Brewing tea is an art. Fortunately, today, you can find kettles on the market that are intuitive. They are designed to extract the delicate flavours of various tea by steeping them at different temperatures. You will find that the artful brewing of tea melds with science very well. Today’s tea kettles make brewing less of a chore, especially when they are designed with pre-programmed temperature settings.
Tea-Drinking Amenities
These settings are configured to show the tea drinker what temperature to select for a certain type of tea. Many of the kettles also come with a soft open lid to prevent water splash-back. A “keep warm” button on the appliance maintains the water temperature for as long as 20 minutes.
Today, when you use the right kettle that knows how to intuitively brew tea, you will enjoy tea-drinking even more. When selecting the appliance, also make sure it does not contain any BPA and that it is made with stainless steel.
What is BPA?
BPA is a controversial additive in some products. It stands for bisphenol A. The industrial chemical has been used to make resins and plastics since the 1960s. Epoxy resins are employed to coat the inside of some metal products such as bottle tops, water supply lines, food cans, and tea kettles. Sealants and composites that are used in dentistry may also contain BPA.
Some studies have proven that BPA can seep into beverages from containers containing the substance. Therefore, BPA exposure is a health concern because BPA is known to negatively affect one’s behaviour and brain. It also has been linked to illnesses of the prostate gland in fetuses, children, and infants. In addition, research shows a correlation between hypertension and BPA.
Therefore, if you are concerned about exposure to BPA, you want to make sure the products you buy, such as tea kettles, are free of BPA. Look for appliances or items that are labelled as BPA-free. Also, cut back on your use of canned foods. Most cans are lined with the BPA resin. The idea is to use alternatives such as stainless steel. Because BPA is also found in plastics, you are safer using appliances or containers that are made of steel, porcelain, or glass.
Brewing Black Tea
Naturally, if you have bought a temperature-programmed tea-maker that is stainless steel, or one that is BPA-free, you will want to try out different teas. Whilst you will want to brew oolong, white, and green teas for tea time, you certainly don’t want to forego the pleasure of drinking black tea as well.
Black tea is perhaps the most common tea in the marketplace. Some of the better known black teas are Assam, Darjeeling, Keemun, and Ceylon. The teas, which are heavily oxidised, brew up bold and strong, and often taste malty. Unlike their white, green, or oolong counterparts, black teas, which are processed, are classified by a grading system.
Broken Leaf Teas
For instance, orange pekoe, or OP, means you are brewing a full-leaf tea. BOP, on the other hand, stands for a broken-leaf black tea. Typically, the more broken or crushed the leaf, the stronger the brew. Black teas also serve as a base for popular and scented teas such as Earl Grey. In China, black tea is known as red tea because of the cast it takes on whenever it is brewed.
