One of the Best Techniques Used for Steeping Quality Tea
Tea is the world’s most popular and cherished beverage and it dates back thousands of years. Tea has remained the same over all these years but the vessels that tea is served from change from time to time.
In your mind tea and teapots go hand in hand. They are a pair that is meant to be together and the two are so intertwined in the tradition of drinking tea. But a newer kind of tea steeping method is gaining popularity — the tea press.
Is a Tea Press a French Press?
A tea press has all the functional characteristics of a French press. You can take your French press coffee maker out of your cabinet and use it to steep tea, but you should be wary of this and take extreme caution when doing so.
Have you used your French press to make coffee? If you are planning on steeping tea in your French press you need to thoroughly wash and clean off every single bit of coffee oil and residue. Any remaining stubborn coffee flavor or oil that lingers will ruin the flavor of any tea. And when you clean and sanitize your French press, you must clean out the mesh strainer — get in and around all the itty bitty tiny nooks and crannies and corners of the plunger.
Cleaning your used French press is an annoying and tiresome task. You will probably find that it is nearly impossible to get away from the coffee essence once you’ve used your French press to brew a nice hot rich cup of coffee. You are going to want to save yourself the hassle and headache of all of this work.
It’s better that you invest in a brand new clean tea press. This way you will enjoy every ounce of pure tea without the lingering coffee smell and flavors that are nearly impossible to escape.
The Ultimate Must-Have Tea Press — 4 Distinguished Characteristics
When you buy a tea press you will want to look for something made with quality materials. You will also want to consider style and ease of use when you decide to purchase a tea press. You know you want something that is clean, easy to take care of, and strong.
- An Ultra-Modern Tea Press Design Made with Clean Materials
Tea presses are designed in the classic style of a French press. This design is clean, sleek, and chic — it is complementary to any modern space, and you’ll find that your tea press is easy to take care of. There is very little difference between quality French presses and tea presses — at first glance.
The materials of these tea presses are what sets them apart from any ordinary French press. The most notable physical characteristic of these tea presses is that they are made from a superior material called borosilicate glass.
- Borosilicate Glass Tea Presses are Not Toxic
Borosilicate glass is a newer and highly versatile material that is used to make the best kinds of teaware. Its highlighting characteristic is that it doesn’t allow toxic chemicals to leech into your tea. Cadmium and lead are common toxins that are found on a lot of traditional teaware. Most tea drinkers steep themselves a daily helping of toxic tea without even knowing it! — But, borosilicate glass isn’t made with these toxins.
Borosilicate glass is non-porous. Most teapots are made with porous materials that need to be painted and sealed with glaze in order to make them suitable for steeping tea. It is this glaze that contains lead, cadmium, and other toxins that leach into your hot tea.
Because borosilicate glass teaware is non-porous, it doesn’t need to be sealed with a toxic glaze. And the best part is that borosilicate glass is super easy to clean and take care of. You can enjoy a crisp, clear, tasty steeped tea in its purest form without any worries about leftover coffee or lingering tea flavors ruining your experience.
- Borosilicate Glass Tea Presses are Super Strong
Borosilicate glass tea presses are much stronger than traditional glass French presses. The techniques used to make this amazing glass make it very strong — and it can withstand extreme fluctuating temperatures. Borosilicate glass teapots and kettles can be heated directly over the stovetop and they can be flash chilled to make your favorite iced teas in minutes. — This glass is so strong and reliable that it’s used to safely store nuclear waste.
- Helping the Environment with Borosilicate Glass Tea Presses
One of the biggest benefits of using a borosilicate glass tea press is its contribution to the environment. This modern material uses less energy to create and its materials help keep the carbon footprint of manufacturing practices at bay. You can enjoy your tea knowing that borosilicate glass can be recycled and reused and that it is an affordable and superior alternative to porcelain and metal teapots.
How to Steep Tea in Your New Tea Press
Steeping tea in a tea press is easy and functional. When you steep your tea in a tea press you will use loose leaf teas and cut down on the use of tea bags — If you ever need to use tea bags, make sure that you are purchasing them from an upstanding company that uses 100% compostable tea bags — not just biodegradable tea bags.
- Prepare Your Water
Boil your water to the ideal temperature. Green, black, oolong, and white teas steep at different temperatures. Using a tea kettle with heat settings or a thermometer is ideal. Steep your tea properly and enjoy the flavor you were meant to taste. If you steep green tea with water that is too hot, the tea leaves will release a bitter flavor. If you steep black tea with water that isn’t hot enough the leaves won’t release all of their glorious flavors.
- Warm Up the Tea Press
When the water has been heated up, pour a splash of it into your empty tea press. Swish the water around and gently heat up the vessel. This step is highly recommended because if you pour your water directly into the tea leaf-filled tea press, the water temperature will drop. Because the water has cooled down your tea won’t steep at the proper temperature — you want your tea to steep in an ideal environment at the right temperature.
- Measure and Prepare the Loose Tea Leaves
Once your tea press has been warmed up properly with the splash and swish of hot water, empty the water from the tea press. Measure out the appropriate amount of tea leaves — this will vary depending on the kind of tea and the style of leaf you have — and allow the leaves to open slightly in the warm borosilicate glass tea press for a handful of seconds.
- Steep the Loose Leaf Tea
Fill your tea press with hot water and leave an inch of room at the top of the tea press. Position the tea plunger above the waterline, and steep your tea for the proper amount of time — this will also vary depending on the kind of tea you are making.
- Plunge the Tea
Once the tea is done steeping, gently push the plunger down leaving enough room so you don’t squeeze the tea leaves — this will be about three-quarters of the way down. If you squish the tea leaves, this will also release a bitter flavor in your tea.
- Steep Another Batch of Tea — Recycle Your Tea Leaves!
Enjoy your perfectly steeped loose-leaf tea immediately. If you empty all of the steeped tea from the tea press right away, you can use the tea leaves to steep another batch of delicious tea soon after. Don’t leave tea in the tea press, or your leaves will keep steeping. If you plan on using them again, make sure to empty out all the tea from the tea press in between batches.
All of Your Tea Needs in One Convenient Place
Teabloom is changing the tea world for the better. Their advocacy for the environment and for better tea practices is not going unnoticed. They are the leading supplier of clean, beautiful borosilicate glass teaware. And they are on a mission to encourage you to rethink your traditional tea routine. Teabloom is here to encourage you to add healthy and practical tea practices to your daily life.
If you are looking for completely compostable whole leaf tea bags, strong and modern teaware, and quality borosilicate glass tea presses, Teabloom has options and answers for you. Explore all the practical, pure, and affordable treasures to tailor your ultimate tea experiences to your liking. Shop Teabloom today!