A perfect cup of tea is whatever you want it to be!
I’ve just put the kettle on for my afternoon cup of tea, and often just this small act will bring back memories, from long ago and far away, and not so long ago as well. One of the most enjoyable parts of running our small Vermont inn was the ritual of afternoon tea – that little stop at 4 p.m. to nibble a snack and savor a cup of fragrant, steaming tea, conversations filling the air. In the hot summer, iced tea took its place most days, although more often than you would think, the steaming cup still reigned.
A little time, a little patience, a little reward.
It’s a little pause that set us up for the rest of the day, enables us to catch our breath, a time to stop and regroup, something this society is not very good at right now, but perhaps we need more of those little breaks.
Many’s the time spent sitting at the kitchen table with someone who just needed a bit of comfort. We might not solve all the problems of the world over a pot of tea and a warm scone, but we might be able to sort some of our own, or at least slow down and listen with a sympathetic ear to those of others. Maybe share a secret or two? Of course, the best pots of tea are the imaginary ones shared with a child.
It is time for tea! While the tea steeps, cut up a lemon and pour your milk. Now is the time for a refreshing pause for sustenance and conversation, or just a quiet moment to oneself. I love using my mom’s vintage teapot, a heavy ceramic pot from the 1950s that holds a lot and keeps the tea nice and hot.
I love the ritual, even if there’s no one else around. Most days I put the kettle on after I’ve completed what I consider to be a reasonable amount of work at my desk, and need a little pick me up. It’s a wonderful time to pause and relax and think about nothing but the aroma of the tea and the calming steam. Making tea does take some patience. First we need to wait for the water to heat, we make our tea and cup decisions, both very important, and get our pot ready. Then, once brewing, we wait again, this is sometimes the hard part. But the reward is that first little sip of the hot beverage, steam on the face, and a good exhale.
Every tea a little different
There is no one set of directions for all teas, each type of tea has its own steeping time and water temperature where the flavor is optimum, and everyone likes their own strength. The only hard and fast rule is do not bring the water to a full boil, and don’t let it steep much beyond its optimal recommended time, unless you like it really dark.
Steeping instructions
Most black teas, such as the traditional English Breakfast Tea, need two or three minutes at around 205 degrees, just below the boiling. A green or white tea will need only a minute or two at 175 degrees. Oolong is best steeped for 3 minutes at 195, and can be saved and steeped again. Check with your tea supplier, or read the container.
Choose your container wisely
If you drink a lot of tea, look for canisters that have a nice tight-fitting seal. This will keep your loose tea fresher, longer. If you are a teabag fan, they will keep better stored this way as well rather than sitting in the opened cardboard box.
Some secrets to good tea-making:
1. The type of tea – Although I have a variety of teabags on hand for those who prefer, loose teas taste better. They simply do, and the ritual is a lot more fun. The tea in a tea bag is finely ground, to fit and to steep quickly, but it can start to go stale as soon as the package is opened. A nice loose tea has leaves cut much larger, sometimes even whole, and when stored in an airtight container, will keep fresh considerably longer, often years if stored right. The flavor is more pronounced in loose tea. I tested a popular variety of black tea, both the bags and loose, and satisfied myself there is a big difference. Additionally, you can forecast your future with loose tea!
2. The type of pot – I prefer a ceramic teapot to a fancy silver one. My favorite pot is a vintage 1950s Hall six-cup, “Hollywood Chartreuse” pot, most of the gold trimming worn away, but it is heavy and retains the heat beautifully. It belonged to my mother, so it’s like an old friend in my kitchen, flaws and all. As I pour memories, it has helped soothe many a harsh day.
3. The process – Fill the pot with hot water and let it warm while you heat the tea water. This warming will ensure your tea will stay hot as long as possible. If using, fill your tea ball or bag with the right amount of tea for each cup. Again, this will vary depending on the type of tea you are using, and your own experience with it, so check the directions. If you are making a large pot, over two cups, always add an extra teaspoon “for the pot.” That’s what my grandmother did, so that’s how I do it.
A little patience is rewarded
Once the water is at the right temperature for the tea, dump the teapot water and add your tea. You can add the tea loose, or use a tea ball or paper “tea bag.” Loose is fine with me if I’m making a small pot, I have a strainer to keep the leaves from my cup, but you can also just pour carefully. However, if you are using a large pot, the tea will remain in the pot and continue to steep to the point of bitter, so take that into consideration. This is where you want a ball, my preference, or a fillable paper tea bag or sack that can be removed once the tea is steeped.
Timing is everything
Fill your pot with the heated water, cover, and set your timer.
Once the tea is ready, pour a bit out and taste. It is all about how you like it, not what the directions dictate. If it needs a little more time to please you, so be it. If not, pour and enjoy!
Lemon or milk?
Some folks like lemon in their tea, some prefer milk. I’m a lemon person myself, so I don’t think a lot about the “white.” An English lady I know told me to never use cream in tea, always milk! So I obeyed, and always serve milk, along with sugar, honey for those who prefer that flavor, and slices of lemon of course! Of course, there is always the debate about whether to pour the milk in the cup before or after the tea, but I know better than to take sides on this one.
And if you choose an Oolong tea, those leaves can be steeped several times, usually the second steep is the best, so indulge.
Left-over tea
By the way, don’t throw out your leftover tea; it will taste great iced if it is not over-steeped. Make a great punch for a gathering by mixing equal parts iced tea with fruit juices. Hibiscus works well here, as does a lively mint. A simple punch for the whole family is made with just hibiscus and seltzer water with a little cranberry juice added for sweetness. Float some orange slices and you are all set. As my niece Brooke told me one day “If there is punch, there is a party!” She is right about that.
Make your own blend
I love most teas, but I really love making my own blend. One of my favorites is a simple mix of equal parts hibiscus and rooibos (a lovely caffein-free African bush tea), and a quarter part peppermint. It is delicious hot, and a hit with everyone iced. The deep reddish color is pretty too!
In summer, a quick and simple tea is made with fresh mint which grows in profusion in my garden. Just break off some leaves, add to a pot or cup, and pour over the hot water. Add ice if you like after it’s steeped. So refreshing and as the growing season ebbs, dry large bunches to use all winter. I often offer flavored honey syrup, a delicious addition to your cup. The ginger variety is often in my house, but use your imagination.
The kettle is hot, I’m steeping the tea. Will you join me? I have scones in the oven, and a secret or two.
The youngers decided to host a tea party for their friends.
Jaina’s Honey, Lemon & Ginger Syrup
Use this simple honey syrup to sweeten hot tea, iced tea, lemon water, or to enhance a cocktail. If you have a sore throat, a teaspoon of this is soothing. Add a little miso and a dash of soy sauce, and you have a glaze for poultry. A drizzle over blue cheese, and you have a party. You can always add an herb or spice you like, such as rosemary or cloves. I’ve named this for Jaina since she is as much of a ginger addict as I am, and she loved to drizzle this over her plain yoghurt for her after-school snack.
- 1 organic lemon, sliced
- 1 ½ ounce knob fresh ginger, sliced
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup native wildflower honey
Slice the lemon and the ginger but do not peel. Bruise the ginger with the knife, and place in a saucepan. Add the water and honey. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Strain.
I store mine in a canning bottle or jar in the refrigerator. I have no idea how long it will last since we use it up in a couple of weeks. So, at least a little longer than that.
Cheers!
Copyright 2025– or current year, The New Vintage Kitchen. Dorothy Grover-Read. Unattributed use of this material and photographs is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to The New Vintage Kitchen, with active link and direction to this original post.
The New Vintage Kitchen does not accept ads or payment for mention of products or businesses.
Supporter of: Slow Food Fair Trade USA Northeast Organic Farmers Association EcoWatch Let’s Save Our Planet No Kid Hungry Hunger Free Vermont Environmental Working Group World Central Kitchen Sustainable America Seed Savers Exchange
Save the Children Vermont Farm to Plate
Our posts and images are created by a human, not by AI. We like it that way.
Thank you, Dorothy, for your wonderful paean to tea! As I collect the beautiful tea services, I love your elegant selection!
Joanna
Thank you Joanna! We accumulated a couple of dozen pretty tea cups at the inn and folks had fun choosing their mug, grandkids too!
Always milk first for tea and warm the teapot. We Brits are very fussy about our tea! Lovely post Dorothy.
Thank you! I love my afternoon cup!
Thanks for the recipe for lemon ginger honey. I will make a batch. I do love a “proper” cuppa. I love how it even changes the scent in my home making it feel more clean and energizing.
That it does Bernadette! Real estate agents, take note!
Hi Dorothy, I am a big tea drinker and so I can relate to everything you’ve written here. I don’t like green tea though so Japan was hard from a tea perspective.
Green tea is tough for some folks. I’m not a big fan of matcha, but I get the powdered and tuck it in smoothies because it really is awfully good for us. There’s a blend I get with lemon that’s not too bad.
The lemon ginger honey syrup recipe sounds delicious.
I drink tea, brew it in a pot, then depending on my mood add lemon or milk. I’m fickle when it comes to tea.
I’m like that with coffee. A really good blend doesn’t need anything else, especially after a lovely dinner, but in the morning, I like some white in it!
Mmmm. Any time is perfect for tea time!
Even 3 a.m.!
It’s been known to happen! 🫖
Milk – preferably half-and-half. A Sommelier said that your preference in how one takes their tea can directly reflect on what properties that person wants in wine.
Thanks for that tidbit, I can definitely see that correlation M.! I don’t like my tea or coffee sweetened, and I like only dry wine, nothing sweet for me!
And I prefer “buttery” Chardonnays.
I have found a couple of chardonnays with a perfume so heavenly, I overlook the sweet!
What a wonderful post! Thank you.
Thanks Mimi! I think I’m just always recreating my childhood tea parties!
I really enjoyed this post! Thanks for sharing. While I don’t have a china tea set, I have a hand painted china coffee set inherited from my Great-aunt Hazel. I can just imagine her elegantly serving coffee from the china pot into the beautiful cups painted with violets.
Oh, it sounds beautiful Julia! Those coffee servers are so special, aren’t they? Definitely worthy of a pause in a busy life!
It is beautiful! I love having it displayed. I can’t wait until we get our china cabinet.
I’m a big tea drinker – tea bags are fine for work or my breakfast cuppa, but otherwise like an Earl Grey in my Bodum pot or one of the herbal teas I have. I do enjoy Lapsang Souchong when I can get it.
Although not the best-tasting (it’s rather bland) I have found that Yerba Mate tea gives me the boost I need during mid-afternoon slumps or right before a work-out. All the “buzz” without the caffeine jitters!
I know, the caffeine in tea is sneaky!
Today, it’s grey outside and might snow again; I’m going to brew some chamomile from last years garden. It’s not for everyone, but I love that taste of summer.
Sounds wonderful! I love Lapsang Souchong, and it’s funny , my husband loves his Earl Grey!
Oh, my gosh! This post certainly hits the spot with me, a tea lover from way back. If you lived closer, I would be over like a shot. One of our favorite tea companies is Harney and Sons, and we have quite the selection in tins. I was taken with your cold tea recipe and will be trying ot this summer. Sounds delicious!
If you look in the really old cookbooks, punch often began with tea!
Thanks for stopping by, the secrets will keep until we can get together!
Makes perfect sense! Yes, the secrets will keep.
Such a fun post to read! I enjoy all types of teas, so can relate to all options. 🙂
Thanks Ronit! There are so many to love!
Firstly, I shall make Lemon Ginger Syrup. I can think of a lot of uses for it, thank you.
Tea: I’m afraid it’s a tea bag in the mug and hot water on top, but I mostly drink herbal tea. My husband goes through the ritual of his tea making and sighs with pleasure at the first sip.
When I travel to the northern hemisphere I drink lots of coffee (lovely) but don’t enjoy NZ coffee as I find it too bitter. I guess it’s a matter of taste.
It was a pleasure to read your post this morning and wished I liked to drink all teas to enjoy what you enjoy. :))
Thank you so very much! There’s no wrong tea to love, we’re all different and have our favorites!
I am a tea drinker, as I can’t tolerate coffee anymore. I also find the ritual around tea-making and drinking delightful and take 30 minutes to site and observe the world from my balcony or read a book.
Like you, I prefer loose leaf and agree there is a big difference – and some tea bags are bleached or are stapled! I am impressed that your grandmothers pot is still intact. I am notorious for dropping teapot lids, so I now have a Japanese cast iron teapot! It keeps the tea hot for a long time.
Re the steeping – I dislike the bitter overbrewed taste but have found a tea sold in Australia – even oversease that does NOT overbrew – no matter what. They have some lovely varieties that I sometimes dilute and blend with other speciality varieties.
As for herbals – there are many I make from my garden, fresh – steeping in boiling water. Mint of course, but parsley is also lovely – if you like the taste of parsley. And so good for you.
Hello Amanda – Funny to ask as we live practically cheek-by-jowl but, which tea do you use ?
Hi Eha- look here https://tielka.com/?ref=9j08ohk6&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqIm_BhDnARIsAKBYcmuZkg2UbjSi8TgKC7Tc06plZbFPfKHYZizIDb2Ute5jM0r-pCZR71AaAuS6EALw_wcB
Thanks heaps – homework ahead as I have not heard of the firm!
One of the coffee shops nearby stocks them and from then I was hooked.
I knew we were kindred spirits! I’m intrigued, what is the name of that lovely tea you can over-steep? I’d love to try it!
Parsley tea! Now on my list to make!
The Earl Royale blend has Bergamot and is especially lovely.
Yes, I’ve had that! Very beautifully perfumed.
Absolutely loved this post! I am actually a coffee drinker – black and strong – but love the occasional cup of Earl Grey served just the way you suggest! Love the china shown 🙂 ! Green tea for me comes at night and is more ‘medicinal’ . . . always feel I have done the right thing by my body when a cup is in front of me
Thank you so much! know what you mean Eha, you feel the goodness through your body when you take that first sip!
I love both worlds, coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon!
Do try the parsley tea Dorothy- just boil your jug, then go out to your garden and pick a few sprigs of parsley. Add them to your cup of water that is just off the boil and steep them for a few minutes- its lovely.
The tea is called Tielka – here is a link and they do ship internationally.
https://tielka.com/?ref=9j08ohk6&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqIm_BhDnARIsAKBYcmuZkg2UbjSi8TgKC7Tc06plZbFPfKHYZizIDb2Ute5jM0r-pCZR71AaAuS6EALw_wcB
I will most definitely try the parsley tea, and thank you so much for the link to the Tielka!
“ It belonged to my mother, so it’s like an old friend in my kitchen” — such a perfect sentiment. Great post, Dorothy; it took me back to afternoon tea with my mom.
Thank you so much Amie! Sometimes I feel like I’m still having team with my mom!
Ahhhhhhh tea! Hubby drinks his weak and with milk and thats the only tea he drinks….me I drink Oolong or flower tead which are flower heads hand rolled in tea leaves and look so beautiful in my glass teapot…I have added link so you can see the beautiful flower teas https://www.charflowertea.com/collections/flower-tea
Hello Carol, Your flower tea looks divine with the flowers opening in the teapot. I shall have to order some soon. Thank you. :))
Hello Mary…Yes I am a fan of flower tea and it also looks so pretty I first had it in a restaurant I had Water Lily tea and the rest is history as I now have my own beautiful glass teapot and stand and enjoy it each morning..I do hope you also enjoy the tea :))
They looked amazing!
Carol, these are the most beautiful looking pits of tea! Now I need a glass pot!
You do… I love mine and no one is allowed to wash it only me…even my Oolong has taken a back seat I just love looking and drinking this tea so pretty 🙂
I think I need to go shopping!
Enjoy! x
❤️
Oh you know how much I love my tea. I thank you for the lemon ginger honey recipe. Sounds delightful!
I do like my afternoon tea with 1/2 and 1/2 But my morning tea is without.
I have lots of tins of teas and my seasonal mood depends on my tea. And my cup in the morning is a mug to hold and keep me warm if needed as I hug it. I make a whole kettle of it.
My afternoon tea is in a fancy tea cup and fancy teapot.
Thanks for this fun post!
I love your rituals! The holding of the teacup is also such a special part of the whole process, especially on a cold afternoon!
So lovely, what a great post, Dorothy. 😊Making tea is one of life’s wonderful rituals, like a gentle meditation; it’s also the traditional British answer to most things: in a crisis, put the kettle on and make a brew!. My hubby only drinks coffee so the tea joy is all mine, always made in a small pot with good quality black leaves or herbs from the garden depending on the time of day or my mood. The popular method of dunking a teabag in a mug makes me sad, it misses the whole point! Assam is my favourite black variety and I like milk (yes, never cream) which I put in the cup ahead of pouring but no sweetening. My favourite herbal is lemon verbena but I also love a summery floral mix including lavender and rose petals. Your china is beautiful, I’ve never been brave enough to use anything finer than a basic pottery pot as I have a habit of dropping things on our hard kitchen floor tiles!
Thank you so much Luz! A pot of tea was also one of my mother’s answers to a crisis. The kettle went on, and I think the business of getting everything ready was also part of the interaction.
I love how you called it a gentle meditation! That is exactly what it is, the soft focus that edges out all the little stresses and worries!
Oh what a lovely refreshing post, makes me want to go and myself a cup of tea straight away! I too, like you, love the ritual. For years now I’ve been drinking only loose-leaf tea and I’ve read more than once how nearly all tea-bags are basically … let’s put it this way … not good at all, and even bad for the environment etc. I gave up milk a long time ago for the Atkins diet and hence started drinking tea just on its own – no milk or lemon. I even drink a very watered-down version of tea in a mug late in the evening, before going to bed (it’s hue is very very light). My husband loves to recount the occasion when his dad visited us for the first time and, since it was afternoon, I asked him whether he’d like una tazza di thé (a cupe of tea)? His response was “Oh no thanks, I am quite well”. That was back in the 1980s and for someone of his generation tea was drunk only when one was not feeling well! haha. I love the scent of tea -Earl Grey, which some people do not like because of its scent. Another favourite is La Durée’s “Marie Antoinette” which I bought back in the day in London (can’t find it in Rome). Fresh mint leaf tea – super after a ‘heavy’ meal … Hibiscus tea (very good for high blood pressure). If ever I should come to Vermont, I would love to ask you in advance whether we could share a cup of tea and a scone. Thank you!
Thank you so much! If you come to Vermont, I will most definitely have you to tea!
Love the father-in-law story! Tea does universally seem to be served when someone is not feeling well, or in a crisis with lots of sweetening.
Warm and comforting post. I will admit I’m a coffee drinker with half and half and sugar please. I enjoy an afternoon cup, and it provides a relaxing way to transition from a busy morning to a more quiet afternoon. Coffee cups do not in general hold a candle to the beauty of a tea service such as you showed in this post. They always stop me in my tracks when I see them on display.
It starts with the pretty, doesn’t it? Part of the ritual.
But, in the morning, I need my coffee, white no sugar, then another cup.
I love tea though I don’t drink it as much as I used to. my favorite is to take fresh mint, basil & garlic and steep it. But Earl Grey is my go to tea, no milk with a splash of agave or maple. BTW, do you think agave will work in the syrup?
I think the agave would work just fine, Natasha! Perhaps the lemon and ginger will be even more pronounced. Let me know if you make it.
I’d love to join you for tea, Dorothy. I also prefer lemon.
Kettle’s on!
What a great post. My sister is such a tea person. Nowadays she picks tea’s by the ingredients that hold certain health properties. We both love lemon in our tea and I know we would love the lemon ginger honey syrup so I will pass it along to her as well.
Thanks Jan! So many of the teas have amazing health properties, hard to find one that is not good for you.
Ahh! Savoring the moment, comes with the territory. Your Inn, your kitchen, good coffee aroma and memories. Cheers to a loving and comfy weekend.
Sh, thank you so much. It was a very lovely chapter in my life.
When we love what we do, it nourishing us. And, when the love is filled with love, it begets more love and nourishes many. Good food! 🥘☕️☕️😋
Beautifully said!
This is a wonderful guide and appreciation of tea. I have to confess that even though I’m English I’m not really a tea drinker. But this brought back lovely memories of being taught to make it ‘properly’ by my mother and grandmother.
Thank you! I had fun with this!
I love drinking hot tea in chilly weather and iced tea in warm weather–and I like lemon in both! 🙂
Me too! Always that lemon!
My favorite hot drink is coffee BUT my second would be tea. I love this post, and I really love the 4:00 pm tea ritual. I tend to drink tea right after lunch or in the evening but I like rituals and this might be just what I need. I also didn’t know you could save the gently steeped tea for making sun tea! And that honey lemon syrup is gold. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks Dorothy for drawing me into your inviting world with rituals, stories and fabulous recipes. You are a treasure. Hugs, C
Wait til I tell you about my coffee rituals…
That honey syrup sounds delicious!
Thanks! It’s tasty and has many uses.
This is fascinating! My daughter is in her first year at college and has gotten into tea. I don’t know much about it so this post really helped me learn. Thank you!
Thanks Laura! So glad to pass on these little tidbits I’ve learned along the way!
I still drink too much coffee, but my go-to move in the afternoon is a cup of tea. The vast array of flavors and spices are fun to choose from. Sinnamon spice is probably my favorite.
It’s nice to have that bit of calm in the afternoon! I have to stick with no caffeine!
Why did this post make me cry, Dorothy? Oh, how I wish I lived closer and could just pop by for a cup of tea…
Oh, I know, but we Facetime and text and get together when we can.
You could always move to Vermont….
Hi, Dorothy
I am a huge fan of your site. I am really enjoying your posts, especially this post:
https://vintagekitchen.org/2025/03/25/time-to-pause-the-kettle-is-on-milk-or-lemon/
I know you’re busy, so I won’t waste your time. I’m reaching out because I have an idea share to you.
I am from Umi Tea Sets Store, we have many high-quality tea sets, teapots, teacups, and tea leaves in our store. Can we send you one of them as a gift?
It is totally free, once you have received it and love it, can you share our website and products on your Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest?
Also, If you like, can you write a review about our product and post it on your blog, and add a link to our website? If there’s a fee charge to post it and add link we completely understand and we’re happy to know how much does it cost?
Looking forward your reply.
Cheers.
Umi Tea Sets
Thank you for the praise! I love tea and all kinds of tea things.
In general, I do occasionally mention another web site or product, but I don’t accept a fee. I also do not regularly post a link unless it part of an article pertaining to the item.
I will certainly keep your beautiful site in mind (I checked it out) the next time I do a post about teas, one of my passions and every afternoon ritual.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Dorothy