How do I adjust the taste or flavor of my teas?
There are 3 important factors that affect the taste of your tea:
- Amount of water
- Temperature of water
- Type of water
1. The amount of water used has a strong impact on the strength of your tea! We recommend 8oz of water for our Tea Crystals (the size of 1 large mug), but you can certainly use more or less based on your taste preferences.
If you like your tea weaker, use 9, 10 or 12oz and see if the flavor suits you more. If you like your tea stronger, use 5, 6 or 7oz of water and see how you like it! This is really up to your preference. :)
2. Water temperature is another important factor for getting the best flavor out of Pique, just like loose leaf tea! When consuming your tea hot, we recommend 170F for Green, White and Oolong teas, 180F for Black teas, and 150F for Matcha. Always avoid using boiling water!
3. The best type of water to use for tea is slightly alkaline (~8-9 pH), low mineral content spring water (TDS <90). After that, filtered water is good. Finally, boiled tap water is acceptable but be aware that you will be tasting all the elements that are in the tap water in your tea as well. Finally, we don't recommend water from boiler spouts in your sink as that water has been sitting in a heated receptacle for a very long time and is unlikely to be fresh.
If you are new to tea, you will find that it has a more subtle, delicate flavor compared to coffee. The water you use will make a big impact on flavor!
