Brewing tea - that's why it's so important to do it right!

 

Brewing is a crucial part of tea preparation - those who master it will be rewarded with a great taste experience!

First of all, it is important to know what is meant by "brewing tea" - in order to understand the process and to recognize which factors must be taken into account in order to prepare the perfect cup of tea.

A little tip in advance: Brewing becomes a fully automatic child's play with a BRU tea machine - individually adjustable & perfect every time!

 

A little alchemy of tea preparation

The brewing process begins, who would have thought, with mixing tea leaves & water. Once the leaves are steeped, i.e., penetrated by the water, a physical process called "diffusion" begins. Essentially, the substances in the tea leaves move from an area of ​​higher concentration (the leaves) to an area of ​​lower concentration (water). The movement continues until equilibrium is reached or the leaves & Water can be separated.

The hotter the water, the more it is enriched with energy and the faster or stronger the diffusion process.

 

Time is crucial

Above all, the right brewing time is crucial to optimally enrich the water with the various aromatic substances from the tea - too short, too watery; too long, too bitter. The same applies to antioxidants, amino acids and caffeine, which make tea so healthy & invigorating!

The tricky thing is that the nutrients and aromas in the tea are released into the water at different rates. The right balance must be found here - letting tea brew for longer leads to a nutrient-rich infusion, but can also be too bitter to enjoy. This is especially true for "real" teas. Fruit and herbal teas can usually be brewed for a very long time without becoming as bitter as green tea, for example.

In order to achieve a perfect infusion, the optimal brewing times for the respective types of tea should be observed. You can simply use our specific time recommendations for this (or experiment yourself to see what you like best ;)) :

Green tea: 2 - 3 minutes

White tea: 2 - 3 minutes

Black tea: 4 - 5 minutes

Oolong tea: 2 - 3 minutes

Herbal tea: 4 - 5 minutes

Yellow tea: 2 - 3 minutes

Pu-Erh tea: 3 - 4 minutes

Rooibos: 2 - 3 minutes

 

Some like it hot

Some teas need hotter water than others due to their production processes. Black tea and herbal teas require the highest temperature to develop their full aroma, while fragrant and delicate white teas benefit from cooler preparation.

It is important to set the water temperature correctly for each type of tea. BRU gives specific temperature recommendations for each of our teas, but you can use the general temperature guide below, along with the times above:

• Green tea: 70 – 85 °C / 158 - 185 °F
• White tea: 70 – 80 °C / 158 - 176 °F
• Black tea: 90 – 100 °C / 194 - 212 °F
• Oolong tea: 70 – 80 °C / 158 - 176 °F
• Herbal tea: 85 – 100 °C / 185 - 212 °F
• Yellow tea: 70 – 85 °C / 158 - 185 °F
• Pu-Erh Tea: 85 – 100 °C / 185 - 212 °F
• Rooibos: 90 – 100 °C / 194 - 212 °F

And the best part is that the BRU tea machine makes the brewing process super easy and efficient - set it once, save it, and make the perfect cup of tea day after day!