ETERNI-TEA: The Never-ending Debate

There is one debate concerning tea that has gone on forever, and that will keep on going. Because we are all guilty of participating in it every time we meet someone with a different opinion from us. It is, of course, the milk discussion. When does the milk go into your cuppa?

The problem with this debate is that everyone has their own opinion, and everyone is convinced that their opinion is the right one. Several other debates will have the same issue, but surely none are as important as the one concerning how to make a cup of tea right.

There are several ways to approach this debate in an attempt to settle it, and many factors come into play. Let us break it down.

Unsurprisingly, a British scientist has done research on the matter, and concluded that the milk goes in first. This is because adding milk to hot water causes the milk to heat unevenly, and affects the taste. So does that settle it then?

Well, no. Taste is highly personal, maybe some prefer the taste of unevenly heated milk? Furthermore, if you are brewing in a mug, the tea won't brew properly if the milk touches the bag before the water, as the water cools too quickly. This really is a tricky matter...

So why not try settle this impossible debate once and for all. At least we have science to back up how to make the perfect cuppa.

Tea for One

If you are making tea for yourself, you are most likely brewing it in your mug. Which means the easier way of brewing is adding the bag, brewing the tea and then adding the milk.

Tea for Two/Three/Four

If you are making tea for several people, brewing in a pot might be preferable. This will allow you to add the milk to the mug first, and pour tea over after.

Unfortunately, these simple instructions fail to take many factors into account.

How can you tell how much milk to put in if you pour it in first, as you cannot judge by the colour of your brew? Can you pour the milk in before you take the tea bag out, or will that also ruin the brewing process? Should you add a tea bag "for the pot" or not, and will this affect the taste?

It seems that trying to find a solution to the matter only raises more questions. If we all keep brewing our tea the way we like it best, we probably will not reach a conclusion, but it means everyone is happy, right?

So, ignore science, ignore your mate and ignore your grandma. Brew your brew however you want. Be happy.

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