How to make a British cup of tea. ☕
These are my instructions for making the right cup of tea (using an English tea bag). There are no nice teacups, only cups.
Hopefully, when you reach the lowest point, you will know how to make a "proper" cup of tea. entea will explain at the end of the post.
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I've recently released a lot of Italian recipes, so I'll make some English changes. Since it's rainy weather in Birmingham (we don't have a lot), it's also the perfect day.
Step by Step
- Boiling water
- Warm teapot
- Pour the tea bag and water into the pan.
- If so, use tea.
- Soak the tea for at least 3 minutes.
- Pour in the tea and, if necessary, add the milk and/or sugar.
British Tea Bags
I'll "right" draw quotation marks, because this is how I make a version of the right cup of tea. Of course, this is not a "proper" tea made from loose-leaf tea. If you don't like to do something, what's the point? In England, they say each person puts a tea bag and then "puts a teapot". But I think it's too powerful for most people in america who are used to light tea.
If you're using British-branded tea, which is stronger and more flavorful than most American tea brands, you might just want to use one tea bag per person. I like to import daily teas from the UK with Ty-phoo and PG Tips (I buy them on Amazon).
For a 32-ounce pot, three tea bags (not fully packed with edges) (about 4 cups of tea) are perfect for my family, but if you decide to try it, try it and see if you prefer it, and adjust it accordingly.
How to Make a Proper british Cup of Tea
First of all, use loose-leaf tea to make a proper cup of tea, but most of us don't have time, two or three times a day.
So this is aimed at American families accustomed to lipton tea bags that put hot water in cups. It's going to be a big flavor change for you.
You need hotest water
First, boil the water, but don't keep it boiling. Bring it away from the oven immediately after boiling. We want tea to inject the taste of tea into the water, and mild or hot water will not work like boiling water. I use the electric kettle because we make a lot of tea. (I do not recommend using an electric kettle that does not turn off automatically.)
You will also need a good teapot, preferably a British-made teapot (where they know their tea).
Warm the teapot
When the kettle is about to boil, put some water in the pan just to heat the teapot. Put the kettle back on the stove so that it boils completely. Rotate the hot water around the pan and drain it. Make sure you have a tea bag ready.
Let the tea bag into the teapot and pour the boiling water into the teapot
When the water is just boiling, put the tea bag in the teapot and immediately pour the water into the teapot.
Steep the Tea
Soak the tea for about 3 to 5 minutes, and the longer you soak, the more intense it will be.
Pour Tea
It's time to pour tea.
Add milk and/or sugar (I just add milk). The debate over whole milk or tea used to be the first use of milk to protect porcelain from cracking, so that's no longer the reason. I think it's a personal preference. I like to add milk later so that I can better control the ratio of milk to tea.
Now, enjoy the british cup of tea.