Coffee and Tea Preparation
Part of the fun of brewing your own coffee and tea is discovering your personal preferences. We love hearing how our customers create their perfect cup!
However, we do have some of our own tips for preparing, brewing, and storing INI Sips coffee and teas. Here’s what we recommend.
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Coffee and tea are 98% water, so it stands to reason the quality of water you use will have some effect on the taste. When preparing INI Sips products, we strongly recommend using filtered, spring, or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil.
Add approximately 1 tablespoon of coffee per serving to your brewing device or coffee maker.
Bring your water to just under a boil. We recommend a water temperature of 205ºF. If you brew your coffee too hot, it will over-extract the flavor and add unwanted bitterness.
Add milk, sugar, or whatever else you like in your coffee — or enjoy the flavors on their own!
INI Tip: To bring out the subtle flavors of your INI Sips coffee, we suggest brewing with our 32 oz. stainless steel french press.
Add 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose leaf tea for each 7-9 ounces of water. If you’re brewing in a cup or teapot, make sure to use a steeper or a loose-leaf tea filter. For on-the-go brewing, we recommend our portable tea tumbler with a built-in stainless steel infuser.
Bring water to a rolling boil. Most black teas should be brewed between 200°F and 210°F, though some blends are best at lower temperatures (180°F-190°F). To ensure you’re brewing at the optimal temperature, please consult individual product descriptions.
Once the ideal water temperature has been reached, pour over your cup, teapot, or infuser. Cover to retain heat and lock in flavor.
Steep hot tea for 1-6 minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger your tea will be. A mild cup of tea will generally be ready after 2-3 minutes of steeping. 4-5 minutes gives you a medium cup of tea. While anything brewed for more than 6 minutes will result in a strong cup of tea. When brewing citrus and herbal teas, allow for at least 3-5 minutes of steeping to bring out the depth of flavor. For specific steep times, consult the individual product descriptions.
Remove the tea leaves from your infuser or steeper.
Enjoy as is, or finish with your favorite additions.
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. If you are brewing a white or herbal tea, we recommend adding 2 heaping teaspoons of product.
Boil 6-7 oz. of water per serving and pour over the tea.
Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. When preparing fresh iced tea, it’s always best to increase the strength since it will be poured over ice and diluted. Once the desired strength is achieved, strain the tea or remove the loose-leaf tea filter.
Pour hot tea over a 12 oz. glass filled with ice.
Add sweetener, citrus, fruit, or your favorite garnish.
Note: High-quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of a luxury product and nothing to worry about!
INI Tip: For quick, easy cold-brewing on the go, check out our Cold Brew Bottle.
Brewing Iced Tea Pitchers
To brew 1 liter of iced tea, add 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea — or 6 tea bags — to a teapot or heat-resistant pitcher.
Boil 1 ¼ cups of cold water and pour over the tea.
Cover and steep for 5 minutes.
Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Strain the tea and pour over the serving pitcher. Add ice and top up with cold water until filled.
Garnish and sweeten to taste.
Unlike other teas you steep in hot water and discard, Ceremonial Grade Matcha is made by whisking powdered green tea leaves into hot water or milk. When preparing Matcha, it helps to have the right tools.
First add ½ a teaspoon of matcha powder to your 9 oz. bowl.
Boil 6-8 oz. of water and let it cool to 165-185ºF before pouring over the matcha.
Whisk the matcha. Sweep your wrist back and forth in a V-shaped pattern until all the lumps are dissolved and the tea is blended and frothy.
Add milk or sweetener to your taste — though our bright, vegetal matcha is delicious on its own.
To ensure our products stay fresh and maintain optimal flavor, we recommend storing them in the original packaging, or in opaque, airtight canisters away from direct light, heat, or excess moisture.