The Tea Method

Making a perfect cuppa every time is easy. Here's how:

1. Empty the contents of your kettle and re-fill it. The water must be fresh. Turn it on and let it boil.
2. As soon as the kettle has boiled, pour a little bit of the just-boiled water into a mug, swirl it round a bit, then pour it away. This is to warm the mug.
3. Now add a splash of milk and a teabag to the empty mug, lift the kettle a foot above it, and slowly pour the water over the teabag. This will help oxygenate the tea.
4. Take a teaspoon and slowly stir (don't squeeze the teabag). If there are lots of bubbles, use the teabag to soak them up.
5. When the colour of the tea is to your liking (the darker it is, the stronger it tastes), remove the teabag.
6. Enjoy the best, tastiest, most delicious cup of tea you've ever had.

Notes: I do milk first because that way I never over-milk a cup, and I don't get that nasty scum on the top. After 2 decades of taste testing, I've found that Yorkshire Tea has the best flavour. And it comes in hard or soft water varieties depending on the type of water where you live. If you're feeling particularly fancy, use loose-leaf tea and a strainer instead of a teabag. Use proper milk, not UHT.

Questions? Success stories? Photos? I'm @anna_debenham on Twitter.

This site was inspired by Dan Benjamin's Bacon Method