Other than water, tea is the most frequently consumed beverage worldwide. Dating back almost 50 centuries, tea has held a special place in humans’ diets for a long time, so it’s no surprise why the drink is still so popular and so prevalent now. But its longstanding place in human history isn’t the only reason why people drink tea. It’s also because the brewed beverage has some incredible health benefits. Dozens of studies (and thousands of years of anecdotal evidence) have found that antioxidant-rich tea has numerous beneficial effects on health, including the prevention of many diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and obesity.https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.478.1_en.html#goog_1631628267Oreo Dirt Cups With nearly 21 percent of the adult American population considering themselves tea drinkers, we thought it would be useful to share the most common mistakes people make when brewing a batch. Making these mistakes may not completely cancel out tea’s benefits, but they’re certainly not doing anything to help this miracle drink out. These mistakes range from ruining flavor to preventing the extraction of the most beneficial compounds. Keep these in mind the next time you put the kettle on the stove, and if you needed any more convincing to order some tea leaves, it might be worth taking a look at What Happens to Your Body If You Drink Tea Every Day.1 Your water is too hot You shouldn’t be relying on that whistle of your tea kettle. If you are, that means your water has come to a boil—and it’s too hot. The heat can make those delicate tea leaves taste bitter and less sweet. Studies show that hot water can also destroy delicate, health-promoting compounds like catechins. For the perfect cup of tea, you want your water to be just under a rolling boil, you can eyeball to be around when small bubbles start to form alongside the kettle. Now, there isn’t one temperature that works for every tea—each is different. For example, green tea should be brewed between 180 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit while the water for black tea should come to 206 degrees, according to the Art of Tea. To be this precise, it might be worth investing in a tea kettle with a thermometer. STAY INFORMED: Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest food news delivered straight to your inbox.2 You’re steeping it for too long Stop setting it and forgetting it! Like temperature, the length of time you steep your tea for will […]