Loose flower tea is the easiest tea in the world to brew badly — and the easiest to brew well once you know the two mistakes everyone makes: water that is too hot, and steeping too long. Whole chamomile, lavender, rose and blue pea are delicate. Treat them gently and the cup turns out floral and naturally sweet; scald them and you taste the bitterness instead.
The only numbers you need
For almost every flower tea in our range: one teaspoon of whole flowers per cup, water at 85–90°C (boil the kettle, then wait about a minute), and a 3–5 minute steep with a lid on. The lid matters more than people think — it keeps the aromatic oils in the cup instead of in the air.
Why whole flowers behave differently from tea bags
Bagged tea is usually dust and fannings, which release everything — colour, flavour, tannin — in about a minute. Whole flowers open slowly. That is why they can sit a minute longer without turning harsh, and why a second steep of the same flowers still tastes like something. With our bottles you can see exactly what you are brewing; if you can name the flower you are looking at, it will forgive you a little imprecision.
Hot, iced, or overnight
Every flower tea we sell also works cold. For iced tea, brew it hot and slightly strong, then pour over ice. For an overnight cold brew, double the flowers, use room-temperature water and refrigerate for 6–8 hours — blue pea makes a striking deep-blue jug this way, and a squeeze of lime turns it violet in front of your guests.
A note on sweetener
Try the first cup plain. Whole rose and chamomile carry a natural sweetness that dust never does. If you still want more, honey after the cup has cooled slightly keeps the flavour intact.
