Okay, let’s talk about brewing the perfect cup of black tea. I’ve been messing around with this for a while, and here’s what I’ve found works best.

First, I grabbed my electric kettle. I like using this because you can get the water to the precise temperature. Boiling water is key for black tea. We’re talking 212°F (or 100°C). None of that “almost boiling” stuff.

So, I filled the kettle and set it to boil. While that was going on, I picked out my tea. I’m a simple guy, so I went with some basic black tea bags, you know, the everyday kind. Got my favorite mug ready too.

Once the kettle clicked off, meaning the water was boiling, I poured the water right over the tea bag in my mug. You might think, “What’s the big deal?” But trust me, that fully boiling water is the magic.

Why so hot?

• It gets all those good flavor bits out of the tea leaves.
• Gives you that strong, bold taste that black tea’s all about.

I let it steep for a good 3 to 5 minutes.I timed this part as I wanted to see just how long it could take. Again, I like my tea strong, so I usually go for the full 5 minutes. If you like it milder, maybe check it at 3 minutes.

After steeping, I took out the tea bag, gave it a little squeeze to get all the tasty liquid out, and tossed *’s pretty much it!

The result? A dark, rich, and strong cup of black tea. It’s got that slightly bitter edge that I really * for a morning wake-up or an afternoon pick-me-up.