6 Steps to the Perfect Cup of Tea
Thanks to my friend Anca Foster, I was up until 3am this morning discussing my ideal method for making a cup of English Breakfast tea, so in between explaining my method and theory behind it to her over Twitter, I sketched out this informative panel to help all of you wannabes …and those weirdos out there who put their milk in after the water.
Why do I put the milk in first? Well, as you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, the tea is already infusing into the milk, which means your cup of tea is ready that little bit sooner. Plus you don’t end up with burnt milk and little floaty bits on the surface.
What’s this got to do with design? Well, just try and see me get some work done without a cup of tea inside me, then you’ll know…
Oh my god. Speechless. That is the perfect way to make an AWFUL cup of tea, and if you served me a cup of tea made in this way I would refuse to drink it. Am I a snob? No. Let me explain why: tea leaves release different flavours depending on what temperature they are brewed at, and for how long. As a rule of thumb, anything that takes the temperature below boiling is bad. So…. putting the tea bag in a cold cup – BAD, putting the milk in before the boiling tea – BAD (this was actually only a step to prevent a type of clay called pig clay from cracking – and assumed you made the tea in a pot!).
For anyone who cares, here’s how to make a perfect cup of tea:
Wait four minutes.
1) use freshly drawn water (not reboiled, and run the tap to clear the pipes)
2) when the kettle is boiled warm the pot (yes, use a POT!) swilling the boiling water round before emptying.
3) use one heaped spoonful of LEAVES (not a bag) per person and pour on boiling water – before it cools!
4) pour a little boiling water into each cup you will drink from (this warms the cup, removes any aftertaste from washing, and provides a way to warm the spoon. Warm the spoon…? Read on….)
5) Warm the spoon in the cup (so you can stir the tea in the pot without cooling it)
6) Stir the tea.
7) Cover with a tea cosy. (you are probably wearing one on your head)
9) Stir again.
10) Empty cups of water and add milk, pour on tea (though a strainer).
THAT is a perfect cup of tea. And if you think it’s a lot of work, you’re probably deserve the kind of girl who slept with you on the first date.
Comment by Nick at 3:47 pm, 21st November, 2008
Haha, thanks Nick. I had a feeling that this post might stir up some controversy (with a warm spoon).
Ok, I’ll hand it to you, that does sound like the perfectionist’s cup of tea, and no doubt tastes better than the stuff I chuck down my throat eight times a day.
But… my attention-grabbing title aside, I did say that this is “my ideal method” — it’s what I’ve grown up with, it’s what keeps me fuelled throughout the day, I still think it tastes bloody nice, and it gets compliments from nearly everyone I’ve made tea for.
If tea drinking was something I did once a day, then I’d probably get myself a teapot and go to this effort, but along with trying to get work done, I’m happy to go with my method that’ll get me a cup done in five minutes.
I appreciate the list, for those who want to make a REALLY proper cup of tea. Not so much the diplomacy, though.
Comment by Rob Barrett at 4:11 pm, 21st November, 2008
Rob-I microwave my tea-you are leaps and bounds ahead of me.
Comment by Tanya at 4:51 pm, 21st November, 2008
Woah Nick , your a little angry there arent you. =] Good and random post Rob =]
Comment by Emily Veras at 5:06 pm, 21st November, 2008
Haha! I caught part of your conversation yesterday on twitter about this. I actually tried your method this morning when I made my tea, though it made me acutely uncomfortable
I love tea, pretty much all tea, iced (a staple here in AZ), plain hot, hot w/ milk, iced with sugar. I don’t do coffee at all but love almost all kinds of tea with milk (except fruity green teas, yuck!) I love the controversy over the “perfect” cup of tea. My perfect cup of tea -> eh, did you say tea? gulp! enough said. 
Comment by Kery Prettyman at 5:17 pm, 21st November, 2008
As a fellow tea drinker who is quite passionate about the particular methods used to make a cup of tea, it never fails to wind me up when I see cold milk being poured straight onto a tea bag.
One day, Rob, you’ll realise the error of your ways.
Comment by Aaron Russell at 5:17 pm, 21st November, 2008
thanks, Rob! i am definitely gonna try your method.
@Nick: at least Rob got a date, unlike you, who probably never got one. how do i know? the anger in your typing gives you away, plus the obsessiveness to details with which you make a cup of tea. seriously…warming the spoon? hahaha! good one!
Comment by Anca at 5:24 pm, 21st November, 2008
Thanks for all the comments, guys! I knew I’d get someone arguing the milk-in-afterwards method
I feel like I should start a campaign!
Tanya: Don’t worry, I’m not above zapping my mug if I’ve left it to get cold! Though I’m sure that’s almost certainly a sacrilege in certain circles!
Anca: See what trouble you’ve gotten me into? Cheers for getting my back!
Comment by Rob Barrett at 5:32 pm, 21st November, 2008
You should blow up your diagram, and sell it for those easily confused like me.
Comment by Pink at 10:25 pm, 21st November, 2008
Tsk… tsk… now I’ve seen a very English way of making tea, lazy way of making tea and now an angry way of making tea.
Now I could start preaching and be fueled by Holy Ghost power to bring down the vengeance of the Tea Gods, however, that would be uncivilized of a tea aficionado like myself – there’s a code.
So I have no other choice to have the inspiration flow through me and write a follow up for a fools guide to making a lovely spot of proper
tea. Second installment will be how to make a well proper chai.
Can you smell what the Rock is steeping?!
This has inspired me to write a follow up…
Comment by Khayyam at 2:41 am, 22nd November, 2008
Thanks, Pink! Actually, I can picture this on a t-shirt. A bit sad, maybe?
Khayyam: Oh man, don’t tell me off as well, this isn’t a guide for silver service
Let me know when you get your riposte written up, I’d love to read it!
Comment by Rob Barrett at 3:01 am, 22nd November, 2008
Rob, daahhling…
I’m simply here to tell you that I’m commending you mate. You’ve percolated a beautiful topic that has sparked a lovely spirit. There is no good tea or bad tea in this discussion or post, rather it’s the possibilities of an experience. I may have described the ways in which these experiences were prepared, that’s all
I think the efforts that you went to and how you were inspired to arrive at writing this is fantastic. This is the perfect how-to guide to make a perfect cup of tea, your cup of tea (that means you… reading this… right now… yes, you) so how could it not be perfect
Looking forward to sharing in the forward progression of the tea movement
Psst… pass it on: Meetings are at the usual spot, at the regular time and the password this week is: Pekoe.
Comment by Khayyam at 5:57 am, 22nd November, 2008
My friend makes tea like this, and everyone says he make a nice cuppa, although I’ve never tried it.
I think I’ll try this now. =]
Oh, and I didn’t know it was burnt milk that gives tea a ‘skin’.
Comment by Paul Davis at 12:21 pm, 11th December, 2008
Khayyam: Cheers again, man
Forgot to comment on here after getting back to you on Twitter. I’m still surprised at the response this post got — it felt like I was talking to people about nothing but tea for a week afterwards!
Paul: Thanks for commenting! Yeah, it has to be burnt milk, can’t see that it’s anything else — I don’t get it when I make tea this way, but on the odd occasion that I forget to put milk in before water, I always end up with the horrible floaty bits.
I like the design of your blog, by the way!
Comment by Rob Barrett at 12:44 pm, 11th December, 2008
I can verify that this is the correct way to prepare a cup of English Breakfast Tea. I have tried all of the various permutations of application of milk, tea, water, and the above mentioned is the best. One of the worst is the opposite of the above: add boiling water to an empty cup, then place the tea bag, and later top of with milk.
Comment by Jameson Williams at 11:00 am, 16th September, 2009
Thanks for getting my back here, Jameson. Glad someone’s seeing sense
Comment by Rob Barrett at 9:42 am, 24th September, 2009
my dad said i made the perfect cuppa x x x
Comment by katie davies at 5:29 pm, 15th November, 2009
yeah, it is good that you put the milk first because sometimes when you put the milk last it is not easy to stir and you get some floating bit in the surface of your tea.
Comment by Chicago Printing at 7:21 pm, 28th February, 2010