The Cuppa Comprehensive: Exquisite Gift Guide for the Discriminating Tea Lover

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Looking for gifts for the coffee drinker? I am not your girl. In search of recommendations for the tea lover?  Welcome, you have arrived at the proper place.

If you’ve never had a truly lovely well-steeped pot of tea, then you will not understand my obsession. Allow me to guide you in the tea experience, either for your own personal enjoyment or for purposes of gift giving.

Heat Your Water

First, you need to heat your filtered, good quality water. If you prefer to heat it on the stovetop, you’ll need a kettle, such as this. I like the traditional look of this one, but you will find more stovetop kettle options here.

 

You may prefer an electric kettle like mine, which heats up rapidly.

Or, you may prefer a temperature-controlled electric kettle. This is optimal, since black teas prefer higher temperatures than do green teas.

Pre-heat Your Tea Pot

While your tea water is coming to boil in the kettle, prepare your tea pot by filling it with very hot water in order to pre-warm it. I like a 6 or 8 cup teapot, because tea is meant to be shared! Here’s a favorite every day pot:

And a lovely, more fancy tea pot. (I’m drooling over this lovely set!)

Here are more lovely options.

Tea Strainer

If you want highest quality tea, you’re going to use loose leaf tea. In order to do so, you’ll need a tea strainer. You have options here: you can place the tea in a tea basket when you prepare it, such as this:

Or you may leave the tea leaves loose in the pot and strain as you pour with a strainer such as this:

Click here for more options.

Choose Your Tea

 

 

 

 

If you are unable to use loose tea, please consider using cachets. Cachets are envelopes of whole leaf tea, such as this.

How to Prepare a Pot of Tea

When your water is boiling, empty out the “pre-heating water” from the tea pot and pour it into the cups for pre-warming. Now, pour the boiling water over your lovely fresh tea leaves and allow steeping for 4-5 minutes, according to taste. Remove tea leaves. Pour piping hot tea into beautiful cups! Enjoy with a bit of sugar, honey, lemon, or milk according to taste.

Beautiful Tea Cups

 

Here are more options.

Basic Equipment to Make an Exceptional Pot of Tea

In summary, here’s what you need to have an outstanding tea experience:

To heat water: Tea kettle, stovetop or electric

For brewing: Tea Pot

To remove loose leaves: Tea strainer

Loose Leaf Tea

This is all you need for a wonderful, relaxing, aromatic, gentle, civilized cup of tea. Enjoy.

Enjoy shopping for yourself or the tea lover in your life! I do hope you will have a lovely tea party with those you love. When you have your party, please tag me @kimturnermcculley on Instagram or kimmcculley7 on Twitter!

Check out my other gift guides:

14 Favorite Children’s Christmas Books

How to Give Gifts with Heart and Purpose

How to Celebrate with a Simple Birthday Tea Party