What Makes the Perfect Cuppa?

At Ringtons, we believe the perfect cuppa is as individual as you are. That means that the perfect cuppa is just how YOU like it, so don’t let anyone else tell you any different!

There are, however, a few pointers we can give you to make sure you find your tea perfection. So, here are our top six tips for the perfect cuppa!

6 Tips for the Perfect Cup of Tea

1. The Foundation

Choose your teabag wisely. The quality of tea can degrade rapidly if no measures are taken to preserve the freshness. At Ringtons we use processes to ensure the tea is as fresh when you open it as when it was packed. All of our teas are packed in airtight containers to ensure oxygen does not attack the integrity of the tea. For context, picture an apple that has been bitten into and then left out in the open, oxygen discolours the apple in a similar process of how it attacks tea, but there are just no physical effects to tea that you can see. To keep your tea fresher for longer, explore our tea accessories available where you can find handy tea caddies. 

You’ll also want to choose between the many types of tea depending on how you feel and what you have a taste for at that particular moment. Earl Grey? Peppermint? Decaf?

2. Too Sweet or Not Sweet Enough?

Sugar or sweetener? Honey or nothing at all? Do you like that sweetness added to your tea or do you feel it masks the flavour? The choice is yours!

3. The Great Milk Debate

Before or after? Do you prefer full fat or skimmed milk? Or perhaps you need non-dairy? Ensuring you have the right milk to suit your tastes has a much greater impact on the finished cuppa than you might think. Our Head of Tea recommends you always add the milk once the tea has had time to infuse fully in the water and the bag has been removed. Why not have fun trying different types of milk in your tea to find your perfect mix?

4. Dip It

The length of time a teabag takes to brew depends again on your taste and the type of teabag you choose. Tea is complex and requires time to release all of its delicious flavours so we recommend 3 – 5 minutes for the flavour to circulate your cup, but again, it’s down to your personal preference.

5. Colour

The many colours of tea would put a Pantone swatch book to shame. From pale golden to deepest, darkest tan, the colour is quite literally the tone of your taste. Once you have found your perfect cup of tea, you know exactly what colour you should be aiming for in the future. 

6. Risk it for a Biscuit?

Sometimes a cup of tea isn’t the same without a biscuit on the side. Ringtons have a selection to suit all tastes. Whether you fancy creamy shortbread, chocolatey cookies or our famous ginger snaps, there’s more than enough choice to take your cup of tea to the next level.

How to Make the Perfect Cuppa 

If you’re looking for the very basic steps on how to make the perfect cup of tea, then have no fear; we can help with that too! Whether you’re tasked with making the next round in the office or trying to be the perfect host for family and friends, learn the basics of making the perfect cuppa here. 

Step 1: Get the Water Ready

Before doing anything, run your water source for just a few moments. This will ensure the water gets nicely aerated. It is also best to use freshwater as opposed to re-boiling water as the oxygen levels will be low. Higher oxygen levels mean a fresher and tastier cuppa! However, that doesn’t mean that you should just waste water unnecessarily. For example, did you know that over 70 million litres of water are wasted every day in boiling too much water in the kettle? To avoid this, we recommend measuring exactly how much water you need in your cup or mug, and then pouring this back into the kettle to boil! 

Ste 2: Warm the Pot

Next, whirl a little bit of hot water around your teapot, cup or mug to warm it. We all know that tea likes hot water, but pouring it into a cold pot will make the tea cool down much faster than usual!

Step 3: Add the Tea

Now it’s time to add your chosen tea bags to the pot, and we recommend using two tea bags for an average pot and just one tea bag for a mini teapot. If you’re using loose leaf tea, you should add one teaspoon per person and an extra one for the pot. 

Step 4: Fill with Water

After the tea, don’t forget to add the water. Fill up the pot and give it a stir. 

Step 5: Now Relax!

Finally, you can relax and let your tea brew! Tea takes time to release all of its flavours, so leave it to brew for around 3-5 minutes for the perfect cuppa. Nows your chance to sneak that extra biscuit while you wait!

To make everything even easier, we’ve created this handy download which you can fill out and keep close by. It’s especially good in the workplace, because as nice as it is to have someone else make you a cuppa, their idea of perfect will be very different to yours. Now everyone will get it just right with this print out to help them.

It works better in colour, but also prints fine in black and white. Fill it in and see how it can work for you.

For the full A3 version click here to download.

For the A4 Printer Friendly version click here to download.

Here’s some of our team with their #perfectcuppa