How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Tea at Home

The world of tea is rich and diverse. I could talk about it endlessly, but here I’ve gathered the essentials – simple tips that will help you prepare truly exceptional tea at home.

Choosing the Right Water

Water quality has a huge impact on the taste of tea – ideally it should be neutral (with a pH around 7). The best choice would be clean spring water, but of course that’s not always accessible. For everyday brewing, I’ve found that filtered tap water is both practical and reliable.

I personally use a Brita filter jug, and it works wonderfully. The water has no strange aftertaste, and my kettle hasn’t developed limescale in years – not even a trace. Since switching to filtered water, I’ve never had to descale my kettle, which feels like magic. Of course, I should mention that I live in Riga (Purvciems district), and water quality may vary depending on where you live.

I’ve also tested several types of bottled spring water, and almost all of them left limescale in my kettle very quickly. Once, I even tried a supposedly “exclusive” spring water – we did a blind taste test with a few friends, comparing it to filtered tap water. The unanimous winner? Filtered tap water.

Tea Brewing Styles

There are countless ways to make tea – some people add sugar, milk, spices, even butter (in the Himalayas, it’s common to add salt and butter). But to truly highlight the character of the tea itself, all you really need is hot water.

There are two main brewing styles:

• Western style – the familiar method of steeping tea in a larger teapot or mug.

• Eastern style (Gong Fu) – often called a tea ceremony, with short, repeated infusions that bring out different layers of flavor and aroma.

Brewing Tea the Western Style

I’ve tried many different teapots and brewing vessels, but my favorite is the simple glass pot you can see in the photo. If you want a quick and fuss-free way to make great tea, this little pot is perfect.

It gives the tea leaves room to expand, the volume (300 ml) is just right to finish at a pleasant drinking temperature, and the built-in strainer makes pouring easy once the tea has steeped. Even though it’s glass and could in theory break, mine have proven very sturdy. I use them daily, and despite the fact that dishes in my home tend to break often, not a single one of these has.

Step by Step

1. Measure the tea leaves.
   For this 300 ml pot, I use about 2–3 grams of tea. If you don’t have a precise scale, don’t worry – just experiment until you find what works for your taste.

2. Add hot water.
   Temperature is crucial: many teas taste better if you don’t use boiling water. If your tea packaging doesn’t specify, 90 °C is a safe place to start experimenting.

3. Let it steep for 2–5 minutes.

4. Pour the tea into another vessel.
   This step is very important – pour out all the tea at once so it doesn’t keep steeping and turn too strong.

   You can pour directly into a mug, but I recommend using fairness cup (you’ll find one in the photos). It keeps the tea warm, allows you to pour a little at a time so it’s always at the perfect drinking temperature, and makes it easy to share with a friend.

   A small extra strainer can also be useful, as tiny leaves sometimes slip past the built-in filter.

5. Enjoy!
   Sip a little at a time. This way the tea is ready to drink right away, and the rest stays warm in the fairness cup until you’re ready for more.

A tea tray isn’t essential for this style, but it’s very handy. It catches stray drips and makes moving all your teaware around much easier.

What If the Tea Doesn’t Taste Right?

Even the best leaves can be spoiled by improper brewing.

• If your tea tastes too bitter or strong, reduce the amount of leaves, lower the water temperature, or shorten the steeping time.

• If it tastes too weak or flat, add a little more leaf.

Don’t be afraid to experiment – your perfect cup might be slightly different from mine, and there’s no single “correct” recipe.

Brewing Tea the Gong Fu Style

This style is not just about making tea – it’s about truly experiencing it. You don’t just taste it, you also smell it, savor it, and pay attention to every nuance.

Unlike the Western method (where you can improvise with almost any mug or teapot), Gong Fu brewing requires some dedicated teaware. And yes, it will demand your full attention – but if you love tea, it’s a deeply rewarding way to spend your time.

For heating water, I recommend a gooseneck kettle that lets you control temperature precisely (Like the Fellow Stagg EKG for example – it’s also available here in Latvia).

At first Gong Fu brewing might feel complicated, because every detail affects the taste, and there are so many possible variations. But once you have the right tools and a bit of practice, it becomes simple – and the tea you get is extraordinary.

What You’ll Need

• A gaiwan or a small teapot (typically around 100 ml; 200 ml is considered large). Yixing clay teapots are highly prized, but for beginners a porcelain gaiwan is ideal.

• A fairness cup for pouring the tea, ideally at least twice the volume of your gaiwan.

• A strainer, very useful for catching fine leaves.

• A tea tray, to catch excess water.

For a 100 ml gaiwan I usually use about 5 grams of tea. A scale is helpful, but you can manage without it. In the picture you can see the approximate amount for different types of tea. If the leaves are large, the gaiwan will be almost full.

Step by Step

1. Warm the gaiwan. Pour in hot water and let it sit briefly, then discard the water.

2. Add the tea leaves and enjoy the aroma.

3. Rinse the leaves. Pour hot water over them and immediately pour it out. (This first rinse isn’t for drinking – it simply wakes up the leaves.)

4. Smell again. The aroma will already have changed, revealing new notes.

5. First infusion. Pour hot water, wait 10–20 seconds, and then decant into the fairness cup. This first steep is ready to enjoy.

6. Repeat. With each infusion, let the tea steep slightly longer.

You can usually re-steep the same leaves 5–10 times, sometimes even more, depending on the tea.

The first infusions can be very strong. For some black teas, even 10 seconds is already too much – don’t be afraid to pour almost immediately. If the tea tastes overpowering, shorten the steeping time or lower the water temperature.

Compared to Western-style brewing, Gong Fu tea is more intense, layered, and nuanced.

Final Thoughts

Although Gong Fu style is relatively new in Europe, it’s gaining popularity rapidly – and for good reason.

The word gong fu can be translated as “skill through effort –  something that requires great skill and discipline .” And that’s exactly what it takes: a little patience and practice. I remember my first attempts – it didn’t turn out perfect, but it was worth every try.

My advice? Don’t get too hung up on grams and seconds. Trust your senses, enjoy the process, and let the tea guide you!

Tea and Caffeine

Tea and Caffeine: Myths, Facts, and How to Control Your Intake

Does White Tea Really Have No Caffeine?

A common myth claims that white tea is caffeine-free or that green tea contains very little caffeine. In reality, all tea that comes from the Camellia sinensis plant contains caffeine.

The Tea Plant – Camellia sinensis

Camellias

Camellia sinensis is a species of the Camellia genus in the tea family (Theaceae). There are over 200 species in the Camellia genus, and thousands of cultivars. Many are grown as ornamental plants, while seeds from a few — including Camellia sinensis — are used to produce edible tea oil.

However, the tea tree oil used in cosmetics comes from a completely different plant — Melaleuca alternifolia, which belongs to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), not the tea plant.

Camellias are evergreen shrubs or small trees that grow best in tropical and subtropical climates. Some varieties can survive temperatures as low as –15°C.

Two Species Used for Tea

Tea is made from two species of the Camellia genus:

• Camellia sinensis (the main one)

• Camellia taliensis (used more rarely)

Camellia taliensis grows in southwestern Yunnan, China, and nearby border regions. While it is a true tea plant, most tea worldwide is made from Camellia sinensis, which is why the word “tea” usually refers to this species.

All True Tea Comes from Camellia sinensis

Black, green, white, yellow, oolong, and dark teas – all are made from the leaves of Camellia sinensis.

Camellia sinensis has several varieties and hybrids, but two are most commonly used for tea – Camellia sinensis var. sinensis and Camellia sinensis var. assamica. They have several hundred cultivars.

Sinensis vs. Assamica – What’s the Difference?

• Camellia sinensis var. sinensis:
   Smaller leaves, more delicate and complex flavors. Grown mainly in cooler, high-altitude regions — most common in China and  Himalaya – Darjeeling and Kalimpong .

• Camellia sinensis var. assamica:
   Larger leaves, bold, full-bodied taste. Prefers warmer, lower-altitude climates. Most commonly grown in India and Sri Lanka — famous for black tea.

Teas made from assamica tend to be more affordable because the plants produce larger yields and are often harvested multiple times a year — up to 8 harvests annually. In contrast, high-mountain teas from the sinensis variety are usually picked only once a year and are considered more premium.

While these two varieties differ, the distinction isn’t always obvious — some sinensis cultivars have larger leaves, and some assamica cultivars have smaller ones. In the end, flavor depends not only on the variety but also on every step of processing — from harvest to your cup.

The names come from their origins:

• Sinensis means “from China”

• Assamica means “from Assam,” a state in India — though some researchers believe assamica may have originated in southwest China.

From Bushes to Ancient Trees

Camellia sinensis most commonly grows as a shrub. In tea gardens, the shrubs are pruned once a year to make harvesting easier. They begin to yield harvests in the third year after planting and remain productive for at least 30 years, and much longer under suitable conditions.

In the wild, however, Camellia sinensis can grow into tall trees and live for hundreds of years. The oldest tea forests are found in Yunnan, China — with trees estimated to be between 100 and 800 years old. Some individual trees are believed to be even older. Leaves from these ancient trees are typically used to produce pu-erh tea. In fact, the age of the tree is directly linked to the tea’s value — the older the tree, the more prized (and more expensive) the resulting tea

In this region, there are also several individual tea trees believed to be around 2,000 years old — the oldest one is said to be 3,200 years old (shown in the photo).  However, this is Camellia taliensis – a species of the Camellia genus mentioned earlier, which is also used to produce tea, though in comparatively smaller quantities.

Where do Tea Plants Grow Today?

The natural growing area of Camellia sinensis is considered to be southwestern China and the surrounding border regions. Nowadays, tea is cultivated in at least 40 countries around the world, even in the United Kingdom – Scotland. Scotland is currently the northernmost location where Camellia sinensis is commercially cultivated.