Tea for Beginners: Simple Brewing, Teaware, and Temps
Tea for Beginners: A Simple Guide
Tea. There are many kinds of tea, and with that comes many ways to prepare this amazing beverage. This blog is for those who are just starting their tea journey. I hope you can use this as a guide whenever you need a little help.
Like many things in life, tea comes in both good quality and bad quality. The tricky part is you often don’t realize you’ve had bad tea until you’ve experienced the good stuff.
Picture this: you’re at the grocery store, walking down the tea aisle. Something on the shelf catches your eye, so you grab a box, take it home, and dunk a bag into some microwaved water. And you know what? That works fine if it’s all you’ve ever known. But here’s the catch—most tea bags are made from lower-quality, ground-up leaves, sealed in bleached paper that isn’t great for you. On top of that, you often need two or three bags just to get some flavor.
If that works for you, that’s totally okay. But if you’re curious about something that tastes better and is overall better for you, then loose leaf tea is where the journey really begins.
Now, even with loose leaf tea, there’s both good quality and bad quality. So, what makes loose leaf tea good quality? A lot depends on where it’s grown—different regions specialize in different styles. For example, China is famous for producing some of the world’s best green teas, while India is known for outstanding black teas. But it’s not just about location—it’s also about how the tea is grown, harvested, and processed.
We won’t get into all of that here (honestly, it could be a book on its own), but here’s the key point: when you start drinking good quality loose leaf tea from a company that knows what they’re doing—like Tea Trail!—you’ll begin to notice the difference. Over time, your taste will sharpen, and you’ll be able to tell the good from the not-so-good.
Types of Loose Leaf Tea
·Flavored Blends
These are teas blended with added ingredients for taste and aroma. Think of them like cozy, comforting treats in a cup. For example, our Apple Spice, Sweet Bee, Green Bee, and Purple Emperor are crafted to bring out those sweet, dessert-like flavors that feel warm and indulgent.
·Traditional Blends
These are classics like Earl Grey and Masala Chai. They aren’t dessert-like, but they stand strong on their own with bold, distinctive flavors that have been loved for generations.
·Herbal Blends (Tisanes)
Technically, these aren’t “tea” because they don’t contain any actual tea leaves and are usually caffeine free. Instead, they’re made from plant parts like flowers (chamomile), roots (valerian), herbs (mint), or spices (cinnamon). In America, most people still just call them tea.
·Chinese Teas
This is where the world of tea gets deep. Tea originated in China, and for them, it’s more than just a drink—it’s culture, tradition, and even art. The Chinese often drink tea in its purest form.
All true teas come from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis bush, and they’re divided into six main categories:
·White tea – The least processed, made from young leaves, offering a delicate and sweet flavor.
·Green tea – Minimally oxidized, known for its fresh, grassy profile.
·Yellow tea – A rare tea with a unique “sweating” process that gives it a mild, smooth sweetness.
·Oolong tea – Partially oxidized, sitting between green and black teas, with rich, complex flavors.
·Black tea – Fully oxidized, producing a bold flavor and dark color.
·Dark tea (Pu’er) – A fermented and often aged tea, famous for its earthy, grounding character.
Each of these categories can vary widely depending on harvest season, climate, region, and altitude—it’s truly a science, and the Chinese have mastered it over thousands of years.
I won’t dive too deep into Chinese teas here (that could be its own book!), but I wanted to give you a solid starting point so you know the basics before we move on.
Brewing Tea: Western vs. Gongfu
Okay, so now you have some basic knowledge of loose leaf tea. Maybe you’ve even picked some up (hopefully from us at Tea Trail!)—but now you’re looking at the leaves thinking, uhhh… how do I make this?
There are a few different ways to brew tea, and we’ll start with teaware from easy to more complex. The easier ways are usually called Western style (basically how most Americans brew tea). Then there’s Gongfu style, the traditional Chinese way of making tea. There are even other methods, like “grandpa style,” but for now, let’s focus on Western and Gongfu.
Note: For Western style, you usually only need about 2 grams of tea per cup (around 2 teaspoons). For Gongfu, I use about 5 grams. If you’re a little OCD like me, you can buy a kitchen scale to weigh your tea, but teaspoons work just fine.
Easy: DIY Fillable Tea Bags
At Tea Trail, we sell DIY fillable tea bags in packs of 20. They’re simple to use—just add your loose leaves, pull the string to seal, put the bag in your cup, pour in hot water, and you’re ready to brew.
Our tea bags are a little larger than standard ones, giving the leaves more room to expand. When tea leaves can fully open, the water reaches more of the leaf, creating a richer flavor and aroma while keeping bitterness away. Plus, our bags are made from 100% natural, unbleached wood pulp paper, so they’re safe and eco-friendly.
Easy: Tea Infusers
There are so many types of tea infusers—it’s insane. Some are simple, while others look like animals, flowers, or people. They’re usually made from metal or silicone, but all work the same way: open the infuser, add your tea, close it, drop it in your cup, and add water.
If you use one of these, I recommend getting one with very small holes, like a mesh infuser, so you don’t end up with leaf particles in your cup. If you do, no worries—it’s harmless. But personally, I prefer a smooth, particle-free brew.
Medium: Two-Part Cup
If you’ve seen my recent tea videos, you’ve probably noticed the cup I’m using—and I love this thing. It’s a two-part design: the bottom is the cup, and the top is a built-in infuser. You add your tea leaves to the top, fill with water up to the max line, let it steep, then press the button so the brewed tea drains into your cup.
It’s awesome for traveling or using at home. Some reviewers don’t love it, but for me, it’s one of my favorite ways to brew. I’d still say it’s easy, but for beginners it might feel a little more advanced—so I’m calling it medium.
Medium: Teapots and Cups with Infusers
Another option is a teapot or cup with a removable infuser. You add your tea leaves to the basket, steep, then lift the infuser out when you’re done.
It’s simple and effective, though not my personal favorite. Still, it’s worth trying—you might find it’s the brewing style you like best.
Slightly Complex: Glass Teapot with Porcelain Strainer
This is how I used to brew before I got my new cup. I used a glass teapot because I like watching the leaves steep. I wouldn’t heat water directly in it—instead, I’d boil water in a kettle, pour it over the leaves in the teapot, and let them steep. Once it was ready, I’d pour the tea through a porcelain strainer over my cup to catch any fine particles.
It’s a great way to brew, but it requires more teaware, which makes it a little more complex.
Complex: Gongfu Style
Now let’s talk Gongfu. We’re not going to cover the full Gongfu ceremony here (that’s a whole blog of its own), but I’ll give you the basics. Gongfu brewing uses a gaiwan—a small Chinese brewing cup, usually around 6 ounces or less.
Here’s how it works: you add tea to the gaiwan, pour hot water over the leaves, and then pour that brewed tea into a sharing pitcher (a fairness cup) before finally pouring into small tasting cups. Unlike Western style, which uses fewer leaves, more water, and longer steeping times, Gongfu uses more tea, less water, and much shorter steeps.
The idea is to bring out layer after layer of flavor in multiple infusions. It’s a slower, more mindful way of brewing—almost like a ritual.
Water Temperatures, Steeping Times & Kettles
This part is very important. To me, it’s critical—getting water temperature and steeping time right can make or break a good cup of tea. Different teas need different water temps and steep times. Some experienced tea drinkers or even Google may debate these numbers, but I’ve been drinking tea for a long time and tested a lot of teas. These are my personal recommendations:
·Black Tea: 206°F for 4 minutes
·White Tea: 175°F for 2 ½ minutes
·Green Tea: 160°F for 2 minutes
·Yellow Tea: 170°F for 2 ½ minutes
·Oolong Tea: 175°F for 3 minutes
·Dark Tea (Pu’er): 212°F for 5 minutes
·Herbal Blends (Tisanes): 212°F for 15–30 minutes
·Flavored Blends: Brew according to the base tea (black, green, white, etc.). If it’s a mix (like black + green), always brew at the lower temperature.
Kettles:
If you can afford it, I recommend getting an electric kettle with a built-in temperature gauge. They’re a little pricey (around $60), but if you’re serious about tea, they save a ton of time. They heat quickly and can even hold your set temperature. I use the Intasting electric kettle, and I absolutely love it—it honestly changed my tea life.
If that’s out of budget, a regular electric kettle or even a classic whistling kettle works fine. Just grab a food thermometer to check your water temperature, and you’re good to go.
Final Thoughts
Well, I hope this guide helped you a bit if you’re new to your tea journey. I honestly tried to keep this short and informative, but it turned out longer than expected—and this is me not going into full depth! I could probably write a whole textbook on the plant and beverage I love so much.
If you’re thirsty for more (pun intended), keep an eye out for my future blogs. I hope this journey along the Tea Trail gave you some helpful information. And remember—I’m always here to help if you have any questions!