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Welcome back to beyond the bag. One of the most common questions I get asked by newcomers to loose leaf teas is how to steep them well. So today I am going to show you 4 different ways to make amazing loose leaf tea. Stay tuned to the end for my personal favorite method. By the end of this video, you will be steeping like a pro! Let's jump right in.
We are going to start off with a classic, the teapot. Most modern teapots like this one from IKEA come with a metal or plastic infuser which makes them quite easy to use. Simply, place the infuser into the teapot and add the loose leaf tea of your choice. Here we are using a light Ceylon black tea. Once the tea is in the infuser follow up by filling the teapot with hot water and allow to sit for the recommended steeping time. And thanks to the magic of editing, we now have a wonderful cup of tea. Now, if your teapot doesn't have an infuser don't despair. All you need is a tea strainer to keep the leaves in check. This is also quite easy to use. Simply pour the tea straight into the pot with no containment device and follow up with some hot water. Again were going to let this steep for the recommended amount of time. As you can see the tea leaves are swirling around quite freely. And again thanks to the magic of editing were going to jump ahead a few min to once the tea has finished steeping. Now, to serve. Take your mug or teacup and place the tea strainer on top. Simply pour the tea through the strainer into the cup. The leaves get caught in the strainer and the tasty tea passes right on thru. Tea pots are a great way to steep multiple cups of tea but if you are making a single serving there are more elegant options as we will soon see.
Now if you have been around my channel for a while you have probably seen me use one of these. This is a tea ball. A metal mesh ball that splits open. Think of them as a reusable tea bag. To use, load whatever kind of loose-leaf you like into the ball and close it with the clasp. Place the tea ball in a cup or mug and add hot water. Tea balls are ideal for making single servings but unless you are using multiple ones they struggle to be big enough for a larger volume. However, they are still a must-have for any tea lover's collection.
This next one might be a bit of a shocker, but the french press is amazing for making loose leaf tea. It is comprised of a glass or plastic cylinder and a special lid with a mesh plunger. The plunger moves up and down on a rod that runs out the top of the lid. The fine mesh of the plunger can filter out coffee or tea with excellent precision. There is also a rubber ring around the outside of the plunger head that forms a seal around the interior of the cylinder. Much like a teapot without an infuser, to use add the loose tea of your choice to the cylinder before dousing in hot water. Place the lid on with the handle pulled all the way up. Allow the tea to swirl and steep for the recommended amount of time. Once you are ready to serve, press down on the rod. As the plunger descends to the bottom of the vessel, the leaves get trapped and the tea is left on top. From there the tea is ready to be served straight from the french press. It is a pretty satisfying pour. One of the advantages of a french press is you can dial in how much tea you want to make by adding more or less water. This makes it quite flexible and versatile. I would highly recommend giving it a try. It is an easy elegant way to make great tea.
Lastly, we have tea filters. These are paper bags that can be filled with loose tea for steeping. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. there are a few different designs. To use one with an open pocket, fill it with tea, and then place it in a cup or mug. I put the opening towards the rim and fold the extra over the side. Follow up with some hot water. If the filter falls off the edge make sure to put it back up. Let that steep for the recommended steeping time. Tea filters come in lots of different sizes which make them useful for steeping almost any amount of tea. Also, there are some with drawstrings that are even easier to use. After loading the tea, simply pull the string to keep closed and you are good to go. Also with tea filters, clean-up is super easy. Simply take out the filter after steeping and the entire thing is bio-degradable and can even be composed. Super easy and guilt-free. All of this comes together to make them my go-to way to make tea. I hope you will give them a try.
And there you have it! 4 easy ways to get you steeping like a pro! These methods will serve you no matter what exciting part of the loose leaf tea world you are exploring. I am curious what are your favorite ways to make tea or what methods are you excited to try. Let me know in the comments below.