There are many variables that contribute to the flavor of tea in your cup, but one of the most commonly overlooked is the quality of water. As brewed tea is made up of nearly 99% water, this primary ingredient definitely deserves some consideration.

You may know that Chinese culture considers tea an appropriate beverage for any moment of every day. So it may seem counterintuitive that despite the vast quantities of tea consumed in China, traditional teapots (like those from Yixing) rarely hold more than eight ounces of water. To those of us familiar with western traditions, the small size of Chinese teapots can seem unusual, if not downright impractical. But in fact, there are several very logical reasons to use small teaware, even if you’re not Chinese.

Summer is coming! Cold brew these five amazing teas for a natural and refreshing iced tea that doesn’t need sugar to taste good.

New to cold brewing? Get started with these simple step-by-step instructions >>

In China, tea is brewed for even the slightest social occasion. Family, friends, and business partners are all welcomed with a small cup of tea, which will be sipped and refilled throughout the conversation with multiple infusions from a single small pot, packed full of tea leaves. In a similar way, tea took on a central role in social lives in Europe as an alternative to alcohol, and an acceptable social beverage for women. Afternoon tea quickly became a cultural institution designed to facilitate social gathering. If you’re looking for new ways to bring people together, tea has a proven track record.

Today, the incredible array of tea available from across the world means there is no end to tasting opportunities, but solo analysis often falls flat. Even a single tasting companion with different flavor associations can expand your understanding of any given tea. If you’ve recently fallen in love with tea, sharing your new passion with friends can unlock a whole new appreciation. No matter what the context of your tea tasting, these general guidelines will give you an idea of what to plan for.

Small brewing vessels and tasting cups are an iconic part of the Chinese method of brewing tea called gong fu cha. For devotees of traditional Chinese teas, the process of brewing and tasting several infusions in small cups can be a personal moment to refresh, or a way to showcase and share the tea they love with others. But for tea drinkers familiar with western traditions, the diminutive scale and elaborate-looking process of gong fu cha often seem impractical.

If you’ve never tried your hand at the Chinese method, rest assured that it does not need to be complicated. Reduce gong fu cha to its simplest form by using only a pot and single cup of matching size. Add tea leaves to the pot, followed by hot water, and decant your brew into the cup. Despite the lack of ceremony, this minimal process will help you brew and appreciate a better cup of tea in the following three ways:

To those unfamiliar with the vast array of fine teas from around the world, the range and subtlety of tea flavors can be overwhelming and intimidating. As with fine wines, written tasting notes describing subjective flavor comparisons are often too poetic to be believable, and regularly fail to accurately describe the personal experience of the average tea drinker. Does that tea really taste like creme brulee or fresh papaya to anyone but the most talented tasters?

Luckily, there is no wrong way to taste tea. Each taster’s palate is shaped by a unique combination of experiences and priorities, and no two people are likely to have exactly the same impression of any tea. Even minimal experience is usually enough to create a personal definition of “good” and “bad” tea, and for most tea drinkers, this is enough. But for those who would like to train their palate and deepen their appreciation of flavor complexity, here are a few simple techniques to practice when tasting.

Most tea drinkers expect at least a hint of bitterness in their cup. While not all teas are prone to bitterness, it is a common component of tea flavor, especially in mass produced teas. There are many ways to mitigate the bitter taste of tea, like lowering water temperature, shortening the brewing time, or simply adding milk and sugar. But what creates the natural bitter flavor in tea leaves, and why are some teas more bitter than others?

The British and American concept of ‘Breakfast Tea’ is said to stem originally from a marketing strategy: advertising a new blend of black teas designed as an alternative to established "afternoon" tea brands. Practically, of course, there was little difference between the two styles, but Breakfast Tea has nevertheless become one of the most familiar types of black tea in the west, and is now drunk at all times of the day, all over the world.

But Breakfast Teas are also a product of industrialization: a mix of black tea leaves from colonial-style plantations, carefully blended for consistent flavor and shipped in masse to a grocery store near you. As with other mass produced teas, they often fail to deliver on flavor, and instead offer potent bitterness with a side of astringency. These shortcomings are typically remedied with milk, sugar, spices, or even artificial flavorings. Is there a better option?