How to Make Tea Taste Good

Author: Jessica Simms

Updated: October 19, 2022

Make Your Tea Taste Even Better

If you have just started your adventure into the tea world, then you may be wondering why your last cup tasted just like hot water. All tea drinkers have been there; you make your first cup only to find out it has no flavor whatsoever. Fear not though, below we go over how to make a flavorful cup of tea.

There are a ton of ways to help enhance the flavor of your tea. Just letting the water change color isn’t going to get you that rich flavor you’re looking for. To make proper tea, you need to worry about how to brew it, adding in sugar, and even using flavors properly.

Different teas react differently to temperatures and the amount of time you let them steep for. Some teas are often better complimented by fruit or by adding in a few teaspoons of sugar. Strong tea like matcha however, will have a bold flavor that you won’t need to add anything to.

Flavoring tea is just like flavoring any other drink, it’s up to you to find what you like best. Feel free to experiment with the methods below to find the perfect flavor and type of tea for your life.

Flavors, Steep Time, and Brewing Temperature

As mentioned above, there are three major things to consider when brewing tea; flavor, steep time, and temperature. Below you will learn how to enhance each of these.

Tea Flavors

You will notice that most tea shops will offer a larger variety of tea flavors. These flavors are made using a mixture of different herbs, flowers, and roots. One of the ways to make specialty teas is to use flavoring, here are some popular ways to flavor tea:

Flowers- Flowers can double as a flavoring and a way to add in extra health benefits. Adding in some lavender or rose can help give your tea a sweet flavor with herbal benefits like helping you relax.

Sugar- Sugar is pretty self-explanatory; depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have, you can add in a few sugar cubes or teaspoons of sweetener.

Fruit- Dried fruits are a great way to give your tea an amazing taste while keeping things healthy. Virtually any type of fruit can be dried out and then added into your favorite tea for a huge flavor boost.

Syrup- If you love sweets, then add in some syrup. You can use syrup to add chocolate, strawberry, caramel, or even a bit of vanilla to your tea. While these are usually less healthy, they can make some awesome dessert teas.

Honey– If you are looking for a healthier alternative to sugar, just add in a teaspoon full of fresh honey.

Milk- There are plenty of teas based around milk, just look at how popular bubble tea has gotten. You can use your favorite type of milk, whether it be soy or powdered to help flavor your drink.

Roots- Roots are probably the least used method to flavor tea, but much like other herbs, they can have health benefits and help enhance the flavor of your drink.

Tea Steep Time

Here we have the common steep times for the most popular types of tea:

Rooibos– five to six minutes

Herbal- five to six minutes

Green – forty-five seconds to one minute

Oolong- Around three minutes

Black- Two to three minutes

Mate- Five to six minutes

White- Four to five minutes

Iced Variations: Rooibos, mate, and herbal teas should be stepped between eight to fifteen minutes to make iced versions

Tea Brewing Temperature

Temperature is incredibly important to maintain while the tea is steeping. Below is the temperature you should keep each type of tea at as it steeps.

Rooibos- 208 degrees

Herbal– 208 degrees

Green – 175 degrees

Oolong- 195 degrees

Black- 195 degrees to 205 degrees

Mate- 208 degrees

White- 175 degrees

Benefits of Drinking Tea

There are tons of benefits that come from drinking tea. Not only are most teas low in calories and sugar, but they also can help you relax or get through your day. Let’s go over all the ways that tea can help to improve your health.

To begin with, herbal teas have been used for generations to help with several different health issues. Teas made with lavender help you relax, teas made with chamomile help you sleep, and teas made with mint can help an upset stomach.

Tea is actually one of the few beverages that have been shown to help soothe an upset stomach. Those who suffer from both cramps and IBS have reported that after drinking certain types of tea, they had quick relief of the pain.

Next, you should know that tea contains antioxidants. In particular, green tea has an especially high level of polyphenols. Polyphenols have been reported to help prevent the human body from getting certain diseases, and some studies have even shown that they may help with natural weight loss.

Other research has shown that certain types of tea can increase both bone and tooth strength. Some studies even note that drinking tea will help with cardiovascular help and can help prevent future heart complications and strokes.

If you are looking for a certain type of health benefit, then look into the types of tea you are buying. There are tons of different varieties of herbal tea and potent green tea can be a great way to get antioxidants into your body.

Summary and Conclusion

As you can see above, there are a lot of things you can do to make your tea taste better. Be sure to properly steep your tea using the correct temperature and for the correct span of time. If you want more flavor, then look into adding in some flavor using one of the methods above. For the health-conscious, there are tons of herbal varieties of tea to help with a wide range of ailments.