Read on if you’re a tea enthusiast and would like to set up a ‘tea station’ at home…
Henry James wrote in his classic novel, The Portrait of a Lady, that ‘there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.’ And if you’re a fan of tea, you would undoubtedly agree with his sentiments.
Tea is has become incredibly stylish and today’s tea shops and homeware stores are flooded with must-have brewing gadgets – from funky infusers, strainers, tea thermometers and tea presses, to bamboo spoons, double-walled cups and teapots made of clay, cast iron, glass or stainless steel.
If you’re new to tea, it’s hard to know which of these gadgets you actually need, so here’s a short-and-sweet ‘beginners’ list:
1) Something to make the water hot
2) A cup or mug
3) Good tea
Seriously, that’s it. Tea doesn’t need special equipment to taste great, plus the more money you save on brewing tools, the more you’ll have to spend on quality tea!
That said however, if you’d like to create a truly indulgent tea station at home, you may want to succumb to a few of the gadgets and pretty teapots in honour of ‘all things tea’! It’s entirely up to you. Here are a few pointers…
Creating a tea station
To enjoy your tea station all-year round, choose a little nook in your kitchen, dining room or living room – basically anywhere that’s out of the way but still convenient enough to brew a quick pot. For instance, you can turn a tall, empty cabinet into a built-in beverage station, with shelves to store your tea, cups, teapots, perhaps a drawer for teaspoons, infusers and strainers (for loose teas), etc. If you own beautiful cups and teapots though, rather leave them out in the open for everyone to admire. One way to do this is to mount a shelf or two on the wall above the tea station to display your cups, collection of teapots, labelled canisters of tea and sugar, etc. Of course you also need access to a plug point to boil water. A clever way to have a tea station on the go is to set up a ‘tea trolley’ using a repurposed drinks cart.
Ultimately your tea station should be a reflection of your tastes and personality – from your choice of storage containers, to your accessories. The beauty of many tea brands today is that they come in such exquisite tins. And who can resist a wooden or glass tea box, with multiple compartments for you to organise all the different flavours you love.
Rules for storing tea
When it comes to organising and storing your tea, keep the following in mind:
Keep tea free from oxygen – This is easier said than done when opening and closing the container keeps letting oxygen in, but tea leaves will continue to oxidise over time with exposure to oxygen.
Keep tea away from moisture – Tea leaves release their flavour when exposed to moisture, so an airtight storage container is what you need to keep moisture out.
Keep tea away from strong odours – Tea leaves absorb scents from their surroundings, so you should store your tea containers in a place free from strong smells, plus the containers themselves must be free of strong odours (certain wooden containers, tins with rubber seals and plastic containers can all leave your tea with an unpleasant smell and flavour).
Tea is best stored in larger quantities – An almost empty, airtight container with a little bit of tea in the bottom will deteriorate faster than one completely full of tea. So fill the container as much as possible to keep your tea fresher for longer.
More hints and tips:
• Most infusers have a mesh-like basket that you put the loose leaves in, close it, and then drop into hot water. The infuser then allows the water to seep through and make your tea. The problem with most of the small, ball-shaped infusers is that they don’t give the leaves enough room to do their thing. A tea infuser packed to the brim with wet leaves won’t deliver the full flavour that a tea has to offer. Keep this in mind when you’re buying one.
• A quirky timer at your tea station will ensure you never over-steep. Allow loose tea to brew in a teapot for up to 7 minutes. The general rule is: the larger the leaf, the longer the brewing time. A smaller-leaf tea will only need about 4 minutes. As for teabags, allow them to brew for between 2 and 3 minutes.
• One teaspoon of loose tea per person and one teaspoon for the pot is about right, but add as much or as little to make it to the strength you like.
• Use a pair of tea tongs for squeezing that little bit of extra flavour from a tea bag.
• Some people believe that sugar masks the flavours in tea. Try a fruit tea if you prefer a sweeter taste.
What are your tea ‘rituals’? Share them with us…
Additional sources: Twinings.com and Worldoftea.org
Image by iStock
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