Guides
Everything we wish someone had told us in the first month
Practical guides and buying roundups. No filler, no fifteen-hundred-word preamble before the actual number you came for.
How to Brew Tea: Temperature, Time and Leaf
Three numbers decide whether your tea is good. Here they are for every type, plus the two mistakes that account for most bad cups.
7 min read · updated 2026-09-15
The Best Loose Leaf Teas for Beginners
Forgiving, widely available, and hard to brew badly. If you are buying loose leaf for the first time, start in this list.
6 min read · updated 2026-09-15
The Best Electric Kettles for Tea
A variable-temperature kettle is the single upgrade that improves every tea you own. Here is what to look for and what to skip.
6 min read · updated 2026-09-15
A Complete Tea Setup for Under $100
Everything you need to brew loose leaf properly, nothing you do not, and a shopping list that adds up to less than a hundred dollars.
5 min read · updated 2026-09-15
Tea and Caffeine: A Straight Answer
How much caffeine is really in your cup, why the numbers you see online disagree, and the decaffeination myth that will not die.
6 min read · updated 2026-09-15
Gongfu Brewing Without the Ceremony
More leaf, less water, very short steeps, many times. It is not a ritual, it is a ratio — and it makes good tea taste twice as good.
6 min read · updated 2026-09-15
How to Store Loose Leaf Tea So It Stays Worth Drinking
Tea does not spoil, it fades. Four enemies, one cheap solution, and the one tea that actually wants to be refrigerated.
4 min read · updated 2026-09-15