Awhile back, I bought a tin of Vanilla Coconut White Tea from Republic of Tea. I was super-excited about this tea. I love tea. I love coconut. What could possibly go wrong?
Except...this tea, my first white tea, was bitter. Really, really bitter. Every time I made it, it was the same. Bitter, bitter, bitter. Until I myself started feeling a little bitter about having even bought the tea in the first place.
But then I did a little research and learned something: the water I was using to prepare my tea was too hot, and that's what was causing the bitterness. Who knew the temperature of the water mattered? Not me, that's for sure. I always believed that you boil water in your teapot, pour it in the cup with the tea and presto! Tasty hot tea.
Not so much. According to Teavana (my latest discovery and my newest love), "boiling water is too hot for white and green teas and will make them taste bitter. Letting the tea leaves sit for too long in water can also make your tea taste bitter or harsh." Teavana actually has a full chart showing the correct temperatures and times for brewing tea here.
You can either stand around with a thermometer, trying to get the temperatures right, or you can invest in a teapot that does it for you. There's a schmancy Breville teamaker
that will heat the water to the right temperature for you, then gently lower the tea into the water, steeping it for precisely the right time before raising the tea basket again. It's pretty cool, but it's $249.99. The reviews are incredible, but after I thought about my needs, I realized I really only make my tea one cup at a time. I like having a different kind of tea with each cup, and I don't need a fancy teamaker to prepare several cups at once. So I found that my needs could easily be met with the Adagio Utilitea
, which heats your water to whatever temperature is appropriate for the tea you're cookin'.
You can either stand around with a thermometer, trying to get the temperatures right, or you can invest in a teapot that does it for you. There's a schmancy Breville teamaker
that will heat the water to the right temperature for you, then gently lower the tea into the water, steeping it for precisely the right time before raising the tea basket again. It's pretty cool, but it's $249.99. The reviews are incredible, but after I thought about my needs, I realized I really only make my tea one cup at a time. I like having a different kind of tea with each cup, and I don't need a fancy teamaker to prepare several cups at once. So I found that my needs could easily be met with the Adagio Utilitea, which heats your water to whatever temperature is appropriate for the tea you're cookin'.Problem solved. :)
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