The water used to make tea should be run from the tap for a minute or so (use bottled water if the local source is unusually hard) and then brought to a furious boil in a kettle, not just to the boil or mild rippling of the water.

Pour about one cup of boiling water into the teapot and return kettle to the fire. Swirl the water around the teapot to warm it and then discard the water.

Place in the teapot one teaspoon of tea leaves for each cup desired.

Pour the water from the kettle into the teapot, adding one cup for each cup of tea to be brewed. If serving tea family style, cover the teapot with a wool or padded cloth tea cozy to retain the heat in the pot. Set the timer for five minutes or to taste.

After the tea has been brewed, remove the cozy and give the tea a stir with a spoon, replace the lid, and pour tea through a strainer into a cup. About a teaspoon of milk, not cream, is about right for black tea to soften the taste of tannin, and a little sugar is preferred by many. Or tea may be drunk black, or with a slice of lemon.

To make a superior iced tea, brew loose tea (try our Connoisseur Blend) in a teapot, as above, but use twice as much tea as usual to compensate for the melting ice. After the tea has been brewed, pour it from the teapot through a strainer into a tall, ice cube-filled glass in which a spoon has been placed. If the tea clouds, immediately stir in a dash of boiling water to clear it. Then season to taste.