How to Make a Good Cup of Tea

Co-authored by Katie Hake RDN, LD

Last Updated: December 8, 2024

Trying to make the perfect cuppa? This wikihow article will teach you proper brew times for different types of tea, how long to mash for, and whether or not to add milk so you can make the perfect cup of tea every time.

Tea Brew Times
Type of Tea	Brew Time
Green Tea	about 1 minute
Black Tea	3-6 minutes
Oolong Teas	6-8 minutes
Herbal Teas	8-12 minutes

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Setting Up

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Whether you use bags or loose tea, water is the second most important ingredient. Off tastes in your water, such as chlorine, iron, or sulfur will make your tea noxious to smell and drink. Fill an empty kettle with 1 cup (250ml) fresh, cold water. Tap water is acceptable for most purposes, but a truly great cup of tea starts with filtered water or spring water. Never use distilled water, or previously-boiled water. The more oxygen in your water, the better the tea will taste.^{[1]
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If you don't have an electric kettle, you can use a stovetop tea kettle—as long as it lets you get the water hot, it's good.

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Bring the water to a boil. Wait until the kettle switches off automatically or your tea kettle whistles.
- Optional: Wait for the water to cool off. Some teas are steeped with boiling water, while some are steeped in water that's slightly cooler. Experiment with your tea to find what works best.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Steeping

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1
Place the tea bag or loose tea into the cup. If using loose tea, spoon in 1 teaspoon per cup. You can also use a tea ball, or an infuser, but use the same amount of tea.^{[2]
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- If milk is desired, add into the cup. Some believe adding milk before the hot water is best, others feel tea brews best in hot water, and don't add milk until the tea is done steeping.
Pour water from the kettle into the cup until 4/5th full. Leave room for milk, if you wish to add that.
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Let steep. Wait for three to five minutes to let tea steep—more or less depending on the type of tea you are making, and the recommended brewing time.^{[3]
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- About one minute for green tea.
- Three to six minutes for black tea.
- Six to eight minutes for Oolong teas
- Eight to twelve minutes for herbal teas.
- Note: if you like stronger tea, don't steep longer—add more tea, instead.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Serving

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1
Use a teaspoon to remove the tea bag. Discard it, or recycle it, as desired.
- If sweetener is desired, place a spoon of sugar or honey into the cup and stir thoroughly.
You might like to add some biscuits or a piece of cake on a plate with your tea.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I successfully make tea with milk instead of water?

Community Answer

Sure, but many people prefer adding milk in afterwards! Just bring it to a boil like you would when making hot cocoa. Chai tea is especially good when made with milk :)

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Can I make tea without a kettle?

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Yes. You can either microwave a cup of water until it boils or boil water in a sauce pan.

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Which tea is better, milk tea or lemon tea?

Community Answer

Whether you add milk or lemon (or nothing at all) depends on the type of tea and your personal preference. Indian chai tea is normally made with milk and lemon wouldn't really go well with it, while Earl Grey tea goes better with lemon (at least in my opinion, there are people whose opinions differ in that regard).

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Tips

You can also heat water on the stove using a saucepan or an old-fashioned tea kettle. The tea kettle should make that familiar high pitched whistling noise when the water is boiling.

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Try varying the time that you allow the tea to steep before you add the milk.

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By pouring the tea on top of the tea bags slowly, most of the water will run though the bag, reducing the time needed to brew.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Never squeeze the water out of a teabag as you remove it. This can make the tea bitter!
I add 1/4 cup of cream and 3 teaspoons of sugar for a perfect cup of tea.

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Warnings

Mixing milk and lemon in your tea can cause the milk to curdle.

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Taste carefully! Not only is it painful to burn your mouth, but it also damages your taste buds, making it more difficult to enjoy the tea.

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Don't use too much sugar or honey if you are diabetic. Try products like Agave Nectar instead. It lowers glycemic value and tastes great on your tea.

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Don't let your tea get too cold!

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Don't stew tea in an electric kettle.

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Pour the water from the kettle carefully—the steam may burn you.

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If you are drinking the tea for health purposes—like for EGCG intake—do not use milk, as the casein it contains binds to the EGCG. If one desires a milky or creamy flavor, use soy, almond, wheat, or other substitute milk instead of milk derived from an animal.

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