Typhoo Tea: How to Make the Perfect Cup of English Tea

How do you make the perfect cup of English Tea? Almost everyone, including tea companies, have an opinion. Now, the producers of Typhoo offer some advice.

For the unfamiliar, Typhoo is a brand of tea produced in England and popular across the world. Typhoo makes mostly the black variety that is available in regular and decaf.

Only a few simple steps are between you and the perfect cup.

First and most importantly, use fresh water each time you put the kettle on and boil it only once. Tea needs the oxygen in water to get its full taste. If you boil water again, all the oxygen is taken out of the water and the result will be a flat taste. Black varieties, such as Typhoo, need the water to be at a rolling boil.

Get out your Typhoo, regular or decaf, whatever you prefer. Place your loose or bag in the mug and then pour in freshly boiled water. Following this order will allow it to infuse and result in a better drink. Remove the bag or loose.

How long to steep? Typhoo recommends 3 minutes. The amount of time depends on how you like it. One difference between English and Irish teas is steeping. Irish products are better steeped at 3 to 5 minutes.

Now, depending on preference, use milk or sugar.

Do you use a teapot? Then, alter the directions a little. Put a bit of boiling water in the teapot to warm it and then pour it out.

How much tea should you use in a teapot? For bags, every 4 cups requires 2 bags. With loose, 1 teaspoon is required for each cup and 1 extra for the teapot. Steeping times remain the same.

If you want to follow these instructions, first make sure to get the genuine article. Look for genuine Typhoo, which is made in England. All Typhoo products are sealed in a foil pack and then are packed in the distinctive red box, except for the decaf which comes in a white box. The bags are round in shape and packed full of leaves. It is available in a variety of sizes in bags and loose.

If you are shopping, here is a tip. Since you don’t know how often stores sell the tea, look for freshness. All Typhoo products have a “Best By” date on the box. Make sure to get a “Best By” date at least a few months in the future. If you are shopping on the Internet, make sure the date is provided for you.

With a long history and worldwide availability, Typhoo is one of the world’s great brands. It was started in 1903 by John Sumner of Birmingham, England. He joined the family grocery business and successfully ran it for many years. Sumner started the tea business after his sister, who had indigestion, felt better after drinking tea.

Sumner marketed it under a brand name, Typhoo Tipps, rather than selling it loose in grocery stores. It was the first tea sold under a brand name. Actually, the word Tipps was misspelled due to a printing mistake but remained for years.

With high customer loyalty, the brand quickly grew, even though it was more expensive. Customers believed Typhoo aided digestion. Sumner used many methods to promote the brand, including, in 1906, selling Typhoo-branded teapots. He also inserted picture cards into each package. Even today, these cards are collectibles.