How do you make a British/milky tea?

[dk168]

There is this video doing the rounds on social media of a mum and her daughter making a "British (milky) Tea" that made a lot of people cringe, myself included.

In case anyone has not seen it, it involves putting cold water in a mug, microwave for a minute, then add milk, then tea bag for a hint of colour, and loads of sugar.

Consensus amongst my friends in UK is that it is a p!$$ take, as no one in his/her right mind would make tea that way!

So how do you make yours?

I like mine to be strong and milky with no sugar.

Mine would be like this if I were making it with a tea bag:
1. Boil kettle
2. Add boiling hot water to a mug with a tea bag in it, about three-quarters full
3. Let it stew for about 3 to 4 minutes as I like it strong
4. Squeeze and lift tea bag out
5. Add milk (full fat, and I would grudgingly use semi-skimmed if it is the only option available)

If I were to make a pot using loose leaves, I would warm the pot with hot water first (usually from the tap while the kettle is boiling) then add tea leaves, one spoonful per person, and one extra one for the pot. Pour boiling hot water into it and leave it to infuse for at least 3 to 4 minutes before pouring.

Tea of choice for British/English/milky Tea is Assam, either in tea bags or loose leaves; second choice would be English Breakfast blend. The brand PG Tips is fine, however, I prefer Assam on its own or English Breakfast.

Lastly I can appreciate why one would use the microwave to heat up water instead of a kettle or a pot, as I have done so with milk to make a hot chocolate for myself. Just the rest of the tea-making process is rather odd to say the least!

Each to their own and all that, and my way suits me.

DK

 

[chrono]

I make milky tea but the water is heated on the stove and I use fresh dark/black tea. The tea leaves are added to the pot of hot water, not yet boiled (formed bubbles seen) but hot. I prefer this method over microwave water since I cannot control the temperature of the water.

 

[dk168]

I remember my dad teaching me how to boil water to the right temperature for brewing Chinese black tea.

Something to do with the bubbles at the bottom of the pan being the size of large prawn's eyes.

Too much faff to be honest - the kettle will do nicely, and my palette is unlikely to be sufficiently refined to tell the differences.

DK

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I love love love love milk so when I have milk tea it's microwaved full cream milk, then add the tea or tea bag, then enough condensed milk to sweeten it.

But I'm normally a black tea girl!

 

[Phoenix]

@dk168 , I don't do dairy anymore, but the way you brew your tea is how I'd make it, except my choice of tea is Earl Grey and I only liked it with a dash of milk. I love that bergamot fragrance - the stronger the better. Nowadays, I drink Earl Grey decaf black. I don't do sugar in tea either (nor in my coffee when I used to drink it).

 

[Cozystitches]

I guess I'm the uncultured one here.....
Fill cup with water.
Pop into microwave for 3minutes
Steep the leaves in a container for 4-5 min
Add creamer (and stevia)

My preferred teas: English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Scottish Morn (only if I need a lot of caffeine), Paris (favorite!)

 

[dk168]

I guess I'm the uncultured one here.....
Fill cup with water.
Pop into microwave for 3minutes
Steep the leaves in a container for 4-5 min
Add creamer (and stevia)

My preferred teas: English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, Scottish Morn (only if I need a lot of caffeine), Paris (favorite!)

It's your tea, so make it the way you like it!

The way you described would make the water hot rather than tepid before the tea leaves are added, and steeping the leaves for 4-5min would make it strong, rather than just a hint of colour, as seen in the video.

DK

 

[MillieLou]

Exactly as you do DK, though I like my milk in before the boiling water, I think it makes it less bitter. Though may be imagining it!

 

[KaeKae]

My family is from NJ/NY so I guess I do it that way?
Kettle on the stove, water poured over a tea bag (Barry's is my favorite, thanks to interest in my Irish ancestry, but I've used others) and brewed for 3 or so minutes. A good splash of milk. Whole milk is great, but skim is what we usually have. I'll even use my daughter's coconut milk, in a pinch.

 

[jaaron]

Funny how emotional an issue this is.

Water boiled in the kettle, warm the cup or, if using loose leaves, the pot. Swirl the hot water, dump it. Put the tea in, pour fresh round of boiled water over, let steep for a few minutes, add a splash of milk. While I prefer whole milk for everything else, I like semi skim in tea. And I'm a real philistine, because I leave the teabag in, but never squish it.

Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Breakfast or Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend.

 

[OoohShiny]

I don't understand why one would microwave a cup of water when there's a kettle that can be boiled? lol

 

[dk168]

I don't understand why one would microwave a cup of water when there's a kettle that can be boiled? lol

I shall give them the benefit of the doubt that they might not have an electric kettle.

My mum has one of those kettles that stay warm, and I would only use the water to make tea after reboiling it, otherwise it would not be hot enough for tea making for me.

DK

 

[dk168]

Funny how emotional an issue this is.

Water boiled in the kettle, warm the cup or, if using loose leaves, the pot. Swirl the hot water, dump it. Put the tea in, pour fresh round of boiled water over, let steep for a few minutes, add a splash of milk. While I prefer whole milk for everything else, I like semi skim in tea. And I'm a real philistine, because I leave the teabag in, but never squish it.

Yorkshire Gold, Yorkshire Breakfast or Fortnum & Mason Royal Blend.

I actually missed out the bit that I would normally leave the teabag in the mug when I drink tea, so that it can continue to steep and make the tea stronger.

DK

 

[xsouzie]

I:
1. Boil kettle
2. Add hot water to a mug with the tea bag
3. Steep for 5 minutes
4. Remove tea bag
5. Add cream and sugar

I like black teas so I do English Breakfast, Earl Grey and chai.

 

[Austina]

Even if I’m just making one cup, I always make it in a teapot. I warm the pot first, discard the water, then put the tea bag in, add freshly boiled water, and let it brew for a few minutes before pouring it in to a cup with the milk already added.

 

[doberman]

@dk168
I do my tea the way you do, although I do not squeeze the tea bag as it can result in an overabundance of tannin flavors.

 

[yssie]

There is this video doing the rounds on social media of a mum and her daughter making a "British (milky) Tea" that made a lot of people cringe, myself included.

In case anyone has not seen it, it involves putting cold water in a mug, microwave for a minute, then add milk, then tea bag for a hint of colour, and loads of sugar.

Consensus amongst my friends in UK is that it is a p!$$ take, as no one in his/her right mind would make tea that way!

So how do you make yours?

I like mine to be strong and milky with no sugar.

Mine would be like this if I were making it with a tea bag:
1. Boil kettle
2. Add boiling hot water to a mug with a tea bag in it, about three-quarters full
3. Let it stew for about 3 to 4 minutes as I like it strong
4. Squeeze and lift tea bag out
5. Add milk (full fat, and I would grudgingly use semi-skimmed if it is the only option available)

If I were to make a pot using loose leaves, I would warm the pot with hot water first (usually from the tap while the kettle is boiling) then add tea leaves, one spoonful per person, and one extra one for the pot. Pour boiling hot water into it and leave it to infuse for at least 3 to 4 minutes before pouring.

Tea of choice for British/English/milky Tea is Assam, either in tea bags or loose leaves; second choice would be English Breakfast blend. The brand PG Tips is fine, however, I prefer Assam on its own or English Breakfast.

Lastly I can appreciate why one would use the microwave to heat up water instead of a kettle or a pot, as I have done so with milk to make a hot chocolate for myself. Just the rest of the tea-making process is rather odd to say the least!

Each to their own and all that, and my way suits me.

DK

Adding milk THEN tea!?
What sort of abomination is this?

 

[yssie]

When I was young my mother would make us tea... We’d drink, sop the remains with a bit of bread, and watch Yes Minister on TV.

I didn’t understand the show but that weekly ritual always made me feel very grown up

For tea... Can never go wrong with Earl Grey. Steep leaves for three minutes, add milk - whole please! No sweetener. I don’t like terribly strong tea so I always use fewer leaves than recommended. Republic of Tea has a vanilla Earl Grey that I adore - only comes in bags though

For chai I’ll use either Assam CTC or PG Tips. Boil cardamom, chopped fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, and a few whole black pepper kernels for two or three minutes. Add tea, turn the burner off, and strain after another three minutes. I like it with maple syrup and milk, and a sprinkle of nutmeg on top

 

[Ally T]

Even if I’m just making one cup, I always make it in a teapot. I warm the pot first, discard the water, then put the tea bag in, add freshly boiled water, and let it brew for a few minutes before pouring it in to a cup with the milk already added.

This is EXACTLY how I do it too. My family are historical tea drinkers - dad used to be called Tea Belly. I absolutely have to have freshly boiled water. If it's boiled twice it oxygenates too much & tastes funny. Whenever any of my siblings are visiting each other, or my mum, we always phone when we're 5 minutes away & say "Get the kettle on...."

 

[JPie]

I start with 2-3 times the loose tea I would use for a regular cup of tea, English Breakfast or Darjeeling. I use a cup with a built-in infuser. Add hot water at 175F, stir in two spoons of sugar, and steep for 3-4 minutes. I then remove the tea leaves, let it cool off in the fridge, add soy milk, and enjoy.

I drink tea almost all day, every day, so a Zojirushi hot water dispenser is always ready to go.

 

[yssie]

I drink tea almost all day, every day, so a Zojirushi hot water dispenser is always ready to go.

We've been thinking about getting one of these!
How long have you had yours @JPie?
How easy is it to clean? My only concern is that we've got well water - it's filtered but still has some mineral content.

 

[Rhea]

I don't understand why one would microwave a cup of water when there's a kettle that can be boiled? lol

I'm not a native born Brit and my DH is. He and I got into it a few years ago about kettles so I started a thread on here asking how common electric kettles are in the US. They weren't at that time. The ones Americans have are so slow compared to mine. Maybe something about American electricity? They do manage to have sockets in bathrooms and very near sinks!

What can I say, Americans are just weird

For the record, microwaving water to boil water is just wrong. It goes
1 - Boil electric kettle
2 - Tea leaves in teapot
3 - Hot water in teapot
4 - 2-3 minutes to brew
5 - Pour tea into cup
6- Add splash of full fat milk
Done!

 

[yssie]

For the record, microwaving water to boil water is just wrong.

100% and anyone who disagrees is just wrong.
This is Fact.

 

[dk168]

100% and anyone who disagrees is just wrong.
This is Fact.

Agree!

DK

 

[dk168]

@Rhea, I wonder if it has anything to do with the voltage being 120V in US and Canada compared with Europe/UK which is 240V.

My mum has one of those hot water dispenser thingy that boils and stay hot as she likes to drink lukewarm water. However, it could also be a culture thing being Chinese, and those hot water dispenser thingies are very popular in HK and Japan etc...

DK

 

[JPie]

We've been thinking about getting one of these!
How long have you had yours @JPie?
How easy is it to clean? My only concern is that we've got well water - it's filtered but still has some mineral content.

I’ve had mine for over ten years. We use reverse osmosis water, so we’ve actually never had to clean it. My in-laws live in an area with hard water and they used to have one. I think they cleaned theirs with either vinegar or by cutting up lemons and throwing it in. I seem to recall that the mineral buildup looked white and chalky.

It’s so convenient. Mine has three temperature settings, and it’s nice to have hot water on demand for cooking too. Sometimes I need a splash of hot water in my stir fry, and if I need to thin out a pot of soup. I have a 4 L and I refill it every day or two.

 

[yssie]

I’ve had mine for over ten years. We use reverse osmosis water, so we’ve actually never had to clean it. My in-laws live in an area with hard water and they used to have one. I think they cleaned theirs with either vinegar or by cutting up lemons and throwing it in. I seem to recall that the mineral buildup looked white and chalky.

It’s so convenient. Mine has three temperature settings, and it’s nice to have hot water on demand for cooking too. Sometimes I need a splash of hot water in my stir fry, and if I need to thin out a pot of soup. I have a 4 L and I refill it every day or two.

This is good to know. Cutting up lemons and tossing them in sounds like my kind of cleaning
I drink at least one pot of tea daily, and I also boil water every day then let it cool for the animals... We'd certainly get a lot of use out of one!

 

[JPie]

This is good to know. Cutting up lemons and tossing them in sounds like my kind of cleaning
I drink at least one pot of tea daily, and I also boil water every day then let it cool for the animals... We'd certainly get a lot of use out of one!

Zojirushi suggests lemon juice from concentrate so you don’t have pulp and seeds.

1. Put 1 package of citric acid CD-K03E in a cup and add warm water to dissolve. Pour it into the inner container and fill with water to the maximum water level line. The cleaner may also be substituted with 1/2 cup of lemon juice from concentrate. If using freshly squeezed lemon juice, please be sure to strain first, so the pulp does not get caught in the pump and damage the boiler.

2. Close the upper lid, insert the power plug and press and hold the REBOIL button for more than 3 seconds. This will activate the descaling mode.

3. Once cleaning completes, unplug the power plug, detach the upper lid and dispose water where indicated "EMPTY FROM HERE."

4. To remove the smell of citric acid, fill the inner container with water. Boil and dispense about a cup of hot water, allow to cool, then dispose the remaining water.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i don't tea but im the cheif tea maker around here and i have had plenty of critique
never use the mircowave - the water can get way over hot
why don't Americans just use electric jugs ?

anyway while the jug is boiling i put the milk and the tea bag in the mug

once the jug is boiled i pour the water into the cup
(i have to use a little strainer as we have really hard water and everdently chunks of lime in the tea is not nice)
then i let the tea steep for a few moments
and i squuse the tea bag out with some tea bag tongs

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I’ve had mine for over ten years. We use reverse osmosis water, so we’ve actually never had to clean it. My in-laws live in an area with hard water and they used to have one. I think they cleaned theirs with either vinegar or by cutting up lemons and throwing it in. I seem to recall that the mineral buildup looked white and chalky.

It’s so convenient. Mine has three temperature settings, and it’s nice to have hot water on demand for cooking too. Sometimes I need a splash of hot water in my stir fry, and if I need to thin out a pot of soup. I have a 4 L and I refill it every day or two.

please what did they do with the lenons ?
i have a huge lemon tree to go with a huge hard water problem
i get flakes of lime the size of coins out of our jug