Tea for Beginners: Easiest Ways to Make Loose Leaf Tea (Hot and Iced!)
Welcome to a brand new series on my blog! I have been doing “Tea for Beginner” reels on my Instagram for a while now, but I thought it was time to bring it over to the blog since I know many people prefer to read written directions that watch videos.
Today I’m going to be starting with what I consider the basics: how to steep loose leaf tea. Obviously, tea bags are even more basic, but I feel like most people have at least some understanding of how to use those. Loose leaf tea, on the other hand, can seem super intimidating if you’ve never used it (even though it’s totally not!). At the end, I’ll also be sharing some tips on how to make great iced tea.
“Gravity” Steeper
The first way I ever made loose leaf tea is with a gravity-style steeper. I purchased mine from a Teavana store before they went out of business, but lots of tea companies sell them. To use this kind of steeper, you simply add your loose leaf tea to the steeper and fill it with water. You can also add your sweetener right into the steeper, or you can wait until after you dispense it. Let the tea steep for the recommended amount of time (check the chart below), then hold the steeper over your mug or cup and press down gently so the steeped tea dispenses from the bottom. You can even dispense the tea over a cup of ice to make super easy iced tea (more tips on that at the end of the post).
This type of steeper is easy to use and clean, has lots of room for the tea leaves to expand, and is kind of fun to use. The only downside is that it is the largest option listed, so it can take up a lot of room in your cabinet or tea space that you may want to save for other things—like more tea.
Fillable Tea Bags
As I said in the intro, tea bags are the absolute most basic way of making tea. Even as I drink more and more loose leaf tea, I can’t deny the ease and convenience of tea bags. That is why I sometimes put my loose leaf tea into fillable tea bags or sachets. To use, you basically just open the bag up, add your loose leaf tea, cinch the bag closed, and add it to your mug or cup to steep as normal. I still recommend paying attention to water temperature and steeping time, as listed above.
In addition to being easy to use, disposable options of fillable tea bags make for easy clean up. Most are compostable (just like tea leaves) if that’s something important to you, and there are also reusable options if you want to eliminate the waste even more. Additionally, whether you get a package of disposable tea sachets or reusable tea bags, they shouldn’t take up a lot of room in your storage space. However, the small size also means that there is not a lot of room for the tea leaves to expand, so I wouldn’t recommend using tea bags for oolongs or other tightly rolled teas.
Infuser Basket
I don’t know how it took me so long to use an infuser basket, because now it is my favorite method. To use, place the basket in your cup or mug, add the loose leaf tea into the basket, and pour your water on top. Let the tea steep for the recommended amount of time, then remove the basket and enjoy your tea.
The infuser basket has room for tea leaves to expand without taking up too much storage space, making it the perfect compromise method. The baskets are usually a standard size that fits into most mugs and cups, but be aware if you’re using a larger or oddly shaped cup. The only downside to the tea infuser basket is that the little holes can sometimes make it difficult to clean.
Iced Tea Tips
Now that you know how to steep loose leaf tea, you may want to consider making your own iced tea in addition to classic hot tea. As I said above, the gravity steeper is probably the easiest way because you can dispense the steeped tea right over a cup filled with ice. However, you can make tea using any of the above methods, then pour the tea over or add ice. You can even use tea bags to prepare your iced tea pretty much the same way.
It’s important to note that the ice will water down the tea as it melts, so you’ll want to make a tea concentrate. To make the concentrate, add at least double the amount of tea leaves (or tea bags) for the amount of water you’re using, or halve the amount of water. However, you should always steep the tea for the normal amount of time, as over-steeping can make the tea bitter and/or astringent, rather than more concentrated in flavor. An easy way to remember this is “More tea, not time.”
So, What’s the Tea?
If you are looking to start drinking loose leaf tea, these are the three methods that I find the easiest for beginners. As you get more advanced, you can try cupping sets, teapots, and even gaiwans, but the above three options are great places to start. Similarly, you can buy special iced tea pitchers with strainers for the tea leaves if you find yourself making a lot of iced tea, but any of the methods I explained here will do just fine for one or two cups. Even if you do get a fancy pitcher, the steps and tips for iced tea will remain the same.
Up next on the “Tea for Beginners” series is how to make hot and iced tea lattes! If you’re super excited to find out how to make a hot tea latte, you can check out the Instagram reel I’ve already posted about it.
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