Perfect tea – don’t leave it to pot luck

Debate has raged for years as to the way to make the perfect cup of tea.  Do you warm the pot or not?  Should the milk go in before or after the tea?  One thing everyone seems to be agreed upon is the water.  Firstly, the water must be fresh, secondly it should be of good quality, and thirdly it must be boiling – not nearly boiling, but 100ºC.  Thanks to Quooker, you can now get this straight from the tap. 

The Dutch were the first to add milk to tea, and to coffee for that matter, but the world has never reached total agreement as to whether it should be added before or after the tea.   Traditionally, the upper classes added it last, after the tea, whereas the less well off put milk in first, as this protected their china from staining.

Perhaps it’s no coincidence that it was also the Dutch who first produced a genuine 100ºC boiling water tap.  In fact, they are still the only ones who do, since other would be imitators produce water at just below boiling point, which isn’t ideal for tea.  Fortunately though, this technology is now available in the UK through Quooker.  This is important for the tea-loving British, as it means that they now have a valuable time-saving short cut to making tea the way it should be made, while saving energy and avoiding water wastage.    

The most informed sources agree that the pot should be warmed; not just because of tradition, but because a cold teapot will absorb some of the heat from the boiling water and reduce its temperature – and water should be a genuine 100ºC hot to produce the finest brew. 

Opinion differs widely about what types of tea to use and whether teabags are truly acceptable, but the basic steps are clear.  First, warm the pot.  If you have a kettle, you’ll have to wait several minutes while you bring it almost to the boil, then you’ll either have to interrupt it just before it boils, or, if you get distracted, you’ll have to let it boil, warm the pot, then re-boil the kettle to make the tea, wasting energy as you do.    

With a Quooker tap, it’s much simpler to make an authentic perfect brew.  Place the empty pot under the tap and pour in some instantaneous boiling water to warm it.  Swirl this around for a few seconds until the pot feels warm, then tip it away.  Add your tea, one teaspoon or bag per cup, and put back under the tap to fill the pot with 100ºC boiling water.  Leave to brew for three to five minutes.  Pour into cups or mugs and add tea, lemon, honey or sugar as desired.

Choosing your tea is a whole other matter of course, but the principles are the same whether you favour Earl Grey, Darjeeling, Assam, green tea or any other variety.  Of course you’ll also then have a whole host of other decisions to make; a biscuit or a cake; a digestive or a Battenberg... 

It makes choosing the Quooker tap look a real no-brainer.