The perfect cuppa

Has anyone mastered the perfect cuppa tea yet? It should be the most simple tast on the planet but I can't seem to get it. I always add to much milk, or not enough  of it. I never seem to let the tea bag brew long enough... I'm really bad with instant coffees too. I never know how much to put in!

I don't think there's any right amount of milk to put in -- just however you like it. Some people like it milkier, others prefer less milk.

I let mine brew for about five minutes -- if I'm doing a pot of real tea. For a quick tea bag cuppa, I might only leave it two minutes.

Nah. I'm rubbish at making tea.   I let other people do it. 

I am so anal about my tea lol.  Has to be Yorkshire teabags, water absolutely MUST be boiling (my mum taught me well).  I don't take milk in my tea so that's no prob, but I let it steep a few minutes... and I add 2 packets of Splenda.  Mmmmmm, yummy.  As soon as I walk in the door after work the kettle goes on

If you're still at a loss, turn to George Orwell: http://www.246.dk/teaorwell.html

Ok, this was actually a training I had to go through while working at Whittards.  Here is what they teach us.

Always boil freshly drawn cold water.  Let the tap run for about 5 secs before filling up kettle. Warm the teapot. Add the correct number of teabags. Add the water the moment it boils. Brew for 3-5 minutes. Pour the milk into your cup before the tea. Alternatively brew one teabag in a mug or cup. Remove the teabag when the tea is the strength you require. Add milk afterwards. Never reuse the water in the kettle as the oxygen content has been greatly lowered.

Tea
Preparing tea is such a personal thing. Old Mr Whittard used to say that “developing your own ceremony for tea making was essential to gain the most pleasure from that simple cuppa”. Understand what you want from your tea and brew it accordingly, whilst remembering that the all-important rule - the smaller the leaf, the stronger the tea – has yet to be proved wrong. 

www.whittard.com

Enjoy!

Pour the milk into your cup before the tea. Alternatively brew one teabag in a mug or cup. Remove the teabag when the tea is the strength you require. Add milk afterwards.

I love the MIF/TIF debate!! I'm a TIF person. If it's good enough for Buckingham Palace, it's good enough for me.

Anyone else?

Definitely MIF for me!
I like my tea super strong (as in, brewed for a long time, with strong tea like Yorkshire), and lots of milk. 

Has anyone mastered the perfect cuppa tea yet?

Yep! It's full of coffee!

If you're still at a loss, turn to George Orwell: http://www.246.dk/teaorwell.html

Ooh, thanks!

I have to agree with Orwell!!

I am a bit of a tea snob. I don't like tea bags... it's pure dust if you have ever had a proper pot of tea! 

When I use sugar, it is either brewed with the tea or in the cup first to melt upon impact and... milk should be hot!!! none of this cold milk to hot tea business!!! A hot cuppa is the best cuppa!!

Whisper, what does Wittard say about how to brew leaves? I like their selections and how you can smell them.

I finally have come to like tea, in fact I like it a lot! Drank it the whole two weeks I was in England last month to stay warm and found out I really like it. I actually bought some and have been drinking it at home, but can't get it to taste the same at all. I think its the difference in my milk here? What type of milk do you use in your tea? While I was there we used whole milk. 

Tea leaves are actually the best way to brew tea.  As I asked our tea director once he says that the poor tea leaf actually suffers greatly because when you put tea into a teabag it is actually ground up (called a fanning) losing a lot of the quality you get from the straight leaf.  Use about 3-4 teaspoon of leaves per 6 cup teapot.  The teabag is more a matter of convienence (can't think how to spell).

Side note:  the teabag was actually never intended to be used.  I can't remember the dates but in Britain over 100+ years ago it was actually meant to be a measure only.  It was so people would know how much to use per person. But people actually begun to just put the teabag straight into their cup. And this is how the teabag came into being. (I actually had to read that in my manual at work!)

You can actually any type of milk you like. 

But after I have learned a few things I will never again drink PG Tips, Typhoo, or Tetley. I know they have been British staples in life for quite a while, but have you ever wondered why they were so cheap? You are basically getting the leftover bits.

You bought some while in the UK? It could be the milk, whole milk obviously makes it taste creamier. Could be the water or if you use sugar, it could be that too.

Tea does actually taste different if drunk from different types of ceramic. I prefer using bone china as I get more of the tea taste when I drink it and it tends to hold the heat better.  Ceramic and stoneware are just too chunky and heavy and I hate that polished ceramic taste.