Let’s start from the very beginning...

Over 99 per cent of tea is water. So the first trick for a noticeably nicer brew is to make sure the water you use is pure. Steer clear of filling your kettle with water straight from the tap. Unfiltered water not only contains sterilizing agents that considerably affect its flavour, but it also often hides high levels of calcium carbonate, the compound responsible for the build up of limescale in your kettle and consequently scum on the surface of your drink. Simply by filtering water before boiling it, your tea should both look and taste better.

Fresh water, best water

The more oxygen that is dissolved in water, the better it tastes. So, to make sure you use water with the maximum amount of oxygen, don't re-boil any leftover water in your kettle. Water that is boiled too much becomes poorly aerated because oxygen atoms escape in the form of steam. By always filling your kettle up afresh, you are ensured fully aerated and tasty water.

Keep it fresh

Although it's desirable to have as much oxygen as possible in your water, the opposite is true for tea leaves. Leaves go stale when left exposed to oxygen in the air, so keep them crisp and fresh by storing them at room temperature in an airtight container. However, refrigerating or freezing will not keep tea at its best for longer, as the moisture and odours in the fridge will rob the leaves of their taste.

On the boil

When brewing black tea, always use water that has just boiled. It is essential that the water is as close to 100° C (212° F) as possible when it is poured onto the leaves. If the water is significantly below boiling point, many active substances in the tea do not develop, impairing its final flavour. (For green or white teas, or coffee, it is best to use water that is approximately 80° C/176° F.)

Free leaves

Loose leaf tea, as opposed to teabags, usually produces a better-tasting drink. Teabags, although convenient, restrict the movement of the leaves and often prevent them from yielding all their flavour. When the leaves are loose and free to open fully, their flavour is circulated more effectively. This is also why tea brewed in a teapot will often taste better than tea brewed in a mug: the leaves have more space and opportunity to diffuse and steep.

Good tea comes to those who wait

Be patient and let the tea brew for the recommended length of time. Generally speaking, the longer the length of the leaf, the longer it takes to brew. As the leaves in commercially produced teabags tend to be very short, their optimum brewing time is correspondingly minimal (usually 30-45 seconds). Don't squeeze the teabags to shorten the length of brewing time; tea tastes nicer when the leaves are allowed to move freely around the cup, rather than being squashed by a spoon.

Tannin in tea

Remember not to over brew your tea. Tannin, a substance occurring naturally in tea plants, is released from the leaves when exposed to boiling water. The longer the brewing time, the more tannin is released. Too much tannin not only leaves your drink tasting bitter, but it is also known to inhibit the absorption of iron into the bloodstream. If it's a strong drink that you're after, rather than brewing one tea bag for double the length of time, it's best to brew double the number of teabags for the recommended length of time.

Milk?

Traditionally, manners dictated that milk be added to the cup before the tea. This etiquette stemmed from when tea was first introduced to England and porcelain teacups were used that could not withstand the high temperatures of tea. Nowadays, mugs and cups are much stronger and are able to tolerate boiling water, so opinion is divided on when milk should be added. Some still say that milk should be added first; others, however, think that it should be added after, so that the final desirable colour of the tea can be easily recognized. As a general rule, if you're drinking tea brewed in a teapot, add milk to the mug first. If drinking tea brewed in a bag, add the milk last.

Go organic

Free from the presence of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, tea plants grown organically not only yield more flavoursome leaves, but have also been shown to contain naturally higher levels of health-promoting antioxidants. So, if you want a tastier and healthier drink, why not pay a little extra and go organic?

A breath of fresh air

The first recorded sale of tea in Britain was in 1657, when Thomas Garway served and sold tea in Garraway's Coffee House, London. Tea drinking soon became the vogue in gentlemen's clubs, and was associated with high-class society. Yet in Japan, where tea-drinking was introduced as early as the 8th century BC—that's over 2,000 years before it reached British shores—it is believed that by inhaling air with your drink, which increases the intake of oxygen, the flavour of the tea leaves is enhanced. Although this habit of slurping lies in stark contrast with the polite, genteel culture of tea-drinking in Britain, here at Encarta we suggest that the next time you’re alone with a cup of tea, try slurping it up for a better tasting brew! Curtisy of msn.com