How Long To Steep Herbal Tea
A recommended herbal tea steep time is five or more minutes. Like black teas, herbal teas should be prepared using boiling water. Unlike many caffeinated teas, herbal teas usually dont become bitter if you extend the steep time. Some herbal teas, especially those with potent spices like ginger and turmeric, can be infused even longer for an extra flavorful cup.
Using Tea To Help With Digestion
Many people enjoy a cup of tea after a rich meal, or when theyre suffering from persistent stomach troubles. Tea can be a great way to aid the body as it digests, and is is a tasty, healthful alternative to other sugary or alcoholic drinks. If youre looking for a tea to help with digestion, there are a wide variety of flavors to choose from! While tea may not be able to cure more serious illnesses, it can provide much-needed relief when youre in gastrointestinal distress. Whether youre suffering from persistent stomach troubles or are just seeking relief after a heavy meal, tea can be a great way to aid digestion and soothe the stomach.
We think that theres nothing more festive than sharing tea with friends and loved ones during the holidays. Here are our recommendations for teas to get you into the Christmas spirit!
Vanilla Bean Green Tea
Our Vanilla Bean green tea is a simple blend of two ingredients: organic green tea and high-quality vanilla flavor. It has a rich, complex taste when brewed, with hints of vanilla cheesecake and creme brulee. Vanilla Bean can be enjoyed on its own, with no need for milk or sweetener, and makes a great afternoon pick-me-up when youre craving something sweet. This is an aromatic and flavorful tea with a low amount of caffeine.
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Tea Made From The Camellia Sinensis Plant
In addition to the herbs and flowers listed above, tea itself is full of many beneficial properties that can help to soothe the symptoms of a cold. While many different kinds of hot herbal drinks are colloquially called tea, theyre actually more properly referred to as tisanes or herbal infusions. This is because true tea is made from a specific plant called camellia sinensis. Tea from the camellia sinensis plant has a wealth of healthful properties, including high levels of antioxidants and a moderate amount of caffeine. Tea also contains a compound known as l-theanine, which can help to reduce stress and encourage rest and relaxation. Tea also contains catechins that have been shown to give your immune system a boost and help ward off illnesses like colds and the flu.
Why Brewing Temperature Matters
Its important to brew tea with water that is the correct temperature. If you use water that is too hot, you could burn the tea leaves, while using water that is too cool can make your tea seem weak and bland. The water temperature can also influence the caffeine content in tea. Using water that is the perfect temperature for your tea is a great way to ensure a tasty cup.
That said, you dont necessarily need any fancy equipment like an electric kettle with a temperature control. While these devices are handy, people have been brewing tea without them for hundreds of years. You can also simply pay close attention to the water in your kettle as it warms depending on the type of tea, it may be ready when it first starts to steam, when its steaming briskly, or when it has reached a full boil.
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Is Ginger Tea Good Before Bed
While ginger itself doesnt contain any sleep-aiding properties, it can be a cozy cup of tea to enjoy before bed. Because ginger can help to reduce inflammation and pain, it can help to soothe your body if youre dealing with sore muscles or aches and pain. Plus, ginger is often blended with other relaxing ingredients, like lemongrass and mint.
How Long To Steep Matcha Tea
Trick question! Matcha is a powdered green tea, so you dont actually steep it. You can whisk ceremonial grade matcha with hot water for a classic cup, or add culinary grade matcha to smoothies, lattes, and more. When you drink matcha, youre actually consuming the whole tea leaf, which means that matcha contains even more concentrated amounts of the many beneficial properties of green tea.
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How Long To Steep Black Tea
A typical black tea steep time is about three to five minutes. Black teas are usually infused for a longer period of time than most other teas, which increases their caffeine content and results in a dark, full-bodied cup. If you plan on taking your black tea with milk and sweetener, you may want to consider a longer steep.
How Do You Start Drinking Tea
You dont necessarily need any special equipment to start drinking tea. All you need are some tea leaves, some hot water, and something to brew your tea in. This can be a tea pot, tea infuser mug, or even a simple tea filter and your favorite cup.
If youre new to tea, its a good idea to experiment with different types of tea in order to find your favorites. Our tea sample packs are a great option for beginner tea drinkers to explore the world of tea.
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How To Prepare Cinnamon Tea
Since cinnamon can be added to a variety of different tea blends, preparing cinnamon tea depends largely on what the base of your tea is. For black teas with cinnamon, we recommend using one teaspoon of tea for every six ounces of water in your pot or cup, heating water to a full boil, and infusing for approximately three to five minutes. For herbal teas with cinnamon, use one teaspoon of tea leaves for every six ounces of water, heat water to a full boil, and infuse for about four to six minutes or longer. No matter what kind of tea youre preparing, we recommend doing so using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter. These brewing methods give the tea leaves enough room to expand as the tea steeps, resulting in a richer, more flavorful cup.
How To Brew Vanilla Tea
How to prepare vanilla tea depends on what type of tea makes up the base of the tea. Black teas, green teas, and herbal teas all have different preparation instructions, including different water temperatures and steep times. We recommend using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter to prepare your tea. These preparation methods allow tea leaves to fully expand as the tea steeps, resulting in a richer, more flavorful cup.
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May Help Ward Off Cancer
Thanks to its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, ginger may help to ward off certain types of cancer. Studies suggest that ginger may help inhibit the formation of cancer cells within the body. While ginger on its own may not be enough to prevent cancer, a cup of ginger tea can play a small role in keeping you healthy and warding off degenerative disease.
How Long To Steep Green Tea
We recommend infusing most green teas for about one to two minutes. Knowing how long to brew green tea is especially important, since green tea can easily become bitter if over-steeped. If youve never prepared a particular green tea before, its often better to err on the side of caution and go with a shorter green tea steep time. A few specialty green teas, like Gyokuro and Kabusecha, should be infused for a longer period of time using cooler water.
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Simple Loose Leaf Reviews: Tea Of The Month
For our Simple Loose Leaf reviews, we were given a sample. This post contains affiliate links and we may be compensated if you make a purchase. All opinions are our own.
Reviewed by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN
Simple Loose Leaf
Simple Loose Leaf delivers unique, hand-packaged loose leaf tea to your door. As a small, family-owned business they are passionate about helping customers discover new tea flavors and blends from around the world. Plus, each container of fresh, quality loose leaf tea is hand-packaged in the US in recyclable containers for you to enjoy.
- Great tasting and smelling tea
- Recyclable packaging packaged in the US
What We Dont Like
- Do not sell loose leaf tea infusers
Simple Loose Leaf Reviews
I was super excited to try tea from Simple Loose Leaf as I drink a lot of tea, but dont really know much about it and havent tried a lot of tea outside of my favorite grocery store brand.
My daily tea consumption consists of 1 to 2 cups of hot black tea, specifically English Breakfast, and a cup of fruity herbal tea at night. In the summer I love to add iced tea into the mix with fresh mint from our garden. I feel like with tea, like most things, you dont know what you dont know. In other words, I dont know what Im missing because I havent really explored tea. If you are like me, Simple Loose Leaf is your passport to branch out and try new and interesting teas from around the globe.
Simple Loose Leaf Reviews: Blue Lady Grey Tea
Enjoy!
How Tea Helps Fight Off Colds
When youre feeling under the weather, tea can be a soothing and medicinal drink that can help to treat cold symptoms, give your immune system a boost, and stay hydrated while youre sick. No matter what kind of tea you drink, it will be a warming, throat-soothing cup.
Depending on what kind of tea you choose, youll also experience a variety of other healthful properties, including antioxidants, l-theanine, and vitamin C. Many kinds of teas have antiviral and antimicrobial properties and can help to provide pain relief and induce calm and relaxation. So if youre feeling sick, curl up with a cup and reap the many benefits of good tea!
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Choose A Tea Brewing Vessel
The easiest way to cold brew tea is to use an iced tea pitcher with a built-in tea infuser. This makes it super simple to add tea leaves and water, infuse your tea leaves, and then quickly and easily remove the leaves when your tea is ready to enjoy.
If you dont have a tea infuser pitcher, however, there are several other options that also work well. Other options include tea infusers or filters, which you can use in tandem with an iced tea pitcher or a smaller vessel. We also recommend using our urban tumblers for a single glass that you can take on the go!
Why Steep Times Have A Range
When we give our customers instructions for how long to infuse their tea, we generally provide a small range. This is because infusing tea is not an exact science, and personal preference plays a big role in how long you should infuse your tea. Some people prefer teas on the milder side, while others prefer them to be very strong. Our recommendations for how long to steep your tea are suggestions, not hard and fast rules. Feel free to experiment with different steep times in order to achieve the tea of your dreams!
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Mulled Wine Fruit Blend Herbal Tea
Mulled Wine Fruit Blend is a unique herbal tea with apple pieces, cinnamon, orange pieces, and cloves. Its just as tasty and cozy as mulled wine, but without the alcohol! Mulled Wine Fruit Blend is delicious served hot in the winter months, but also makes a surprisingly delicious iced tea.
How Long To Steep Pu
We recommend infusing pu-erh teas for four to five minutes, similar to black teas. Pu-erh teas can also be prepared using the Chinese Gongfu method, where tea is infused successively for multiple short steeps. These rich, full-bodied teas dont become as bitter thanks to the aging process they undergo.
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How To Prepare Loose Leaf Tea
Different types of tea can have very different water temperature recommendations. To get the water temperature just right, we recommend using an electric tea kettle with a temperature sensor. If you dont have an electric kettle, you can use a stovetop kettle and pay careful attention to the water when it reaches a temperature close to a boil. If your water reaches a full boil by accident, you can always wait a few minutes for it to cool!
To prepare loose leaf tea, we recommend using a teapot, tea infuser, or tea filter. These brewing methods give the tea leaves enough room to expand as the tea steeps, resulting in a richer, more flavorful cup. Steep time is another important factor when it comes to preparing your tea – some teas have a recommended steep time of as little as one minute, while others can be infused for five minutes or more.
How Long To Steep Purple Tea
We recommend infusing purple teas for two to three minutes. Purple tea is produced from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, which is the same plant from which black, green, oolong, and other types of tea are made. Unlike other types of tea, however, the leaves of this new varietal are purple instead of green. The tea was first discovered growing wild in the Assam region of India, and is now grown commercially in Kenya, Africa.
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Blood Orange Smoothie Tea
2018 Global Tea Championship Gold Medal Winner!
This award-winning blend of naturally caffeinefree South African red rooibos, orange, and creamy vanilla is herbal bliss! This herbal tea combines rooibos, orange peel, hibiscus, rosehips, apples, safflowers, rose petals, vanilla, and citrus flavors. It brews into a dark red liquor with a naturally sweet, creamy taste and aroma, reminiscent of orange creamsicles and Orange Julius smoothies! Kids and adults both love this herbal tea, making it a great substitute for sugary juices and sodas, with no lack of flavor or thirst-quenching satisfaction. The health benefits of rooibos are numerous it is full of antioxidants and healthy minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, and fluoride.
Features:
- South African rooibos herbal tea
- A natural source of antioxidants & minerals
- Great hot and iced!
Ingredients: red rooibos tea, orange peel, hibiscus, rosehips, rose petals, safflowers, natural orange & vanilla flavors
2 oz
All teas are packaged in stand-up, resealable pouches to maintain freshness. FDA approved.
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Why You’ll Love This Brand
Based in Boulder, CO, The Tea Spot was founded by Maria Uspenski, a cancer survivor drawn to the health benefits of whole leaf tea during her recovery. The Tea Spot has an enjoyable assortment of loose leaf and loose leaf sachets, and reliable quality.
The Tea Spot handcrafts teas as timeless as the Colorado mountains that surround them. Their innovative Steepware® designs make the premium tea experience effortless and accessible. With one foot steeped in tradition, and the other outstretched toward a healthier future, they infuse the goodness of whole leaf tea into your everyday. The Tea Spot was founded in 2004 by Maria Uspenski, a cancer survivor drawn to the health benefits of whole leaf tea during her recovery. Her message is simple and powerful: tea in its freshest form renders premium flavor and unmatched health benefits. With a steadfast mission to foster health and wellness through tea, The Tea Spot donates 10% of all sales in-kind to cancer and community wellness programs. To date, they have supported over 100 organizations and touched more than 100,000 lives. The Tea Spot is a Certified B Corp, woman-owned and operated philanthropic business.
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Vanilla Rooibos Herbal Tea
Love vanilla, but trying to avoid caffeine? Our Vanilla Rooibos herbal tea is an excellent choice. This vanilla-flavored herbal tea is smooth, rich, and super warming, without any added calories or caffeine. Rooibos is also extremely high in antioxidants, which makes this a healthy before-bed choice when youre winding down for the evening. This tea also goes great with a splash of milk! Superior quality vanilla rooibos is the secret to the smooth, rich, creamy taste of this popular flavor of rooibos.
Rose Petal And Rosehip Teas
Tea made from rose petals and rosehips has a wide variety of benefits, including anti-inflammatory properties. In particular, rosehip has been shown to be effective in treating illnesses including arthritis and other diseases related to inflammation. There are a variety of teas that contain rosehips and rose petals, including both herbal and caffeinated blends.
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Vanilla Velvet Black Tea
Our Vanilla Velvet black tea makes for a decadent cup of vanilla flavored tea. This tea balanced rich, creamy, vanilla with robust black tea and just a hint of jasmine blossoms for a slightly sweet, slightly floral tea that goes great with milk and honey. The vanilla adds depth of flavor, while the jasmine contributes smooth, floral notes. Vanilla Velvet is refreshing hot or iced, and contains a moderate amount of caffeine .
How To Prepare Tea
If youre new to loose leaf tea, you may be wondering exactly what you need in order to prepare the perfect cup. Luckily, preparing tea is a breeze once you get the hang of it.
The basics of tea preparation are pretty simple: heat up some water to the correct temperature, steep tea leaves for the right amount of time, then remove the leaves and enjoy. We offer a variety of different products that help you prepare tea quickly and easily, including make your own teabag tea filters, tea infusers, measuring scoops, tea timers, and more. For more information about brewing tea, check out our handy guide to preparing the perfect cup.
Tea Accessories
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