Tea, Anyone? The Brew How Much of a Buzz? Tea Enthusiasts

Few indulgences are simpler to prepare than a nice cup of tea. Really, no more than boiling and steeping is involved. But still, connoisseurs insist that there is a Right way to do it. And while this is nothing so complex as a Japanese tea ceremony, the process by which a mug of steaming, fragrant, perfectly-steeped tea is produced is a small ritual in itself.

First, measure out the tea leaves and set them aside. The rule of thumb is to add one teaspoon (or teabag) per cup and "one for the pot." If you are using loose tea leaves, you can put them into a tea ball, a perforated container that allows the leaves to steep but keeps them from floating freely in the water. Many people just add the loose leaves to the pot without worrying about the tea ball, though. Generally, they'll sink in the water as they steep, so they don't clog the spout of the pot, and you don't end up with a cup full of soggy leaves. Pouring the tea through a strainer helps to catch floating leaves before they make it into the cup.

The ideal cup of tea is made with fresh, cool water. It's not worth it to trim down the boiling time by using hot water from the tap. Or to save yourself exertion by turning up the flame under a kettle half-filled with water left over from yesterday. Water for tea should have a high oxygen content, which makes its flavor lively rather than flat. Both hot tap water and preboiled water have already been partially deoxygenated.

As soon as the water reaches a "rolling boil" -- but not before -- remove it from the heat. Letting it boil for too long allows oxygen to escape. Not letting it reach the boiling point at all means your tea water isn't as hot as it can be. And the hotter it is, the more effectively it dissolves the flavors, colors, and caffeine out of the leaves. Before combining tea leaves and water, drizzle a bit of boiling water into the pot, swish it around, and pour it out. Then drop the tea leaves in. The purpose of this preheating step is twofold: the steamy air softens the tea leaves so they release their flavors more readily once they are in the water, and the warm pot helps the tea stay hot a little longer. Finally, fill the pot with water.