Every tea company has a version of making the perfect cup of tea.  Here, the Edinburgh Tea Company tells how to make the perfect cup. Obviously, these directions work best with a nice cup of Edinburgh Tea.   You can find these directions on the Edinburgh Tea official website.

Using a good quality loose leaf or bagged tea really does make a difference if you want a perfect cuppa. That’s why we always buy clean, main grade teas that have finesse in the taste and don’t leave dust in the bottom of your cup.

Here’s a few tips that work for both leaf tea and teabags:

* Always use freshly drawn boiling water. (This keeps as much oxygen in the water as possible.)

* If you are using a teapot, add one 1 teabag or 1 rounded teaspoon of loose tea for each cup, and add an extra one for the pot.

* When using bagged tea in a mug, one teabag per mug will be the right amount.

* Start brewing your tea as soon as the water boils. Grandma’s adage of ‘taking the pot to the kettle’ is very true.

* Pour your hot water onto the tea rather than adding the tea to water.

* Brewing time makes a huge difference. Our tea blender John brews every batch he tastes for exactly five and a half minutes to extract all the flavour components. We recommend a 5-minute brew if you’re drinking black tea at home, and a 3-4 minute brew if your cuppa is green or white tea. Tea cosies are optional but do help to retain the heat in your pot.

* Pour and serve, adding milk, or a slice of lemon, or a little sugar to suit your taste.

If this makes a cuppa that is a bit strong for you put a little less tea in and still brew for the full five minutes. Brewing for 30 seconds means you are missing out on some of flavors in your brew.