The coffee is weak. For many of us, we mistake black tea for weak coffee. We think our little cup will give us some energy, but it actualy gives us much more then that. It’s all about that pre-water action.
Caffeine wise, black tea have just enough to perk you up without giving your heart rapid beats like sugary energy drinks can. The trick to success here is less about habit and more about knowledge based off the behavior of leaf. Caffeine content vary depending on type of tea. And the amount of caffeine varies across different types of tea. How much you get depends on where it come from.
How to Make Black Tea Just Right
If it’s Indian Assam, chances are good that you’re getting about 90 milligrams of caffeine per eight ounces of tea. If you’re drinking something like lapsang souchong (known for its smokiness), then expect less, as it sit at the lower end of spectrum. Knowing this allow you to select the right brew for your day.
If you’d like to perk up in the morning, opt for Assam. If you’re looking to hit the hay in style later on, go with something milder. It is a tiny decision, but it impact your sleep.
The way you brew it makes a big difference in the outcome. For example, many assume steeping time is something set in stone. It’s not: if you steep tea for one minute, you get a mellow cuppa with minimal caffeine. Five minutes? You’ve got bitterness from tannins, plus extra caffeine.
The size of surface area also impacts things. Because tea bags are made from broken leaves, they give up their flavors quicker then whole ones do. That’s why your English Breakfast out of a teabag might be stronger than expected.
According to the FDA, healthy adults should not consume more than 400mg of caffeine per day. On average, that’s about six or seven cups of black tea. In fact, most don’t even get to this level, yet they’re still feeling jittery.
L-theanine is next. L-theanine is another ingredient present in tea leaves. An amino acid, it interact with caffeine to produce smooth alertness. Think of it as a way to blunt the sharp spike you get from coffee and prevent the crash that follows later. This is what makes tea unique compared to other stimulants.
There’s a few easy tricks to controlling how much you get. None of them require any special equipment. Throw out that first half minute of steeped water and you retain most of the flavor without extra caffeine. This is a good option if you enjoy the flavor but are sensitive to caffeine. Whole loose-leaf teas will help too. Broken leaves open up faster than large leaves. Larger leaves will gives you more control over strength of drink.
Beyond its reputation for being just weaker coffee in a different cup… And capable of delivering a jolt that rivals an espresso, is black tea’s versatility. Depending on how long it steeps, what kind of leaf are used, and how hot the water is, you have control over how much of an energy hit you want. In other words, you get to cater the cup to yourself.
Whether you need something bold to kick off the day or prefer to wind down slowly in the evening, there’s a brew out there for that. When you treat it like science instead of habit, each sip will do exactly what you need it to. You should of tried it more often.