How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea

Want to know more about how to brew the perfect pot of loose leaf tea? Find out more about loose leaf tea here: bit.ly/2OlbZoY
Find out more about the Chelsea Teapot: bit.ly/2F0hwlw
Find out more about English Rose Back Tea: bit.ly/2zmZCmR
There’s a common misconception that making loose leaf tea is really arduous but actually with the right equipment it's incredibly simple and much better for the environment.
Today, I’m going to use our Chelsea teapot. Its made of glass so you can really see what’s going on inside as the tea steeps
I’m going to make our English Rose which is a black tea blend with rose buds.
Now depending what type of tea, you want to make you need to adjust the temperature of the water and the amount of leaf that you use.
Don’t worry, our packaging all has specific instructions on it.
In general, you want to use freshly boiled water for black teas and puerh tea and fruit and herbal infusions.
For white, green and yellow teas you use 80-degree water. They are more delicate and using freshly boiled water will burn the leaf and make the flavour slightly bitter.
Black tea is best with one spoon per person and this teapot is quite big so I’m using two and I’m going to use freshly boiled water.
Again, black tea and fruit and herbal infusions are best with freshly boiled water. The higher temperature pulls out a lot of the colour from the leaf and also flavours that work well with milk if you’re drinking a black tea, so it pulls out polyphenols, caffeine and catechins.
The average steeping time in Britain is 3.5 seconds and that is just not long enough for the really lovely complex flavours of tea to come through. So, you do have to be patient with loose leaf.
You also do not want to squash tea leaves. many people squash the bag against the side of the cup to make it infuse quicker. But this is a terrible thing to do to tea as it pulls out all the tannings and the bitter flavour compounds that you just don’t want in your tea.
One of the major benefits with loose leaf teas when you get a good quality blend is that you can steep it several times.
So black tea and fruit and herbal we recommend one or two steeps but green tea, puerh, oolong tea are all fantastic for three or four.
Now all that’s left is to pour and you’ve got that beautiful infusion. Black tea just gives a little bit longer if you want to add milk but otherwise, this kind of colour is perfect, and you can enjoy your tea
If you’d like to learn more about loose leaf tea go to 'whittard.co.uk' or click in the link in the description.

[@westlisbon6307]

She has a British accent. I believe her.

[@MochiTea012]

😂😂

[@summersinanan5739]

😂

[@summersinanan5739]

@@dariowiter3078 calm down its tea not human rights jeez 😂

[@idky2685]

There’s no such thing as a British accent

[@z3r0_The_Hero]

@@dariowiter3078 y u med

[@return2earthvideochannel]

Well presented - concise, no nonsense.

[@magus104]

maybe too much so? "average steep time is 3 seconds... thats not long enough, you need to be patient" ok..... so 3 minutes? 30 minutes? how long?!?!?

[@return2earthvideochannel]

@@magus104 What exactly is your point? The presenter said clearly their teas come with instructions. Your silly ?!'s don't add anything to the debate.

[@paulhornsey-pennell1931]

@@return2earthvideochannel there's a debate?

[@FireBird7766]

3-5s second steep? Who the hell is making tea like that? It takes me at least 20s to find the teaspoon in the draw, and usually leave my brew for several minutes at least.

[@finnerickson2364]

Did she mean 3.5 minutes?

[@anamariamariut3815]

She was definitely referring to teabags, but I work in a Whittard Tea Bar and I've seen people steep their loose tea for less than one minute thinking it was a teabag... Needless to say they regret it almost immediately and put their loose tea back in the pot for a few more minutes.

[@numbat0072]

3.5 secs' ! she MUST be referring to tea bags ( why didn't she say so ? ) , she also neglected to say - how long tea shud be steeped for & the ratio of tea to water . all together a poor video that left out several important points .

[@mattnichols2160]

I bought a teapot with an infuser can I boil the water in the pot then put my infuser filled with loose leaves in the pot? Or does it have to be poured over the loose leaves?

[@ashleycalhoun1824]

@@mattnichols2160 Some pots aren't meant to be boiled, they're purely for infusing. Even if it can be, I would recommend pouring boiling water from a separate kettle onto the leaves. I've tried both, and I've found the steeping to be dramatically improved by pouring water over the leaves. Lot more flavour with similar brew times.

[@UnicornQueenJillyBean]

This video was very helpful. Just made my first cup of loose leaf tea. ☕

[@timojissink4715]

I have not once tried milk in my tea, perhaps I should try but I do love the pure taste.

[@apuapustaja1958]

it makes watery bad tea less awful and strong tea less bitter.

[@bigdoggetom6549]

@@apuapustaja1958 I agree it makes over-brewed tea (especially bagged tea) less bitter, but milk in weak tea is horrible. You know when someone asks if you want a cuppa and then they come out with this pale, anaemic bullshit where they've dipped a teabag and topped the mug to the brim with milk? Horrendous

[@Sergei_Ivanovich_Mosin]

I've always considered milk to be something that belongs in coffee but absolutely nowhere near tea, dunno why

[@greenaesthetic6387]

@@Sergei_Ivanovich_Mosin same

[@SS4Xani]

@@Sergei_Ivanovich_Mosin Same unless you're drinking milk tea which is an entirely different drink altogether. Or Chai.

[@SS4Xani]

I apparently like my tea very strong because I use 2tbsp of leaves per pot. The tea ends up becoming a beautiful rich brown color I would compare to a decent whiskey or almost coffee.

[@dariowiter3078]

Fantastic video! Very to the point and very clear instructions. ☕ 😁

[@j2shoes288]

Average time is 3.5 secs, but you to leave it for longer. That's very informative!!!!!!

[@tyrese5089]

I think she meant 3 minutes and a half seconds.

[@SS4Xani]

I had my wife buy me this teapot for my birthday this year. I love it! It's more tedious than using a microwave but the overall product tastes better. My only concern is how to easily rinse out the infuser without having to dig out the tea leaves?

[@caitlindowney2843]

Using a microwave? To do what, it's tea????

[@SS4Xani]

@@caitlindowney2843 To heat the water. Lol. No worries.

[@caitlindowney2843]

@SS4Xanatos I've never considered somebody wouldn't use a kettle 😭 I apologise the British in me couldn't handle the idea of using a microwave.

[@SS4Xani]

@@caitlindowney2843 To be fair I never had a kettle.

[@dwells3536]

@@caitlindowney2843 putting a mug of water in a microwave for a couple minutes and then throwing a teabag in it is the American way of making tea lol. I got a teapot and a kettle a couple years ago though so I’ve been making it right since then, it’s a lot better

[@PaddyFeen]

oh yeah its tea time bitches

[@Masterr59]

I'm really new to tea but have all this equipment now. What I'm trying to figure out is it okay to leave the leaves in the warm water since it's no longer boiling. I will leave my kettle over the tea light to keep it warm and sip on it for a few hours and I think it looks weird taking out the infuser.

[@johnsanderson9448]

You definitely should remove the infuser. The whole point is to extract as much flavour and as little bitterness and tannons. If you leave the leaves in the water, all that bitterness will also come out and they will be ruined for future infusions. Remember, with quality loose leaves, you can re-infuse them 10 sometimes even 15 times! So, after you've finished brewing, take out the infuser and I suggest you put the leaves on a kitchen towel and leave in a dry, odourless place. When they're dry you can seal them in a bag or container and use again later.

[@Masterr59]

@@johnsanderson9448 It seems like there is conflicting advice though. One article I read said drying the leaves after using them is actually bad.

[@johnsanderson9448]

@@Masterr59 Why would it be bad? It's not like you're blasting them with a hairdryer, you're just laying them out and they airdry on their own. Leaving them in water makes no sense. Think of it this way, any time the leaves touch water, there's a chemical reaction happening. Your goal is to let it happen just enough to get the flavour out. After that, you have to stop the chemical reaction, meaning you should remove the water and let the leaves be.

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

@@johnsanderson9448 Nonsense. You never do all that just to reuse tea leaves. You have your designated teatime (like your afternoon half hour break or so), you steep the tea to the appropriate time (5 minutes) and you pour. Enjoy your conversation, your clotted cream and scones, your cup, your TEATIME. Then toss the leaves and put your tea set away for cleaning. You should have only used just enough water (more or less) for the cups you meant to brew. If you want to save leaves for re-steeps (not all teas work for that) just pour the last drops of the first infusion out and keep the leaves in the pot. They won't go bad, just don't keep them overnight. Where I'm from, nobody re-steeps tea. We toss after the first infusion (black teas never taste that good with the 2nd infusion). It's not a waste, we use it as fertilizer or compost. Greens we can re-steep, but similarly you just keep the leaves in the pot until you need to drink again.

[@_YohAsakura_]

Thanks for the video

[@mikel488]

Why everytime i add my water - exactly as shown above - there is a bunch of leave that go through the strainer thing?

[@stevevasta]

...or that float to the top, like tea soup? And what do you mean by three or four "steeps"? You put in the tea leaves, you pour the water over them, it's steeping -- that's it. It's not a repetitive process.

[@oreodog]

"How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea" and doesn't even mention how long to brew different teas lmao... Awful video; Green tea: ~1 min, Black Tea: 2-3 mins, White Tea: 4-5 mins, Herbal: 5-6 mins. Each type of leaf will vary and yes seconds truly do count so long as you have the proper temp water. I make a lot of green tea and the aroma/flavor will change from slightly sweet to bitter within about 20 seconds.

[@revelationsoundstudio]

I have the same Whittard English Rose tea and a nice British tea pot. I love this tea by the way. What the video does not address is all the tea leaves entering your cup when you pour. How do you stop this from happening. You can pour the tea with through a screener or you can put a screener in the pot. What is the best way to brew tea without the tea leaves entering the cup

[@paulhornsey-pennell1931]

get a tea strainer.

[@adjoaaj7593]

When you take ti out to stop steeping it, where do i put the infuser basket, so that i can reuse it again?

[@7ajhubbell]

Thank you.

[@gam85191]

Dear Britain, Hope you are enjoying our invention of tea brewing. With love, China

[@apuapustaja1958]

I don't get this comment. Do you think common knowledge is not as common?

[@randommemesweekly4417]

as an American i thank ancient China for inventing tea

[@stephenmani8495]

Yes, we do enjoy it. Thank you. In the meanwhile, please do your best to adopt our invention of 'Democracy' and 'Human Rights' - so that all your people can have freedom.

[@maestoso47]

Haha the audacity of white classist Brits is insane.

[@alexisdetocqueville9964]

I absolutely cannot stand weak tea. I drink it more like a coffee - 2 bags or tbsp per cup till it's very dark, with milk or half & half, and sugar. Irish and English breakfast is my favorite. I've been to fancy tea lounges and drank very expensive tea prepared as in the video, and it just tasted like water to me.

[@SoggyBiscuitPro]

lol u are passionate tea drinka

[@jessieturris9956]

Can you eat the brewed loose leaf tea bags or do you have to strain them out

[@rajeshmohanty2070]

You should strain them out

[@XPK15]

omg hahaha

[@gam85191]

No, you must eat them.

[@kquote03]

extra protien

[@watthaile2053]

You should fry them up in little patties and eat them with a horseradish sauce.

[@georgebowman1060]

Did you cover the tea leaves fully with water to the top or did you just pour the water to the bottom of the tea leaves and let it seep from the bottom or did you submerge the whole leaves??????

[@BassKlef1]

Question. I use Zero Water filtered water, and I notice that compared to tap water my black tea steeps a weaker tea brew (with Zero Water). Why?

[@whittarduk]

Hi there, thanks for your comment. Zero water is just a filtration system and it removes impurities from the water. Therefore, actually changing the waters colour. When using a water filter, don't go based on the colour of your tea go based on the taste of the brew because humans are creatures of habit and colour and flavour don't match. for black tea, filter your water, brew your water to 95-98 c, use 3g per 150-200ml of water, brew for 3-5 mins and remove the leaves. We recommend never steep the tea longer as it will become bitter. If your tea was bitter originally than you've over brewed it previously. Thank you, The Whittard Team

[@emmalea2765]

I am new to loose leaf, I bought 2 herbals blends and use a wire mesh ball infuser that about an inch diameter. When I steep my teas, it doesn’t taste like anything. It’s like drinking water. Did I accidentally buy poor quality tea, or am I doing something wrong?

[@oreodog]

Prob not brewing long enough, herbal teas take the most time and require the highest temp.

[@tashray633]

Have you had any luck in the last year.with your tea? (Got a tea pot and mesh ball infuser with it recently)

[@emmalea2765]

I have!! My mom got me a different infuser, it is the kind that is like a mesh cup that you put inside your cup or a teapot. She also bought me dried herbs (rather than premixed tea blends) so I can make my own. It works much better. ☺️ My favorite is chamomile and rose.

[@MySensualWorld]

Who honetly believes the average tea steeping time in England is 3.5 seconds. If she said it wrong she should have corrected herslef, 3.5 minutes makes more sense.

[@oliverleahy6348]

Britain not England

[@kathleenobrien3473]

I agree, 3.5 seconds doesn't seem enough time

[@lyndonlives638]

I think she was being a little sarcastic.

[@mariasocorrodeocampo-alove871]

I think she meant most people are in a hurry to drink their tea and so don't steep it long enough.

[@whofookncares2149]

​@oliverleahy6348 England not Britan. Go ahead and pull me up a map of britan my guy

[@CozyAsha]

What about lavender tea

[@mettamorra7055]

Hello, can I use your video for training purposes?

[@scorpioindigoo]

Thank ya

[@cassiecatcat]

How long should we wait for it to be steeped

[@whittarduk]

Hi, it depends on the type of tea but we recommend between 3-5 minutes, or to your liking. Thank you, El @ Whittard

[@slytherinsimsbunny5873]

What actually is the steeping of tea? Is that the brewing or ? I don't think it was explained.

[@silentben1234]

water goes on leaf

[@BullGooseAnon]

Im confused. So I dump loose tea leaves in pot and dont pull them out?

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

Why would you take them out? I think I'm more confused by your question, lol

[@BullGooseAnon]

@@Ψυχήμίασμα u be drinking leaves

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

@@BullGooseAnon You use a tea strainer or an infuser: Tea strainer: www.fortnumandmason.com/long-handled-tea-strainer?gclid=CjwKCAjw5c6LBhBdEiwAP9ejG6fSTrGH2gUkzpExWl9PFPFpLgxeK9wAb5EiF1gNk0mSP9koDigEaxoCUIAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds Infuser: www.amazon.co.uk/Apace-Loose-Leaf-Infuser-Scoop/dp/B074DFP5WW/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=tea+infuser&qid=1635003841&sr=8-3-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExRkozTzJCNFBOODNFJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMjEzNDIzMThRWlFMTDg0RDhGQSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODE2MDc4RUszS0FWUVAySUlVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== There are cheaper ones on Amazon, but just select your country.

[@whittarduk]

If you leave the leaves in the teapot the leaves will over brew. Tea should not be bitter. It's important that the leaves are removed when the desired flavour is achieved, then you can rebrew your tea leaves again. If you want stronger tea then the type of tea should be changed. Maybe try an Assam if you want a stronger tea.

[@SystemtoMadness]

How much water do you pour in the pot?

[@whittarduk]

Hi there, we recommend up to the bottom of the spout. We recommend use 3g per 150-200ml of water. Thank you, The Whittard Team

[@matthewjackson2656]

do you ship worldwide?

[@whittarduk]

Hi there, we ship to a number of different countries. Please let us know where you would like your parcel to be delivered and we can look into this for you.

[@jonathonmatzke8463]

What about all that extra yea that's sitting in the pot? Can you just reheat it? Or do you drink all that tea?

[@blainefiasco8225]

I must be a simple person because I found this rather fancy. I guess tea just has that connotation.

[@paulhornsey-pennell1931]

aaaggggghhhh so she said "you do have to be patient" but different say how long .... however, on here she poured the water in at 1min20secs and then poured the tea at 2 mins 11 seconds. but was that because its a short video and hanging around for a few minutes is a little awkward? and ..... (hushed silence) .... did she have milk? useful to know you can use the same tea leaves twhice for black tea ....and i can see why if that's all the time she takes.

[@MiddleEast-4Ever]

I will make al wazah tea soon.

[@abangdonge]

tbh i prefer steeping black teas for 5 minutes. but good video nonetheless!

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

Me too, but I always take black teas with a dash of milk.

[@JM-uo5vp]

Nobody is drinking a cup of tea 3.5 seconds after the kettle has boiled.

[@zolson1009]

I add ice cubes to my tea because I'm a sissy and that stuff burns lol.

[@bobbyluna8079]

I always steep mine for 5 minutes

[@ijd990]

I find the tea is too cold by then, once the milk is added. For me only a minute

[@MrServingSize]

Throw it into the harbor!

[@sonerH3]

You suggest 3.5 seconds of brewing time. Sorry, but you don't mean 3.5 minutes, do you? By the time you finish pouring freshly boiled water on your loose tea 3 secs are gone.

[@whittarduk]

Hi Soner, we suggest brewing for 3-5 minutes. 3.5 seconds is the average brewing time but this isn't long enough. We are sorry if this was confusing. Thank you, The Whittard Team

[@takefive4291]

I found this rather vague and not very useful.

[@gill.5116]

Aside from the beautiful English accent ❤this lovely young lady can sell me anything ☺️ where can I buy that brewer in the USA ?

[@bigdoggetom6549]

Also wait hold up a second, so I can reuse my tea leaves after a brew?

[@europamacmillan9498]

Yes,Something us Asians have known for centuries😁

[@watthaile2053]

You can try. I have tried it a few times and always found it far less than satisfactory.

[@j.r5159]

Specific

[@bigdoggetom6549]

The average time is 3.5 seconds? What the fuck?

[@tiagomonteiro4513]

Marilu cobras e largatos agradece

[@sandraelder1101]

“One scoop per person” That’s unclear. How big of a scoop? Doesn’t she mean per cup rather than per person? Because one person may drink multiple cups.

[@whittarduk]

Hi, we recommend a 3g scoop per person. We hope this helps. Charlotte @ Whittard

[@sandraelder1101]

@@whittarduk per cup or mug? Thanks.

[@whittarduk]

@@sandraelder1101 Per cup which is about 150-200ml. Charlotte @ Whittard

[@Submersed24]

I only trust people with a proper british accent or if they sound like Iroh

[@bobbayely6582]

She might have the accent and know how to make tea, but she still drinks using her pinky finger 😔

[@Submersed24]

Lol britain has premature teajaculation

[@KasumiRINA]

1:45 That's literally why people drink tea though, cause it's bitter. Otherwise might as well drink a soft drink or diluted juice.

[@Ψυχήμίασμα]

No, tea isn't supposed to taste bitter (maybe only a hint or suggestion of bitterness) and bitterness is not the reason people drink it. If your tea is bitter (and you're not making a traditionally milk-based tea drink such as English Breakfast, which requires a bitter tea base to compliment the milk) then either the leaves are not good or the steeping method is not correct. Properly made tea is never bitter. Even English Breakfast Tea isn't bitter if you do it correctly (taken black, steep no more than 1 to 2 minutes, taken with milk - steep for up to 5 minutes).

[@watthaile2053]

No tea should definitely not be bitter. You are brewing incorrectly if you get bitter tea.

[@theoilisburning7444]

Overpriced tea

[@caerulemusic]

what a beautiful woman and a beautiful voice