I was going to write a guide on brewing tea because I drank it for many years doing it the “wrong way.” Of course, it was still tea, but it didn’t taste as good as it could have. I have wondered how many other people are out there drinking inferior tea without realizing it. I did a bit of research while writing the post only to discover there are so many slight variances, I couldn’t write about it with full certainty that I was giving the right advice. If you want to get deep into the technical aspects of a good cup, check out The Spruce.

However, I can say this: I used to shove a mug in the microwave, heat it for a minute or so, drop in a tea bag, add a splash of milk and that was it. My tea didn’t always taste great, but I never knew why. I discovered that most black tea should be brewed at a full boil (212 Fahrenheit/100 Celsius) and should be allowed to steep for several minutes before adding milk.

When using the microwave, it is difficult to know if your tea is the right temperature.

Since those days, we have happily converted to a electric kettle with temperature control. I love it! We use it for so much more than tea; for example, it is a great way to make instant oatmeal (yeah, I know.) for the kids. We also use it to make pour over coffee, which is arguably the best coffee I’ve ever had.

I can hardly drink tea that has had the milk added before the tea got the chance to steep by itself.

I just can’t drink bad tea. I can drink bad coffee, but bad tea is just too much for me.

You can check out my favorite teas in this post.