Brewing 101: How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea
![Brewing 101: How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea](http://astracrafthouse.com/cdn/shop/articles/Blog_header1-1_{width}x.jpg?v=1672618900)
There are few pleasures in life quite like the warmth and comfort of a well-brewed cup of tea. And if you're already a fan of loose leaf tea or you’re interested in taking that first step in your loose leaf journey, then you're in luck, because brewing with Astra Craft House teas and teaware is a cinch.
![an individual in a white shirt and light blue knit cardigan enjoying a cup of light, greenish yellow brewed loose leaf tea as they sit in front of a warm wood coffee table and write in a journal.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0601/1731/9888/files/Working_tea_480x480.jpg?v=1668189457)
First, heat up a pot of water on the stove until it reaches the desired temperature for your tea. You can also use an electric kettle, which is quick and shuts off automatically when it reaches boiling point– 212 degrees.
While the water is heating up, prepare your tea infuser, filling it with the desired amount of loose leaf tea– our beautifully crafted one-cup infuser makes brewing tea delicious and simple. Set your prepared infuser into a mug of choice.
![an individual in a pink shirt dropping an Astra scoop full of loose leaf tea into a stainless steel mesh one-cup Astra Craft House infuser, which sits inside a clear glass mug.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0601/1731/9888/files/Teaware-1_480x480.jpg?v=1668286590)
Once the water has reached the proper temperature, pour it over the infuser and let the tea steep for the recommended amount of time. We recommend covering teas that aren’t too temperature sensitive, like black and oolong, as it will keep the heat in and allow the leaves to unfurl more. Different teas have different optimal brewing temperatures, so be sure to check our site for brewing instructions to determine the best temperature for your tea. You might notice that less processed teas, like our green tea based Apothecary, have shorter recommended brew times at lower temperatures, while oolong and black tea bases like Wallflower and Moonstruck have longer brew times at a higher temperature.
![a black electric gooseneck kettle pouring water into a clear glass mug. mug sits on a pink coaster on a wood table, and the mug has a stainless steel mesh one-cup Astra Craft House loose leaf tea infuser inside.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0601/1731/9888/files/Teaware-2_480x480.jpg?v=1669753497)
After your tea has finished steeping, remove the infuser from your mug. Because of the quality of tea leaves and ingredients in our blends, you can usually get more than one brew out of the leaves. Feel free to try a resteep once you’ve drained this mug, or you can discard the spent tea blend.
![a hand removing a tea infuser-- a stainless steel mesh one-cup Astra Craft House infuser full of steeped loose leaf tea-- from a freshly brewed, reddish hued tea. person removing infuser is wearing a pink shirt, and the infuser is being removed from a clear glass mug on a coaster on a wood table.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0601/1731/9888/files/Teaware-3_392600eb-15ed-4f0e-9fce-b22bdf0299a1_480x480.jpg?v=1669753525)
Then, enjoy! If you're feeling especially fancy, you can add a touch of milk, lemon, or maybe some honey or sugar to your tea to enhance the flavor. Experiment with different brewing times and temperatures and add-ins to find the perfect brew for your taste.
There it is– a simple and enjoyable way to brew loose leaf tea. Happy sipping, from Astra Craft House!