A Kettle Watched, Boils to Perfection

Did you know that you should vary the temperature of water depending on the variety of tea you are making?
 

It comes as second nature to put the kettle on and wait until it boils right? Next time you do that, you might just want to watch the kettle boil!
 

The only teas which require boiling water for infusion are black teas, herbals and aged puerh teas. Whites, greens and oolongs require varying temperatures from 80 – 95 degrees.
 

It comes down to personal taste, which comes from experimenting, however the following is a good guide to follow:

White tea: 80 – 85 degrees

As white tea is extremely delicate and the least processed of teas it makes sense to use a lower water temperature to bring out the subtle flavours. Often when tea is allowed to cool, the fruit and floral notes are more prominent.

Green tea: 85 – 90 degrees

To avoid scorching the tea and ruining the nuances, use water that is just off the boil.  This is what is referred to as a soft roiling boil or “crab eye water” which has large bubbles forming in it.

Oolong: 90 – 95 degrees

As oolong has some green and black characteristics, so it makes sense to use water just before it boils – this is a slightly more rapid movement than green tea known as “fish eye water” which is made up of smaller bubbles.

The more you watch and listen to the water as it is about to boil in your kettle, you will learn when to pick the right temperature. A clear kettle or jug is perfect for learning. Failing that, we are now spoilt for choice as a number of electric kettles available on the market now have pre-set temperatures - perfecting for sampling all types of tea.

Hint: When tea is brewed at the right temperature, you will start to develop your palate and detect subtle flavours that would otherwise be lost if boiling water was used.

- Contributed by Certified Tea Master and guest blogger Suzi van Middelkoop from Tea by the Sea