I want to talk about tea today. If you don’t like tea, if you want to try tea but don’t know where to start, if you only drink iced tea (Long Island or otherwise), if you drink hot tea from a tea bag–I will say this until it’s drilled into your skull. Get someone to brew you fresh loose tea. Do it. Find someone that knows how and get them to brew you fresh loose tea. Go to your local Teavana or Capital Teas or whatever y’all non-East Coasters have and try their samples. Go back every few indeterminate-periods-of-time and try whatever’s new. Get someone to brew you fresh loose tea.

If you’ve never tried loose tea, trust me, it is a game changer. When prepared correctly, the flavor is so much richer than tea bag tea or that burnt crap they have on ice at fast food joints. And yes, there is a correct way to do it. Rather, there is a method by which to determine the “correct way.” Any tea vendor worth their mettle will give you brewing instructions with your leaves. If you know how to read and follow those instructions, you will make a perfect cup every time. So I’m here to teach you the method.

First off, let’s talk supplies. You probably already have a mug or two lying around somewhere, but feel free to buy another (and another, and another…). You will also likely want a tea infuser. There are loads of cute ones out there if you’re the quirky type, but the fun designs aren’t strictly speaking necessary. You could also go the strainer route, if you prefer. (An infuser holds the leaves; remove the infuser and you also remove the leaves. A strainer leaves the leaves loose in the cup, filtering as you drink.) I prefer infusers over strainers because I find that the tea gets too strong by the end when the leaves are left in there. Finally, you’ll need a thermometer and timer. Any* food-safe thermometer should theoretically work, and any timer definitely will. However, I love this combination timer and thermometer from Teavana. Oh, and you’ll need a kettle to heat your water. Don’t be that person that microwaves your hot water. It never works out as well. A Keurig also unfortunately won’t cut it, as it doesn’t boil the water, and many varieties need close-to-boiling water to properly bring out the flavor. (The maximum temperature I’ve ever achieved with a Keurig is only around 170 degrees.)

Now, how to read the instructions. Usually you’ll get a package with a label that looks something like this:

There are three key pieces of information to pay attention to: the amount of tea per 6oz of water, the ideal temperature the water should be when you brew, and how long the tea should steep. Once you’ve got that, you’re ready to get started.

First, get your water boiling. Some people like to boil only as much water as they need, but some electric kettles in particular have a minimum fill line. Figure out whatever works best for you; there’s no “right” way to do this step. While the water is heating, prepare your tea leaves for steeping. In this example, I’m going to put 2tsp into my infuser. Don’t put the infuser into your cup just yet. Also, make sure to set up your thermometer and timer, if you have the magic combo like I do. If not, at least set your timer without starting it, and put the thermometer in your mug. The timer/thermometer has some presets of times and temps. I use the preset that’s closest to my desired settings, the White Tea preset on my thermometer, and edit it as necessary.

(An optional but helpful step here is to pre-warm your cup. Simply run your tap until the water gets very hot – I can usually see it steaming – and fill your cup with it. Then just leave it until you’re ready to brew. A pre-warmed cup is supposed to ensure the best flavor, but I’m not sure I’ve noticed a palpable difference on the few occasions I’ve tried it.)

Anyway, once your water boils, dump any pre-warming water and fill the cup as desired. If you have the fancy timer, it’ll beep when it reaches the appropriate temperature. If not, keep an eye on the thermometer until that point. Once the water has cooled down appropriately, which could take anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes, drop in your infuser and start your timer. A few seconds one way or the other won’t make too much of a difference, but definitely don’t forget about your tea in the other room. When the time is up, pull out your infuser (or place your strainer) and you’re good to go! Flavor with sugar, milk, or honey as desired. And, most importantly, enjoy.

This process can always be modified to suit your personal needs as well. Want a stronger tea? Use more tea leaves. (Don’t let it steep to much longer than called for, or it can become bitter.) Want it on ice? Brew with twice as much tea and pop it in the fridge once it’s brewed. Add alcohol on a cold night. Mix different types of leaves together and experiment. The only limit is your creativity.

*Any food-safe thermometer that hasn’t already been used for raw meat at any previous time. Don’t mix raw-meat-supplies and everything-else-supplies. Ever.