The history of tea is preserved not only in teapots and tea chests, but also in the writings of those who loved the beverage enough to document its pleasures. One such figure was James Henry Leigh Hunt (1784–1859), better known simply as Leigh Hunt. Although often overshadowed by literary friends such as John Keats and… Continue reading

Tea lovers are never short on advice when it comes to brewing the perfect cup. Everyone seems to have a favorite method—including author George Orwell, who famously shared his own thoughts on tea preparation. But what exactly is a “perfect” pot of tea? The answer depends on the tea, the drinker, and the brewing style.… Continue reading

I currently contribute a monthly column on tea books and another on tea gadgets and offbeat news. While I don’t plan to make “perfect tea” a regular topic, there’s certainly no shortage of advice out there on how to achieve it. Over time, I’ve come across several interesting approaches—some of which even attempt to apply… Continue reading

I may have written about the elusive idea of the “perfect” cup of tea more times than I can count—or at least more times than I’m willing to count. For a recent take on the subject, see this detailed discussion of tea preparation techniques and the quest for the perfect brew. It’s clearly a popular… Continue reading

I’ve written about the elusive concept of the perfect cup of tea on several occasions. My most recent thoughts can be found in this detailed discussion on refining the art of making the perfect cup of tea. I’m still not entirely convinced such perfection exists, but striving for it is part of the enjoyment. The… Continue reading

So what about this “perfect” cup of tea? Before diving into some notable how-to guides, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the meaning of the word itself. Merriam-Webster Online defines “perfect” as “being entirely without fault or defect.” That’s a pretty lofty standard for anything—especially something as subjective as a cup of tea. Still,… Continue reading

In this discussion of what defines a truly great cup of tea, I explored the idea of “perfect tea” and concluded that absolute perfection may be difficult to achieve. However, you can come remarkably close by starting with high-quality loose leaf tea selections and preparing them with care. At the time, I also noted that… Continue reading

If you’ve been a tea lover for a while you’ve undoubtedly heard the term “perfect cup of tea” a few times. Run on over to Google and do a search for the phrase and you’ll come up with a mere 341,000 results. Which suggests that it’s a topic that’s on more than a few people’s… Continue reading