No matter what you’ve heard, brewing loose tea is easy. It requires only a few pieces of equipment that you likely already own, and then you simply brew your leaves.With our tips, you can brew any tea and get terrific results. Of course, you’ll want to experiment a bit for your personal preference, but that’s part of the fun!

Tea. It’s as simple as boiling water, pouring it over leaves, taking a couple minutes to relax, and straining out the leaves. One cup of the perfect tea can hook you for a lifetime. ©Johnalexandr / Adobe StockBut if you are trying to get into tea, you’ll probably want to hold off on some teas. Lapsang souchong, Japanese green teas like sencha or matcha, and white teas may not be what you are expecting.

Although you may hear that green tea is better for you because the catechins (the most common flavanol — a tannin and antioxidant) haven’t been converted into more complex forms, don’t immediately throw out the black tea that you love and switch to green tea! Both green and black tea have antioxidant properties.

Although there are literally thousands of teas and herbal teas, figuring out where to start doesn’t need to be daunting! All tea is made from the same plant, Camellia sinensis; everything else is an herbal tea. There is so much to learn about each of these types — but there truly is something for every taste.Different types of teasWithin the Camellia sinensis family, you can find the following, with each type of tea offering a full spectrum of flavors: Black tea Green tea Oolong tea White tea Fermented tea Tea blends (including blends of different teas and teas with inclusions) The number of herbal teas is practically unlimited.

Your brewing method is an important part of making a great cup of coffee. Whether you use immersion, a pour-over, or a more exotic approach, you can create a delicious drink. Immersion methods With any brewing method, coffee and water come together for a defined period of time, and then they’re separated. What’s left is the liquid you consume and the grounds you dispose of later.

Growing coffee requires Mother Nature’s cooperation. Geography shapes the perceived quality and taste of a given coffee. These conditions have a big impact on any coffee crop: Temperature Rainfall Soil conditions Sun, shade, and wind Coffee grown in the Western Hemisphere In the Americas, coffee has been grown successfully in several countries.

Standing at the counter at your local coffeehouse and deciding what you want can feel overwhelming. Ordering coffee was easier before everybody became a connoisseur. Do you want regular or decaf? Cream, sugar, or black? That was about it.However, the world of espresso beverages introduced an entirely new language to the menu.

According to coffee-loving Italians, you need four key elements for perfect espresso. Here they are: Macchina: The espresso machine Macinazione: The proper grinding of the beans—a uniform grind between fine and powdery—that is ideally created moments before brewing the drink Miscela: The coffee blend and the roast Mano: The skilled hand of the barista; even with the finest beans and the most advanced equipment, the shot depends on the touch of the barista If all these elements come together in harmony, the result is an amazingly intense coffee experience, highlighted by a sweetness and richness that can’t be equaled.