Creating Time to Brew Home Tea Without Coffee
A Cup of Tea Instead of Coffee
Tea’s caffeine rises more gently than coffee’s and fades more slowly, so even when you drink it in the afternoon, it is less likely to disturb your sleep. Most of all, while you boil water and wait 3 minutes for the leaves to unfurl, your hand naturally puts down the phone. That brief pause is the real charm of home tea.
| Section | Key summary |
|---|---|
| A Cup of Tea Instead of Coffee | That brief pause is the real charm of home tea |
| Supplies and Budget | Tea strainer or infuser: 3,000~8,000 won |
| Difficulty and Temperature Are Everything | The difficulty level is very low, but there is one thing you need to keep in mind |
| Temperatures and Times by Tea | Short key point |
| Your Own Tea-Time Ritual | Short key point |
Supplies and Budget
- Loose-leaf tea or tea bags, 1 to 2 types among green tea, black tea, and barley tea: 5,000~12,000 won
- Tea strainer or infuser: 3,000~8,000 won
- 200~300ml mug or glass: 0 won if you use what you already have
- Optional: electric kettle with temperature display: 20,000~40,000 won, though a regular kettle is enough
- Optional: small timer, replaceable with your phone timer: 0 won
With a strainer and one bag of loose-leaf tea, you can start for under 10,000 won. With 50g of loose-leaf tea, you can usually brew more than 20 cups, so the cost per cup is about one-tenth of what you would pay at a cafe.
Difficulty and Temperature Are Everything
The difficulty level is very low, but there is one thing you need to keep in mind. If you pour boiling water directly over green tea, a strong astringent and bitter taste comes out. Each tea has its own suitable temperature, so simply getting into the habit of cooling boiled water briefly can make the same leaves taste completely different.
Temperatures and Times by Tea
| Tea type | Water temperature | Brewing time |
|---|---|---|
| Green tea | 70~80 degrees | 1 minute 30 seconds~2 minutes |
| Black tea | 90~95 degrees | 2~3 minutes |
| Barley tea and Solomon’s seal tea | Boiling water | 3~5 minutes |
Your Own Tea-Time Ritual
If you brew tea at the same time every day, for example at 3 p.m., your body will remember that time as a rest. If you decide to turn off notifications and simply look out the window for the 2 minutes while it brews, tea becomes not just a drink but a comma in your day.