Okay, so I’ve been seeing those “perfect” black tea recipes all over the internet, and, honestly, they looked a little too fussy. I just wanted a good, strong, hot cup of black tea, you know? So, I decided to figure it out my own way. This is what I did.

My Little Black Tea Experiment

First, I grabbed my favorite mug. It’s this big, chunky one that just feels good to hold. Then, I filled the kettle with fresh, cold water. Gotta have good water for good tea, right?

While the kettle was doing its thing, I picked out my tea. I’m using loose leaf black tea – some English Breakfast blend I got. I like it because it’s, well, classic.

I put a heaping teaspoon of the tea leaves into one of those little metal infuser balls. I used to use tea bags, but the loose leaf just tastes better, I swear.

Once the water was boiling – and I mean a real boil, not just a few bubbles – I poured it over the infuser ball in my mug. I made sure the leaves were totally covered.

• Now for the waiting. This is key.
• I let it steep for a solid 4 minutes.
• I know, I know, some people say 3 minutes, some say 5.
• But 4 minutes is my sweet spot.
• It gets the tea strong enough without being bitter.

After the 4 minutes were up, I took out the infuser. Careful, it’s hot! I gave the tea a little stir.

And that’s it! I added a splash of milk. I am that a “splash of milk” person. No sugar for me, though. I like to really taste the tea.

Finally, I sat down, took a sip, and… perfection! A seriously good, hot cup of black tea, just the way I like it. No fuss, no fancy equipment, just good tea.