My tea tastes bitter!

Possible Causes:

1. You may have used too-hot water on your tea. This is particularly true if you are making green or white tea.

• Green, white and some oolong and black teas should not be prepared with boiling water. Check the the tea package for guidance on temperatures and don’t be afraid to experiment. This article offers a succinct explanation of the factors involved in determining the appropriate water temperature for one’s tea.
• If you don’t have an electric kettle with temperature control, get a thermometer to measure how hot your water is.

2. You may have over-steeped your tea (i.e. allowed it to infuse for too long).

• Check the package instructions for recommended steep times. Keep in mind, though, that the steep time on a package is often the absolute maximum, particularly for the first infusion. Experiment with shorter steep times.
• Get a belt clip timer so that you don’t make the mistake of forgetting your tea as it steeps.

3.  You may have used too much tea leaf in the preparation of your tea.

• Measure your tea using a scale. Teaspoon measurement only works if the leaf size is small and can easily fit in the spoon.
• Not all cups are created equal : Check how much water your cup holds, then check the tea instructions for preparation. If the instructions require a teaspoon of tea per 8 ounces of water,  and your cup only holds six ounces, you will need to reduce the amount of tea accordingly!

4.  You may be using bad tea or tea that has not been stored properly.

• The tea may be bad (as in poorly grown and processed by the manufacturer), or it may be stale.
• Another real possibility is that the tea was not stored properly and has picked up flavors/odors. Tea is like a sponge when it comes to flavors/scents. Never store tea in a spice cabinet, and always store it in an air/water tight container.

5. You may be preparing your tea or its water in a contaminated vessel.

• Be sure to clean out your teapots and descale your kettles.

6. You may be using stale, warm or contaminated water.

• Water for tea should be fresh and cold. Spring water is said to be best, but freshly filtered water works well too. Don’t forget to change your water filter cartridges!