THE BEST TEA IS MADE WITH THE BEST WATER
SPRING WATER
TAP WATER
Since half of tea flavor is water, it's important to check your water quality. One of the most common causes of weak or bitter tea is reverse osmosis water or distilled water. This is because tea flavor is created by tea leaves bonding with minerals in the water. If there aren't enough minerals in water to bond with, there won't be much flavor.
You may not know that the water in your tap is filtered or reverse osmosis. This is because some buildings have a water filtration system. Some towns use reverse-osmosis processing at their regional water plant.
For the best, brightest tea flavor, we recommend bottled spring water. Filtered water, and in many case tap water, also make great tea. Another thing that may affect tea flavor is residue from cleaning products. Scented dish detergent will leave a scent on mugs, cups, and pots.
Taste the difference for yourself:
Set up a side-by-side taste test. Using the same amount of the same tea, at same water temperature brew one mug with distilled water (Smartwater) or reverse osmosis water (Dasani) and the other mug with spring water or tap water if you're sure it's not filtered.
FIX TEA WEAK TEA BY MEASURING LEAVES
WHAT’S WEAK TEA FOR YOU MAY BE PERFECT FOR SOMEONE ELSE
A pinch or a pound? A teaspoon or a tablespoon? How strong do you like your tea?
We've all had tea that's weak and watery or way too strong to drink. The issue may lie in the ratio of tea leaves to water.
At August we recommend the following ratio for tea to water. This is based on what tastes good to us, and what we've found suits most people. However, no one but you can say how strong tea should be for you. Here's how to get your tea to be just the right strength.
ALL MEASUREMENTS ARE NOT EQUAL
Measure by weight not by volume
Different teas have different volumes. As you can see in the image above of a Dark Pearl Oolong, Low Country black tea and Biarritz rooibos blend, the volume of 3.5 grams of tea varies a lot. The best way to brew consistently is to weigh the tea leaves.
Do a side-by-side taste test to experience the difference in tea strength
Measure one scoop of the tea into one infuser. Measure a half a scoop into another mug. Brew both at the recommended temperature for 5 minutes. You should definitely be able to taste the difference in strength. Which do you prefer?
HOW TO GET THE PERFECT STRENGTH TEA
We like our tea bold, so we start with 3.5g or about a tablespoon of tea to every 10 ounces of water. If that tastes great to you, awesome! If the finished tea is too strong, use 0.5g or a half a scoop less. If it's too weak, add 0.5g of tea or another half scoop. Keep experimenting with .5 gram increments and you'll find the perfect ratio to suit your taste.
AT AUGUST, WHAT MATTERS TO US MOST IS FLAVOR.
Whether you're new to tea or an old pro, even a little tweak might take your tea from good to amazing. No matter what your ritual is, we want to help you get the best flavor out of any tea.