Tools, Tips, Time, & Temperatures: A General Brewing Guide

Tools

Let’s talk about the tools you can use to brew the perfect cup of tea. You can use an infuser, filter bag, or French press. 

The Infuser

Infusers are used with loose-leaf tea and are placed for steeping or brewing tea. Depending on the infuser, they can be used for a single cup or a teapot. We offer infusers that can brew from 1 cup to a small teapot. With infusers, you place the loose-leaf tea inside and steep in your tea of choice.

Tea Filter Bags

Tea Filter Bags are used much like a regular tea bag. The main difference is they provide more room for the tea to unfurl and expand as it steeps in hot water. Simply, place a teaspoon of your favorite loose-leaf tea in the bag and then place in your cup, just like you would a traditional tea bag. Pour hot water and steep for the appropriate time based on the tea you are using. They are disposable and perfect for brewing one teacup at a time.

French Press

Yes, your read that correctly. You can use your home French Press to brew tea.  

Tips

Warm your tea pot or teacup before you start brewing. Pour hot water into your cup or teacup, swirl it around and pour it out. Starting with this technique helps your tea stay hot throughout the entire brewing process.

Water is everything. Use freshly drawn filtered water. Never use reheated water. Did you know that Ph levels in your water make a difference in taste? You can find water with Ph levels between 6-8 which is optimal for brewing. For example, Smart, Voss, and Fiji water all fall in the ranges of 6-8 which is the ideal Ph range for great tasting water.

Time & Temperature

Steeping time and temperature may vary from tea to tea. Black, fruit tisanes, herbal, and rooibos tea can be brewed at higher temperatures. But even at higher temperatures, their steeping times can vary. White and green teas are brewed at a lower temperature and Oolong falls between high and low. Refer to the brewing guide for temperatures and steep times for the specific amount and type of tea.

Cold Teas

Brewing for cold teas is simple and easy. You don’t really need any fancy equipment. Check out our blogs on Cold Brew Tea, Iced Tea, and even the delicious yet controversial Sun Tea. It doesn’t matter if you prefer hot or cold drinks. Tea offers something for everyone!


Written By:

Matt Kellso

I started this business as a way to subsidize my hobby in 2012. I had just bought an expensive ‘home’ roaster and needed to justify the cost. I combined my love of coffee with my background in web design, marketing, and Industrial Engineering to try to make an online coffee roasting business happen. I was born in Michigan and have two U of M parents, but spent his childhood in South Carolina. When I was about 10 I moved to Tempe, Arizona, and have been in the Tempe / Chandler area ever since. I love the east valley but hate the heat, which makes the summers a test of patience. I graduated from Arizona State University with an Industrial Engineering degree and spent the first decade of my career at Intel doing anything from process improvement projects to forecasting to RFID consulting. I moved on from there to spend the next 15 years at Spencer's TV & Appliance doing much of the same things. In April of 2020 I finally stepped away from Spencer’s TV to focus on Sagebrush full-time. After we learned to manage the rush of online orders that COVID brought, we moved to a larger production facility and focused on opening our coffee shop. The last few years have also given me an opportunity to nurture international relationships in sourcing our coffees. I love the coffee industry, I love the community of local shops, the camaraderie of local micro-communities of a single shop, learning and educating on the industry. But nothing brings me more joy in my work than talking to a farmer about their coffee and how our little business in Chandler is thriving because they’ve dedicated their life to the pit of a coffee cherry. When I’m not at Sagebrush I’m probably meeting with someone from our Church (Grace Bible Church in Tempe) where I’m a pastor, reading or vacationing with family which includes exploring coffee shops.

@ndlman