, and they also look elegant, especially when paired with a matching tea pot. But mugs tend to hold more liquid, making them a great choice for those who enjoy a larger cup of tea. And of course, there’s nothing more comforting than having a delicious cup of tea from your favourite mug.



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