How To Make Tea (Black Tea & Milk Tea)

A spoon stirring milk tea in a white cup.

How To Make Tea (Black Tea & Milk Tea)

Course: Afternoon, Breakfast, Brunch, Tea

Cuisine: British, East Asian, Indian, South Asian, Sri Lankan

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 79kcal

Author: Dini Kodippili

How to make black tea and milk tea with all the tips on tea types, water, temperature, steeping time, tools & equipment etc., so you can make the best cup of tea with robust flavor!

EASY - Very easy recipe for making tea.

Print Recipe

Equipment

Kettle
Tea infuser or disposable tea bags
2 cups, to serve
Tea pot
Strainer
Small jug (optional - for milk tea)

Ingredients

Black tea / plain tea (for 2 servings)

2 bags black tea (Assam or Ceylon tea) 6 g / 4 tsp BOP tea / 3 tsp fannings tea (see recipe notes)

Milk tea (for 2 servings)

4 bags black tea (Assam or Ceylon tea) 12 g / 8 tsp BOP tea / 6 tsp fannings tea (see recipe notes)

Other ingredients

480 mL water 2 cups, heated to 95°C / 203°F (see recipe notes)
Water (optional) enough water to pre-warm the tea pot and tea cups
½ cup pouring cream / half and half or full-fat milk
2 tbsp instant milk powder (instead of cream / milk)
Sugar to taste

Instructions

Warming the tea pot and cups

Bring enough water to a boil and pour the water into the serving cups and tea pot until almost full. Set aside until you get the tea ready (this is to pre-warm the tea serveware).

Making the tea (for 2 servings)

Choose Assam tea, Ceylon tea, or a Breakfast tea, and set aside 2 bags for black tea, and 3 - 4 bags for milk tea. If using loose leaf tea, measure the amount you will need.
2 bags black tea (Assam or Ceylon tea), 4 bags black tea (Assam or Ceylon tea)
Place the loose leaf tea in the tea infuser or disposable / reusable tea bags. Make sure there is plenty of room in the bags / infusers for the tea leaves to expand.
Heat room temperature water to 95°C / 203°F. If you don't have a temperature controlled kettle, heat the water to a boil and then let it cool down for about 2 - 3 minutes to bring the temperature down slightly to about 95°C.
480 mL water
Empty the water in the tea pot, and place the tea bags / infuser in the tea pot.
Pour 480 mL / 2 cups of the hot water into the tea pot and gently stir for a few seconds. Place the lid and let the tea steep.
About 2 - 3 minutes for black tea (plain milk).
About 5 minutes for milk tea.
You can either remove the tea bags and set them aside, OR immediately pour the tea into the prewarmed cups to serve as well.

Black tea (for 2 servings)

After steeping the tea for 2 - 3 minutes, the tea is ready to be served. Empty the water in the serving cups.
Pour the tea into the cups and add sugar to desired sweetness. Stir to dissolve and serve.
Sugar

Milk tea (for 2 servings)

While the tea is steeping, warm the milk in a pot or in the microwave. It shouldn’t be boiling, but fairly warm.
½ cup pouring cream / half and half
After letting the tea steep for about 5 minutes, the tea is ready to be served.
Empty the water in the serving cups.
Milk tea with cream / milk - Pour the tea into the cups, but leave room for the cream. Pour the cream into the tea, about 2 - 3 tbsp of cream is my preference. But if you're using milk, you may need to add more. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.
½ cup pouring cream / half and half, Sugar
Milk tea with milk powder - Alternatively, you can also place 1 tbsp of milk powder directly in each of the serving cups or 2 tbsp into a separate jug with sugar (if using). Then pour just a little of the hot tea and stir the milk powder vigorously to dissolve (this is so that there are no milk powder lumps in the final tea). Top with more tea and strain into the serving cups.
2 tbsp instant milk powder, Sugar
Serve immediately.

Notes

Making milk tea on the stovetop

You can also simmer tea leaves with water and milk on the stove to make milk tea. Add water to a pot and bring it a boil with the lid ajar.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, and add the tea leaves. Stir it in to make sure the tea leaves are saturated, and then let the mixture simmer for about 3 - 4 minutes on low heat.

Add the milk / cream and simmer for a further 30 - 60 seconds. Strain and serve.

Note about tea and amounts

Choose a strong black tea to make milk tea. I use Ceylon tea or Assam tea.

1 tea bag = 3 g tea

1 tsp whole loose leaf tea / OP or BOP tea = 1.2 - 1.5 g

1 tsp fannings or dust tea = 2 - 2.2 g

Note about water

You can use bottle-filtered or spring water if the drinkable water has high minerals or salinity (i.e. hard water).

Otherwise, regular tap water, or boiled and cooled water, or filtered water will work.

Nutrition