The Tea Treasury - tea advice

The first rule of tea brewing is, don't get too hung up on rules! Many enjoy the rituals of tea preparation, from customs of the Japanese Tea Ceremony to a proper English High Tea. You can make your tea experience as simple or ritualistic as you choose.

Many tea experts differ on their advice for steep times, water temperature, etc. The guidelines listed here are the most common practices in a simplified format. Following them will result in the best tasting tea, but cutting corners may certainly still give you a good tasting cup! Loose leaf tea brewing is as easy as preparing coffee, the important thing is to do it and enjoy it!

Your own taste preferences should be your final guide, so feel free to experiment. However, excessive steeping will make the tea bitter, so start with the shortest suggested steep time. (This is not an issue with herbal “teas”).
If you prefer stronger tea, increase the amount of tea leaves, not the steep time.
If possible, use filtered or bottled water (not distilled). It has been suggested to heat to desired temperature by starting with cold water.
Generally use 1 rounded tsp. of loose tea per 6 oz. cup, use more for “fluffier” or large leafed teas and herbals. (Or to taste).
It is nice to preheat your cup or teapot by filling with hot water for a few minutes, and then discard prior to adding the leaves and water for your tea.
Pour the hot water over your tea leaves in your teapot or cup, remove the tea leaves in 2 to 7 minutes, depending upon tea type, stir. Add sweetener if desired.
Most people prefer to use an infuser or strainer to contain the leaves in the pot or cup and make disposal easier. It's important to use an infuser large enough to allow the tea leaves to open and expand. Many “tea balls” are not good for this. The Tea Treasury offers many accessories to simplify or enhance your tea experience.
Although some tea purists may disagree, most find it perfectly acceptable to heat the water in a microwave instead of a tea kettle. Using a pourable container (like most measuring vessels) makes it even easier to pour the hot water over your waiting tea leaves.
Tea leaves can be re-steeped 2 to 3 times. Caffeine content is negligible after first steeping.
For your convenience, brewing instructions are also printed on each package of The Tea Treasury's tea.

Tea Type	Water Temperature	Steep Time
Black	Bring water to rolling boil. 208-212 degrees	3 – 5 minutes
Green	Heat water until little bubbles form, 180 degrees, or cool water from boiling.	2 – 3 minutes
Oolong	Same as green.	2 – 5 minutes
White	Heat water until just before bubbles form, 160 degrees.	4 – 7 minutes
Herbs and Red “Tea”	Bring water to rolling boil. 208-212 degrees	3 – 7 minutes

Properly stored tea can remain fresh for up to 2 years however; some delicate teas only have a recommended shelf life of 6 to 8 months. Proper storage of your tea ensures its maximum freshness. Always store tea in an airtight container away from light, humidity and strong odors.

The Tea Treasury's resealable bags are fine for long term storage as are jars, tins and other containers with tight fitting lids. Clear containers are not recommended. Do not store tea in the refrigerator unless it is an Herbal.

Nothing is more refreshing than an ice cold glass of tea on a hot summer day! This may be why approximately 85% of tea consumed in America is iced. We recommend brewing your fresh tea leaves as suggested in “Brewing Instructions” and then pouring the hot tea over ice or cool it in the refrigerator. An easy option for brewing a large amount of iced tea is to use paper filters hung over the edge of a large pot, pour the hot water over the tea-filled filters, steep, then refrigerate. You can also use a large teapot, an iced tea maker, or a coffee maker (that has not been used for coffee) or brew by the cup/glass. Easiest of all - try our Ice Tea pitcher/ Maker, available in oour Teaware selection.

Most varieties of tea can be enjoyed hot or cold. Have fun and experiment! The most popular teas yielding a bright and brisk liquid that does not cloud start with a base of Black tea from the Nilgiri region in India. Below are some of The Tea Treasury's favorites, we'd love to hear yours!

Sometimes it seems that caffeine has gotten a bad rap. Did you know that caffeine…

• Is an antioxidant and also is used in treatment of pain, migraines, asthma and weight loss?

• Has been proven to raise your IQ in tests, improves alertness and combats depression and fatigue?

• In moderate amounts relaxes and creates a state of “tranquil energy”, and does so safely, throughout your life?

That being said, we know that some people are sensitive to caffeine and would like to avoid it. The following information may set straight some myths and make you more comfortable about the caffeine in tea.

The amount of caffeine in tea or coffee depends on a number of factors, including the variety of tea leaf or coffee bean, where it is grown, leaf size, or “grind” of coffee and the method and length of brewing or steeping. Even the water temperature is a factor, with hotter water bringing out more caffeine. Fermentation is also a factor, the longer the tea leaves have been fermented, the greater their caffeine content. All these factors contribute to the reasons why the reported caffeine content in published literature is somewhat varied.

A true tea (camellia sinensis) contains a small amount of naturally occurring caffeine. A good rule of thumb is the lighter the tea, the shorter the brewing time, the less caffeine. For those individuals that like the "pick-me-up" of caffeine, you will find it in a good tea, but you will not experience the usual edginess one experiences with coffee.

There is approximately 1/3-1/2 less the amount of caffeine in a cup of tea vs. a cup of coffee. Coffee contains less caffeine than tea when measured in its dry form; however, the caffeine content of a prepared cup of coffee is significantly higher than that off a prepared cup of tea.

There is also a common misperception that decaffeinated tea does not contain caffeine, however, decaffeinated tea still contains about 3% of its original caffeine content.

Since nearly 80% of caffeine is extracted in the first 30 seconds of steeping, a method to reduce the caffeine is to pour off the water after 45 seconds of steeping. Discard the liquid, and then add more water to the same leaves for a second brewing for the usual amount of time.

Beverage	Average mg per 8-10 oz. Serving	Range in mg
Coffee - drip	160	80-340
Cola (12 oz can)	45	30-60
Black Tea	40	25-110
Oolong Tea	30	12-55
Green Tea	20	8-30
White Tea	10	6-20
Decaf Tea	2	1-4
Herbal Tea	0	0
Cocoa	19	4-40

Sources (in part): Caffeine by The Institute of Food Technologists' Expert Panel on Food Safety & Nutrition, All About Tea by William Ukers, The Wonderful Story of Tea and Caffeine by Bennet Weinberg

For your convenience, The Tea Treasury's Quick List shows which of our teas are caffeine free.