filling up the kettle

Ah yes… my secret to a good pot of tea! (well it won’t be a secret now!)

First thing I do, as you can see in the photo above, I fill my tea kettle with fresh, cold water. If you have water left over in your kettle from another batch, pour it out and fill it up with fresh water. By making sure that the water is fresh and cold you are preparing for a great pot of tea!

fire!

Next, turn on the heat! If you do not have a kettle, I would encourage you to invest in one – they are so helpful in whistling when your water is boiling (and plus they look so cute on your stove!).

warming the teapot

This next step is a secret not many tea-makers know (or remember). When your water is finished boiling, pour a little of it in your clean teapot and swirl the hot water around to gently heat up the teapot. This will not only prepare your teapot and prevent harmful cracks or breaks, but also will keep your tea hot for longer periods of time.

pouring the water

After you pour out the hot water to warm your teapot, place your selected teabags inside your teapot and fill with boiling water. The tea used here is my favorite – English Breakfast.

let it steep

And let it steep! Steeping times vary from tea to tea, so you can check the back of the teabag for specific times or test the tea every minute or so for the desired flavor. For this tea (English Breakfast) I let it steep for about 4-5 minutes. Try no to forget the time (like I usually do) or your tea will taste bitter and loose it’s original great flavor.

remove teabags

Remove the teabags after the desired time has passed and stir your tea.

a perfect pot of tea

And there we have the perfect pot of tea, ready to enjoy alone or in the company of friends.

I hope this was helpful and that you make a perfect pot of tea soon!

(Thank you Carley for your assistance in taking the great pictures used above!)