How to Brew a Cuppa Tea

Sadly, many people do not know how to make tea. Does it matter, you ask? Boy, does it. Making tea the right way will make it taste fresher and wayyyyy better. You cannot microwave tea. This will be devastating to some of you. Our good friend was in the habit of microwaving her tea. But then Jonie made her a cup of proper tea, and she was shocked by the difference.

1. Start with COLD water. We're not 100% sure why, but tea loves oxygen rich water, which is necessarily cold.
2. If you have a tea kettle, wait until it makes a whistling sound. If you do not have a tea kettle, just wait for the water to come to a rolling boil (continuous rolling bubbles across the surface).
3. If you are using loose leaf tea, you're going to need something to put it in. Wire mesh tea contraptions are sold in stores, or you could use a piece of plain, unbleached muslin to steep it. Use however much you want, but start with about the amount that is in a store-bought tea bag.
If you are using store-bought, pre-made tea bags, steep for the instructed amount of time. More than that will make the tea bitter.
4. Add honey or sugar to taste. We prefer honey, as it offers a more robust, natural taste than sugar. If it is a black tea or something in that family, add milk to taste as well.
5. Look as fancy as possible while drinking your tea.