Ever since the dawn of tea drinking, the same question has been asked time and again: why does my tea taste bad? The answer, as always, has a number of aspects. Recently, I had a tea experience that was probably a combination of several of these.

Water Quality

This is usually the first place you should look for the culprit responsible for that bad tea taste (but it’s not always the one tea lovers do look at). A lot has been written about water quality. Hard or soft. Reboil or not reboil. Oxygen levels. Let’s face it, these can all make a difference, especially considering that some tea blends are crafted for specific water types. Pick the best water (the one that matches the tea you’re steeping) and get the best taste.

More info:

• Water and Oxygen and Tea
• Oxygen, Water & Tea
• The Importance of Water
• Using the Right Water for Tea
• Brewing Tea: Water Quality

Tea Quality

This is usually the first thing people blame when their tea tastes bad. But it is usually the last cause of that icky experience. (I say “usually” because I recently had a bad tea taste experience that was definitely the tea — or rather all the “stuff” that had been added in to “flavor” the tea, as if tea did not by itself have enough flavor.) However, the real culprit is mostly the water, but after that it’s the preparation methods used. And then there is the teabag issue, where the kind made of hemp add their own peculiar flavor to the taste of your tea.

More info:

• “I Hate Green Tea”
• Tea Taste-Killers
• Why Your White Tea Tastes Lousy
• Why Your Black Tea Tastes So Lousy
• Are You Tasting the Tea or the Teabag?
• What’s the Easiest Tea to Prepare?

Preparation Issues

Some tea drinkers who mainly drink a particular type of tea, such as black tea (the most common type consumed in the U.S. by far), will suddenly try a different type such as green or white. That’s great. Experimenting and expanding your tea horizons is a wonderful thing. But what works for your usual tea may not work for other teas. Timing can be critical in achieving the right tea taste. So can the water temperature. Timers and thermometers designed especially for use in tea preparation are very useful. And pay close attention to vendors’ steeping instructions.

More info:

• The Perfect Water Temperature for Tea
• Rethinking Water Temperature
• How to Steep a Great Cuppa Oolong Tea
• Tea Experiment — Steeping Times
• How to Make Bad Tea
• Make Your Tea Taste Better
• Can You Brew Tea Like You Brew Coffee?
• Tea Brewing Techniques
• Understeeping Your Tea Can Be Good
• Time to Time Your Tea
• The Value of Tea Company Steeping Instructions

Teaware Issues

The teabag, which I technically count as a teaware since the tea steeps within it, is an extremely popular method of steeping tea. But those hemp teabags (as opposed to the ones made of “silk-like” material) tend to distort the taste of the tea. I tried it myself and truly tasted a difference. Another teaware issue is when you steep a delicate tea in a large teapot that is better steeped in a smaller cup or gaiwan multiple times. And then there are those small teaball infusers, infuser sticks, and other devices where tea leaves are crammed in and have no room to fully expand and infuse. Small wonder that the tea tastes bad!

More info:

• Avoid the Strain of Tea Steeping with the 2-Teapot Method
• Teapot Shape Defies Infusers
• Tea and the Infuser Experiment
• Roundtable Topic: Pairing Teas with Teawares
• Getting Along with “Normal” Teawares

Bottom Line

If your tea tastes bad, check your water first, then the steeping instructions, then your method of steeping, and finally the tea. So many fine teas get a bad reputation needlessly. Happy steeping!

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