Growing Up Handbook

by Jake McMillan

I came across this earlier today, it is a little book I put together a few years ago as a present for my friend’s son. I thought I would share it here in case others may like it.

Forget the perfect cup of tea, how to make a good cup of tea

I’m British, so tea is a big deal.

Despite being a nation of loyal tea drinkers it amazes me how many people make such damn awful tea. It really is not that hard.

Searching the internet you will find pages on how to make a perfect cup of tea and it will largely be full of toss about getting the right tea leaves and using some special bone china cup.  The perfect cup of tea is a personal thing and what type of tea I prefer will probably be a little bit different to how you might like it. We all differ on precisely how strong the tea is, how much milk (if any) or if we want sugar (I prefer 2 teaspoons if you’re putting the kettle on).

However! It is really quite easy to make a “good” cup of tea that will be acceptable and appreciated by any reasonable tea drinker.  Just follow these simple steps:

1 – Get a clean mug!
You don’t need fancy china, just a simple straight forward clean mug like the one below will do very well indeed.

2 – Add any required sugar first!
Yes, add the sugar first before anything else so that it properly mixes with the hot water when you add it and while the tea brews.

3 – Add the tea bag
You don’t need fancy posh tea, in the mug below is a PG Tips pyramid tea bag.

4 – Add recently boiled water slowly to the mug
When your kettle boils, pour the water slowly into the mug approximately three-quarters full as shown below.

5 – Stir the tea bag in the hot water until it turns a dark colour (5-10secs)
Once dark, use the weight of the spoon to keep the tea bag on the bottom of the mug. Don’t rush the stirring, take care of the tea bag.

6 – Allow the tea bag to brew in the water for 2 minutes
You don’t have to time it precisely but approximately 2 minutes should be enough time to allow the tea to brew sufficiently for an okay cup of tea.

7 – Remove tea bag

8 – Carefully add milk and then briefly stir
Many people foolishly put milk in at the beginning of the process, but putting it in last allows you to control the colour more easily.

You should now have a good cup of tea to be enjoyed by you or someone else. Easy.