A Nice Cup of Tea

A nice cup of tea is the usual answer in Britain and Ireland to any everyday problem. Nothing is so bad that a nice cup of tea with a friend or family member can't make it better.
Ingredients
- 32 fl oz (1 L) hot water
- 3–5 measures of loose tea leaves or 3–5 tea bags
- Sweetener, such as sugar or honey, to taste
- Milk or lemon juice to taste
Steps
- Pour freshly-drawn water into tea kettle. Heat to desired temperature.
- Pre-warm teapot: let hot tap water stand in it several seconds to a minute, or swish hot water from kettle for a few seconds. Pour out.
- Place loose tea in infuser, then in teapot. Place teabags directly in teapot.
- When water reaches preferred temperature, pour into teapot. Avoid pouring directly onto tea, especially green and white teas.
- Infuse without stirring or dunking teabag. Watch time to avoid over-infusion. Remove infuser or teabag when time is up.
- Pour into cups. Add sweetener and milk or lemon to taste.
Notes from the original
- You can also prepare a single cup of tea at once by placing a single measure of tea directly into the serving cup.
- Commonly one-half to one tea measure (or rounded teaspoon if you do not have a tea measure) is added per desired cup of tea. Some people add an extra measure "for the pot" (e.g., if 4 cups of tea are desired, 5 measures of tea would be used. It really is a matter of personal preference.)
- Remember that the tannins in tea stain, so it is advisable to pour the tea over a non-staining surface, wipe up any spills quickly, and not leave tea standing in a teapot for long periods of time.
- Never combine milk and lemon in the same cup of tea or the milk will curdle into lumps.
- If you are using an infuser, be sure it is closed tightly so the tea does not spill into the pot. Rinse the tea-filled infuser briefly under cool tap water to wash away tiny flakes that would otherwise drift into the teapot.
- If using a filter basket infuser, do not overfill the basket (refer to the instructions that came with your basket). The brief rinse is usually not necessary unless the basket's mesh is quite porous.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:A Nice Cup of Tea” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2026-08-03, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Nice Cup of Tea.jpg by Vanderdecken, Public domain, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.






