How to brew a decent cup of tea

 I copied this from an email from Simple Loose Leaf tea.  Regardless of what company wrote it, it's good advice.

How to brew a decent cup of tea

First, let's talk about what is likely wrong with your tea/tea brewing right now.

1. You're using bad tea that won't have a lot of flavor or is very old.  I put this first because everyone is going to expect a tea company to put this first and then say "Buy our tea because..."  But honestly this is the least of the issues.  If you can fix the other issues, you'll get a decent cup of tea out of any tea.
2. Amount of tea you're using.  Bagged tea or loose tea, using the right amount for your cup/tea pot size is very important.  If your tea is weak and you're using a large tea pot or mug, this might be the culprit.
3. Brew length is the 3rd issue that is most common.  Herbal teas in particular tend to need 5+ minutes to brew well.  And a lot of green and black teas really only need 1 to 2 minutes for the first steep if you're using the right water temps and amount of tea.
4. Water temperature...  If I had to pick one from this list that is the biggest issue, this is it.  Too hot or too cold and the brewing of the tea changes wildly. 

Let's talk quickly about how you can fix each issue.

1. "Bad Tea" is easy to fix.  Toss your tea in a zip lock baggy or any airtight container when you get it.  That alone will fix 90% of the trouble with old tea or bad tea.  It will extend the life of more teas and prevent them from absorbing the smells of your house.  Tea is notorious for absorbing smells.
2. Experiment with adding more tea.  The worst that happens is you brew something too strong and you need to cut it with a bit of hot water.  Like making an Americana, except with tea.
3. Brewing length takes a bit more care to get right but still isn't hard to do.  You can set a timer or watch the clock on the stove.  Another option is to reduce your water temperature and be okay with a cup of green or black tea taking 10 minutes to brew.  You can't rush brewing tea but you can slow it down if you reduce the water temperature that you're using.
4. Last but not least... Water Temperature.  There isn't an easy way to fix this issue without paying close attention to how you're heating your water.  The simplest option is to get a programmable water kettle that you can set the temp on.  The next option, if you're using a single speed water boiler is to perform a test by boiling your water and adding it to your favorite cup or tea pot without tea.  Then test the water temperature with a thermometer, timing it to see when the water hits the temp you need for your tea.  Then add your tea.  And lastly on this point, if you're using the microwave to heat your water, know that you'll end up with much lower temperatures and it can take 10's of minutes for a tea to brew.  If at all possible, switching to a water kettle instead of the microwave is a huge step forward to getting a decent cup of tea.  

Brewing tea is all about the ritual of the tea.  Not just the historical ritual, that is important, but also the repetition of brewing the tea the same way each time. 

James Hoffman, perhaps the best coffee channel on YouTube, has a great comment about why you need to pay attention when brewing something.  Because if you like how it turns out, then you know how to repeat it and have a great experience again.  And, even more importantly, if you have a bad experience you'll know how to NOT have it again.