English Breakfast Tea: Everything You Need to Know (And How to Make it Properly)
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What is English Breakfast Tea?
English Breakfast tea is known as one of the world’s most popular black teas! A blend of Ceylon, Assam, and Kenyan or Keemun teas, English Breakfast tea boasts a strong and bold taste and can be enjoyed both hot and cold.
Legend has it that this popular tea was actually created by a Scottish tea merchant known as Robert Drysdale, who was looking for a way to create a new, stronger and more affordable tea blend for breakfast time.
As the story goes, the new blend was made extremely popular in Britain thanks to Queen Victoria’s love for the delectable morning drink, subsequently being dubbed “English” Breakfast tea.
Fun Fact: English Breakfast teas made with Keemun are rare and typically more expensive!
What do you need to make English Breakfast tea?
Tea Scoop
This is the perfect tool to help you get the perfectly measured scoop of tea leaves every single time. You won’t regret adding this to your tea arsenal!
Electric Tea Kettle
An electric tea kettle with a temperature setting is a must-have brew gadget for tea drinkers! You can set the temperature to the degree for the perfect brew every time. This kettle is a favorite of ours. Or you can check out our full post on the best electric tea kettles.
Spring Water or Filtered Water
To get the best flavors from your tea, use high-quality water. Don’t use tap water or distilled water!
Tea Pot with Strainer
A teapot with a built-in strainer makes brewing tea so much easier when you’re using loose tea leaves. If you’re an avid tea drinker, you won’t regret buying this tea tool!
Loose English Breakfast Tea Leaves
Using loose tea leaves really will give you the best tea-drinking experience. By letting loose leaves steep in the boiled water, they have room to unfurl and release all of their natural aromas. If you can’t use loose leaves, a tea sachet is the next best thing, since they have more room than a traditional tea bag.
Tea Cup
This one is up to you! Use whatever cup makes you happy! If you need some inspiration, check out some of our favorite drinkware.
How do you make English Breakfast tea properly?
To make the perfect cup of English Breakfast tea, you will want to use 1.5 teaspoons of tea leaves for each 8-ounce cup. If you don’t have loose-leaf tea, use 1 tea sachet or 1 tea bag.
Tea tip: if you want a stronger flavor, add more tea leaves rather than steeping them for a longer period of time. Most people don’t realize this, but steeping tea too long doesn’t increase the good flavors, it actually can make it more bitter.
Step 1: Pour your water into the tea kettle.
Use cold bottled spring water or cold filtered water. (Tea Tip: Do not use distilled water – this will negatively impact the taste). Make sure to pour some extra water to warm up your teapot or steeping vessel.
Step 2: Boil your water.
For an optimal flavor experience, bring the water to about 208°F. This is important, as the flavors will not fully develop if the water does not get hot enough. If you do not have an electric tea kettle with a temperature setting, just bring your kettle to a full boil, then remove it from the heat and let the water sit for a moment before steeping the tea.
Step 3: Warm up your teapot.
First, pour a bit of your boiled water into your teapot or steeping vessel and swirl it around for a few seconds to allow it to warm the vessel. Then you can dump this water in the sink.
Step 4: Put your tea leaves into the teapot and add the rest of your hot water and then cover the pot.
Step 5: Steep your tea leaves for about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 6: Strain your tea leaves.
This is easier if you have a teapot with an integrated strainer.
Step 7: Decant your infused tea into your teacup, add milk and sugar to taste, and enjoy!
Can you cold brew English Breakfast Tea?
Yes, you can definitely cold brew English Breakfast tea for a bold and refreshing drink! Keep reading for the steps to do it at home.
Did you know cold brewing is the best way to make iced tea? To learn all about it, check out our post on everything you need to know about cold brew.
How do you make cold brew English Breakfast tea properly?
To cold brew English Breakfast tea, use 1.5 teaspoons of English Breakfast Tea leaves for every 8 ounce cup of water.
STEP 1: Add your tea leaves to a pitcher with an infuser.
STEP 2: Pour room-temperature filtered water or spring water over the tea and stir gently.
STEP 3: Put your pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours
STEP 4: Strain the leaves, add milk and sugar to taste, and enjoy!
Tea Tip: Using simple syrup instead of granulated sugar is the best way to sweeten your cold brew tea, as it will easily blend with the cold tea. Check out our guide on how to make your own simple syrup at home!
Dairy-Free Alternatives to Add to English Breakfast Tea
If you are lactose intolerant or just want a dairy-free option to use in your tea, we have some great substitutes for you:
Almond Milk:
This plant-based milk alternative will add a hint of nutty sweetness to your tea. There are different flavors and sweetened options, however, we prefer to stick with the original unsweetened version.
Oat Milk:
Derived from whole oats, this dairy-free milk will give your tea some creaminess with a neutral flavor. This one is a favorite of ours.
Coconut Milk:
Extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts, coconut milk will add a rich sweetness to your tea without any lactose!
What does English Breakfast tea taste like?
English Breakfast tea is a strong and bold tea with mildly sweet, roasted, and malty notes.
This blend is similar to other breakfast teas in flavor, however, its higher Ceylon content makes it an overall milder option in comparison to an Irish Breakfast tea blend, which typically has a higher Assam content.
How much caffeine is in English Breakfast tea?
On average, a cup of English Breakfast tea has about 45 mg of caffeine.
As far as the tea spectrum goes, this is a moderate amount of caffeine, less than half the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee.
What are some health benefits of drinking English Breakfast tea?
English Breakfast tea has many health benefits including antioxidants, heart health, oral health, and more!
For the full summary, check out our post on the health benefits and possible side effects of black tea.
Where can you find good quality English Breakfast tea?
There are several good quality options you can try. Here are just a few options to get you started:
What is the best way to store English Breakfast tea?
When it comes to storing English Breakfast tea, there are a few important things you will want to avoid. These are air exposure, light exposure, moisture, heat, and strong odors.
In order to keep your tea in its best and freshest condition, you will want to store it in a container that helps avoid the above-mentioned threats.
The best containers are made of opaque materials with a tight seal. Some good options include non-reactive metals, glazed ceramics, and non-leaching plastics.
Beware that while you may see wood tea storage options, they are not best for storing loose-leaf tea, as they can have their own odors that can alter the taste of your tea.
Once you have your tea in its storage container, keep it in a cool, dark place.
Here are some good options for storing your English Breakfast tea:
Looking for ways to organize your tea bags? Try these:
You want to ensure your tea stays fresh as long as possible. To make sure you’re not making any common mistakes, be sure to check out our post on the best practices in tea storage!