Here's How To Make Tea In A French Press

You know how to brew the perfect cup of joe with your French press. You may also already know that you can froth milk, rinse grains, and make broth with your French press (via Epicurious). But did you know that your French press is also the answer to how to make a perfect cup of tea? Tea snobs, this one's for you. 

Making tea with a French press is a surprisingly easy, and extraordinarily customizable process. Java Presse breaks it down. First, clean your press to get rid of any aromatic coffee oils (or leftover broth flavors, or leftover milk suds). Second, add your tea leaves. How many? Try 1 to 2 teaspoons of loose leaf tea for every cup of water you use. If you'd prefer to weigh your tea, go with 2.5 grams per cup of water. For iced tea, double the amount of tea leaves you use and halve the amount of water you steep it in, since your brew will be watered down by ice cubes. 

Third, pour your hot water over your leaves. How hot should it be? Between 158 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the tea. Fourth, wait. How long? Mentalfloss suggests anywhere between 30 seconds to five minutes. If you're are itching for a pick-me-up, steeping for three to five minutes will give you optimal caffeine content. If you're drinking for taste, one to three minutes is generally long enough to break down the compounds that give teas their aromas and sweetness. 

Fifth? Strain, and enjoy. 

Have you decided to give tea making in a French press a try? Don't stop at simply brewing loose leaves! A French press gives you room for creativity. Food & Wine suggests that the first thing you should consider adding to your press is the contents of your spice cabinet. Don't be afraid to experiment with cloves, anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, or peppercorns, to achieve a tea-like "broth." You might also consider adding fresh ginger or mint for added zing and zest (via The Daily Tea). Of course, you can just as easily add these elements to the leaves for more complex taste profiles. 

After you've tested out which herbs and spices and tea leaves your prefer, you can also start experimenting with brewing your teas in different kinds of liquids. Water, needless to say, will never fail you. But lemonades, fruit juice, and even milks are all par for the course (via Golden Moon Tea). When it comes to making tea in a French press, the sky's the limit.