How To Make Strong Tea

Sometimes there is no better feeling than having a mug of bold and flavorful tea in hand. That cup of tea can be essential to waking up, feeling good, or rewarding yourself. But if your cup of tea is leaving you unfulfilled, perhaps you could benefit from some of our suggestions on how to make strong tea without compromising on flavor.

Brewing Strong Herbal Teas

When it comes to recommended brewing, herbal teas are very different from other teas like black, oolong, or green. Herbal teas are not made with traditional tea leaves; they are often made with fruits, flowers, herbs, and other ingredients.
Steeping herbal teas for a longer time won’t hurt the tea flavor; in fact, it might just be the secret you need for a stronger cup. Steep herbal teas as long as you like, until they reach the desired strength level. Likewise, brew herbal teas with hot, boiling water. The hotter temperatures help draw out the flavors in the herbs and fruit to make sure you make the most of their contents. The herbs won’t get bitter, they will only impart a stronger flavor. If brewing an herbal tea to pour over ice, be sure to brew with double the dry leaf to maintain a powerful flavor even when the ice melts.

Brewing Strong Black Teas and Other Teas

Teas made from the traditional camellia sinensis plant need a different strategy for how to make strong tea. Increasing brew times or water temperature for these teas also increases their bitterness -- so stick with the recommended temperature and time, and add strength by increasing the quantity of tea leaves you use instead. This will help ensure that your favorite tea flavor is maintained but intensified in the best way possible, keeping your breakfast teas bright and tart, your oolong teas pleasantly fruity and mineral, and your green teas sweet and fresh.

Make Room

One of the best tools for your quest on how to make strong tea is a good infuser. You cup will get more flavor if the tea leaves have room to unfurl and if they make more contact directly with the water. The traditional ball or novelty-shaped infusers can be super cute and helpful in the right circumstance, but they won’t help you make stronger tea.
For a stronger cup, use a larger basket infuser with mesh. Mesh basket infusers are great for strong tea, giving the tea plenty of room, and the mesh allows the water and tea leaves to freely mingle and circulate. The Celestial, cherry wood, and Victorian infusers all use this construction style to help you get the best brew.

Stay Fresh

If your cup of tea isn’t meeting your flavor needs, maybe you need to freshen up your cupboard. Using fresh tea is one of the key steps in how to make strong tea. The fresher your tea is, the stronger its flavor will be.
Keep your tea fresh by keeping it dry, dark, and away from air. Also, be sure to purchase tea in quantities that keep pace with your brewing rate; the longer your package of tea is opened and used, the better chance it has of going stale over time. If you have too much tea to drink on your own, consider bringing some to a tea swap.
From time, temperature, quantity, space, or freshness, there are plenty of angles you can explore to improve the strength of your next brew. Follow these guidelines for how to make strong tea and never be disappointed by the tea in your cup again!