4 Science-Approved Tips To Brew A Perfect Cup Of Tea

Even the colour of your cup matters.

Posted on

30 July 2017

Life’s hard and that's why we have tea – to make it all better. The worst part, however, is when even your tea tastes like dirty lukewarm water. Those who proudly call themselves, tea-aholics even have a name for this condition (no kidding!). It’s called Tepidophobia - the fear of a badly made cup of tea.

Many things can cause Tepidophobia. According to Dr Stuart Farrimond, an expert in the science of making tea (yes, that’s an actual job), the brewing time and even the colour of the mug plays a significant role to make your tea just the way you like it.

The trick to a tastier and healthier tea, according to Dr Farrimond is to brew it for exactly five minutes. Read on to find out what else is keeping you away from your perfect cup of hope.

1. Never drink from styrofoam.

Even if you manage not to spill half of the tea, styrofoam cups are still a major turn off for tea lovers. They absorb the flavour molecules, reducing the aroma and strength of the tea leaves.

2. Get a pink or red mug.

This one has more to do with our psychology than tea-making skills.

According to Dr Farrimond, tea served in a pink or red mug will taste sweeter than a tea served in a blue or white mug. Studies have shown that white and blue hues are associated with saltiness, whereas pink and red are associated with sweetness. Clever, isn't it?

3. Use filtered water.

You may think what's the big deal, tap or filtered - the water is going to boil in both the cases. But Dr Farrimond suggests otherwise.

In his words, "What's happening is some of the flavour compounds are reacting with the calcium and they form this scummy layer, so you're actually losing flavour, the flavour is being lost in that scum."