The perfect spoonful
A good cup of tea is a function of three things: (1) temperature of water, (2) quantity of tea and (3) infusion time. Measure your tea consistently with these cute little tea and Matcha spoons, perfect for the job.
A few simple rules for making the perfect cup of tea:
Use 1 teaspoon of tea per 150-200 ml of water, i.e. 2 teaspoons for a big mug. Infuse green and white teas in hot water (70-80C) for 2 minutes. Infuse black and herbal teas in boiling water for 3 minutes.
The long story: Green and white teas are the most sensitive, and infusing them in boiling water will burn the leaves and make your tea bitter. Likewise, very long infusion times will make your tea taste bitter, for all tea colours (black, green, white and oolong). The opposite is not great, either: infuse your tea the English average of 40 seconds and there is not enough time to allow the polyphenols, caffeine and aroma compounds to release properly - at least not for the quality whole tea leaves. Short infusion will therefore lead to a disappointing taste and texture. For more detailed guidance on the right infusion for different tea types, see our page on how to make a perfect cup of tea.
