Article: There's no limit to the types of tea you can buy. Choose from hundreds of types of green, black, white, red, and herbal teas, each with a different flavor profile. You can buy loose tea or purchase it prepackaged in bags. Choose the freshest tea you can find for best flavor and health benefits. Choose tea with the properties you're looking for. Note that green tea is known for its long-term health benefits, black tea provides a small jolt of caffeine, and herbal teas may be used to remedy everything from sleeplessness to poor digestion. If your tea is pre-bagged, your filtration system is already set. If you have loose tea, however, you'll need a way to remove it from the water after steeping. You can buy your own empty teabags and fill them with tea for one-time use. Tea balls are another popular choice. These are better to use for black tea than other types of tea that tend to expand more during the brewing process. In order to brew a great cup of tea, the water needs to be able to flow freely through the leaves. Basket filters are a good choice for any type of tea. You can pour water directly over loose tea and filter it out after it steeps using a fine-mesh strainer. What type of tea equipment do you have? You can make a whole pot of tea using a teapot, or do a cup at a time using a teacup and strainer, tea ball or tea bag. Use the method that's most convenient for your needs. The tea and water are the two most important components of a good cup of tea; the equipment is secondary. That said, having a nice tea kettle and pretty cups can add to the calming effect of drinking and enjoying tea. Drinking tea has been an important ritual in many cultures for thousands of years. You can keep this tradition alive by creating your own tea-drinking ritual, whether it's brewing a cup at a time in your favorite mug, or using a pretty ceramic teapot with cups and saucers. The material of the accessories are important as well. Heavy metals are better for teas that need to be prepared at high temperatures due to their ability to retain heat, while less conductive materials are recommended for teas with a colder preparation. Use glass for white, green, and herbal tea; porcelain for white, black, and herbal tea; and yixing for oolong and pu-erh. Since tap water contains fluoride and other chemicals, using it to brew tea can negatively impact the flavor. While tap water is always fine in a pinch, if you want the best possible flavor and health benefits, use spring water or another type of filtered, pure water.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Select your preferred tea. Decide how to filter your tea. Prepare your tea accessories. Use purified water if possible.