Ever wonder how to make a tea espresso drink using an espresso machine? If you love espresso coffee drinks chances are you will also enjoy a cup of tea espresso drink.

The process of making an espresso from tea is pretty straightforward and almost identical to making coffee espresso. However, there are a few keys to a delicious cup of tea espresso drink. Let's go through them in this article.

Pictured above is a tea cappuccino made using our Malawi Chisunga.

Type of tea to make espresso

Black tea is most suitable for espresso making. Black tea is a fully oxidized tea which means it has a fuller and more robust taste. Black tea also takes high temperature and pressure well. This is very important because we want to extract the flavor and at the same time preserve the taste of the tea. Black tea is the ideal candidate due to its oxidation level. Other types such as green and white teas are more delicate and just slightly oxidized. They just can’t tolerate high temperatures and pressure. 

Malawi Chisunga CTC Tea Grounds after brewing. 

We highly recommend using CTC black tea

CTC stands for “crush, tear, curl”. CTC is a tea making process. In this process, tea leaves are processed and broken down to astandard size through the use of machinery.  CTC teas are perfect for espresso making because they are broken down into very small pallets. Flavor can be extracted more easily from CTC tea leaves because of their shape and size.

CTC tea in the porta-filter.

Don’t overfill the porta-filter

Fill and tamp the porta-filter as how you normally would with your coffee. If the brew is too strong and you are enjoying it with no milk, you can dilute it with hot water. When making cappuccino and latte, we recommend experimenting with different amounts of milk/foam to get the right ratio. 

Tea espresso dripping out into the cups.

Now let’s turn on the machine and make some tea espresso! 

Enjoy! 

Peppermint is a hybrid between spearmint and watermint.

The best peppermint comes from the northwestern United States. The pure, moist mountain air of the spring and early summer growing season gives this peppermint some of the highest volatile oil counts of any member of the mint family.

It is often consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that peppermint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomach ache and nausea. An interesting and tingling way to use peppermint is to place a handful of peppermint leaves in your bath water which will lower your body temperature - perfect for cooling fevered skin or after working on a hot summer’s day.

Peppermint is a primary ingredient in remedies used in the relief of gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and local aches and pains. Because of its bright, pungent flavor, peppermint is often used to mask the unpleasant taste of various medicines. Peppermint tea is made from both the leaves and the flowers. As a hot tea it is cool and refreshing, as an iced tea the menthol content produces a pleasantly chilling taste sensation.

Peppermint

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The best peppermint comes from the northwestern United States. The pure, moist mountain air of the spring and early summer growing season gives this peppermint some of the highest volatile oil counts of any member of the mint family.

Quite often peppermint is consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that peppermint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomach ache and nausea. An interesting and tingling way to use peppermint is to place a handful of peppermint leaves in your bath water which will lower your body temperature - perfect for cooling fevered skin or after working on a hot summer’s day.
Peppermint is a primary ingredient in remedies used in the relief of gastrointestinal disorders, headaches, and local aches and pains. Because of its bright, pungent flavor, peppermint is often used to mask the unpleasant taste of various medicines. Peppermint tea is made from both the leaves and the flowers. As a hot tea it is cool and refreshing, as an iced tea the menthol content produces a pleasantly chilling taste sensation.

Country of Origin: United States.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of peppermint for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the flavor). Pour into your cup. Milk or sugar is not generally added to the cup.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

size:

Select size Sample (makes 5 cups) 4 oz. (makes 50 cups) 8 oz. (makes 100 cups) 1 lb. (makes 200 cups)

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Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of peppermint for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the flavor). Pour into your cup. Milk or sugar is not generally added to the cup.

Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.

Have you ever wanted a very robust, bold and full-flavored cup of tea? 

If you have a stovetop Moka pot at home, try brewing tea in a Moka pot. You may be surprised by how robust and flavorful the tea is. Tea brewed in Moka pot also makes very delicious Black Tea Latte. 

What kind of tea is best for Moka pot? 

From our experience, black tea is more suitable for Moka pot. Black tea is fully oxidized which means it takes high temperature and pressure very well. Other types of tea, such as green and white teas, don't tolerate high water temperature well and can easily over brew.

How to use a Moka pot to make tea.

• Fill the base of the Moka pot with hot water.

• Put tea leaves in the filter container. Level and smooth the tea leaves using a spoon and don't over fill the filter.

• Screw on the top part (spout) and place Moka pot on the stove.

• Turn stove on to medium flame. Make sure not to burn the handle of the pot.

• Take the pot off the stove as soon as tea starts dribbling out.

• Pour the tea into a cup. Enjoy the tea as it is. Or add steam milk to make a Tea Latte.

• Enjoy! 

When tea starts dribbling out, take the pot off the stove. 

Kukicha or 茎茶 is a green tea from Japan. Kukicha in Japanese means stem or twig tea. Like it’s name suggests, Kukicha consists of both green tea leaves and young tea stems. 

Pictured above is our Kukicha. Ours is Gyokuro and Sencha base green tea with both young leaves and delicate tea stems. Click “here” to view product.

Because of the addition of delicate tea stems, ​Kukicha has a unique flavor that is nutty and slightly creamy. The Umami level is very high in this tea because of the production method. Umami is a Japanese term for natural savory taste associated with amino acids especially the L-glutamate amino acid. It is used to describe the unique flavor from meats, cheese, vegetables and tea. 

Kukicha is a low caffeine green tea. It has just half the caffeine of what regular green tea has. This makes it a popular afternoon and evening tea.

There are different grades and types of Kukicha. Our version is more sought after by tea drinkers in Japan, because it is Gyokuro and Sencha based. The addition of Gyokuro makes it more flavorful and intensifies the “Umami”. 

For brewing, we recommend using 1 heaping teaspoon of tea leaves per 8 oz. of water at 180°F (80°C). Steeping time is 2-3 minutes. The same leaves can be infused multiple times.

Kukicha also makes refreshing cold brewed tea. For cold brewing instructions please see our Cold Brewing Guide.

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Kukicha

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Kukicha is a traditional green tea from Japan. Our Kukicha is a Sencha and Gyokuro base green tea with both young leaves and stems. It brews a flavorful cup that is nutty and slightly creamy.

The addition of Gyokuro base leaves enhances the Umami (a Japanese term for savory flavor) and add a unique flavor profile to the tea. Kukicha can also be added to juice to make an excellent children's drink. It is a powerful antioxidant and is very low in caffeine. In fact the lowest in caffeine (1/10 of the caffeine level in regular green tea) of all traditional teas.

Country of Origin: Japan

Grade: Kukicha

Manufacture Type: Steamed green tea

size:

Select size Sample (5 cups) 4 oz. (50 cups) 8 oz. (100 cups)

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This thirst quenching tropical delight is an alcohol free Iced Tea Sangria. It is a perfect kids friendly summer drink. Please see recipe below for ingredients and direction.

Ingredients to made a 60 oz. pitcher:

• 5 teaspoons of Black Tea . We used our Assam Behora Estate for its strength and malty flavor. 
• 2 cups of fruits. Use fruits and berries that are fresh at your local market. We used strawberries, mandarin oranges, sweet tomatos, and apricots.
• Honey or sugar to taste. Alternatively, use stevia extract to make a sugar free version. 
• 1 lime and 5 fresh mint leaves.   
• Ice. 

Direction:

• Wash, peel and cut the fruits into bite size pieces and put them into a pitcher.
• Add mint leaves and honey (or sugar) in the pitcher. 
• Muddle and mash the fruits, mint and sweetener for 30 seconds.
• Fill pitcher with ice.
• Bring 30 oz. of water to a boil. Then use a tea pot (or a heat resistant pot) and steep the tea leaves in the freshly boiled water for 5 minutes.
• When tea is brewed, strain and pour tea into the ice-filled pitcher.
• Stir well and top off with more ice if needed.  

Enjoy!

Summer is around the corner! Let’s make some refreshing drinks to quench our thirst. 

Here we made a delicious Green Tea Mojito (with Matcha Green Tea). Matcha adds a nice jammy taste and compliments the mints and lime very well. Below please find the recipe for a pitcher size Green Tea Mojito.

Ingredients:  

• 1 tablespoon Matcha Green Tea. 
• half cup white sugar. 
• 2 handfuls fresh mint, or to taste.
• 3-4 limes. 
• 1 cup rum. If you prefer alcohol free, use coconut water instead.  
• 36 oz. club soda.

Direction:

• Put sugar and fresh mint into a pitcher. Muddle them until the mint leaves are broken down.
• Quarter the limes and squeeze lime juice into pitcher. After being squeezed, add the lime pieces in pitcher and muddle them for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Add Matcha Green Tea into pitcher. 
• Pour and stir rum into the mixture.
• Add ice. 
• Add club soda and stir until Matcha and sugar are well dissolved.

Enjoy!

Matcha smoothie is super nutritious and very easy to make. Just simply combine Matcha green tea powder with your favorite ingredients to supercharge your smoothie.

Here we blend our Matcha Samidori with avocados, plain organic yogurt, bananas, raisins. We then top the smoothie with boiled chickpeas and wholegrain crisps to serve. It is so delicious. All it would take is just 5 minutes.

Ingredients for 2 servings: 1 avocado, 1 banana, half cup of raisins, 2 cups of yogurt, and 1 teaspoon of Matcha. 

Toppings: wholegrain crisps and boiled chickpeas. 

Enjoy!

Matcha latte make using our Matcha Green. Click “here” to view product. 

Matcha latte is fairly easy to make. Below are some basic steps to a nice cafe quality Matcha latte.

Steps:

1. Put about 1/2 teaspoonmatcha in a mug or glass
2. Add sweetener to taste
3. Heat or steam the Milk or Soy Milk
4. Add milk slowly while whisking/stirring the tea at the same time.
5. Can also add whip cream on top and sprinkle some chocolate powder.

Enjoy!! 

This is a FBOP (flowery broken orange pekoe) graded Assam tea from Hunwal estate. 

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The brewed cup has the classic Assam tea characters and has a finish that is more delicate. It is full-bodied, malty and smooth. The astringency is slightly less prominent than a typical Assam tea. This is due to the tippy leave presence in the tea. The result is a well balanced tea that is good on its own or with a few drops of milk. If you are looking for a smoother Assam tea that has more depth, give this Hunwal estate tea a try. You will not be disappointed.

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Assam Hunwal

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This tea from the Hunwal estate is a very well balanced Assam tea. The brewed cup has the classic Assam tea characters and has a more delicate finish. It is full-bodied, malty and smooth. The astringency is slight less prominent than a typical Assam tea. This is due to the tippy leave presence in the tea. The result is a well balanced tea that is good on its own or with a few drops of milk.

Country of Origin: India

Grade: FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe)

Manufacture Type: Orthodox

Infusion: Bright and tending coppery

size:

Select size Sample (makes 5 cups) 4oz (50 cups) 8oz (100 cups) 1lb (200 cups)

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Hojicha is a charcoal roasted Japanese charcoal roasted green tea.  The tea base for Hojicha is a summer harvested green tea called Bancha. 

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Bancha is tea that contains both tea leaves and tea twigs. After the roasting process, the leaves and twigs turn brown and gives off a nice toasty aroma. 

When brewed, Hojicha makes a nutty cup of tea that is slightly sweet with a very clean finish. It is also excellent when served as an iced tea. 

The roasting process takes the vegetal/grassy edge off the green leaves and reduces the caffeine to a minimal level. The low caffeine content makes Hojicha a popular evening tea in Japan. For the same reason, it is also the tea of choice for children and elderly in Japan.

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Want a delicious and healthy breakfast to start your day? This nutrient packed Matcha green tea and oatmeal breakfast should get you charged up for the day.

Pictured above is a freshly made Matcha Oatmeal with almond milk, pine nuts, almond pieces and sweet red beans.  It is delicious, packed full of nutrients and energizing.

It is very easy to prepare. First, make an oatmeal like you normally would. We put in almond milk just because we like how it tastes. Alternatively, you can use regular milk, coconut milk  or rice milk.

Second, whisk 1 teaspoon of Matcha with 1-2 ounces of water to make a thick/dense matcha green tea and add it to the oatmeal. 

Finally, put some nuts, and/or fruits according to your preference. We like to use pine nuts , cut up almonds and sweet red beans.

Enjoy! 

​Jasmine Green Tea is a classic full bodied green tea from China. It also makes excellent iced tea.

 

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This is a very pleasant 1st grade Jasmine Green tea with surprising body and a captivating floral taste. It has all the flavor, aroma and good green tea qualities but not the exorbitant price.

This Black Dragon Pearls Tea, also called Yunnan Black Pearls, is a hand rolled small batch production from Yunnan, China.  

Product Page: https://www.beantowntea.com/black-tea-products/black-dragon-pearls

The beautiful tea pearls are hand rolled using only the highest quality leaves and buds. 

It is an exceptional tea from the Dian Hong tea category. It brews a cup that is earthy, sweet, and mellow. It is Complex but with low astringency. Very forgiving tea that still tastes good when over brewed. Delicious tea that can be enjoyed all day long.

This Chai mix is a delicious blend of indian Chai spices. It brews a full bodied infusion that is thick and warm. It is a classic chai with right amount of spiciness.

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It is naturally caffeine free because there is no actually tea in this blend. It can be enjoyed as it is as a caffeine free Chai. You can add your favorite black tea, green tea or even coffee into the mix to create your own Chai. Make a hot Chai to warm you up in the cold winter days or make it iced for the summer. You can't go wrong either way.

Ingredients: cinnamon, ginger, green cardamom pods, allspice, cloves, and black pepper.

Kenya’s highland is one of the best location for tea production. It has got the right altitude, optimum soil and climate conditions for tea growing.  

In recent years, Kenya has become a major producer in the tea trade. Tea farms in Kenya adapt very quickly to new trends and technologies. The black tea matcha is a fine example of what Kenya has to offer. The special tea leave are specifically selected for their tannin and antioxidants count. After the harvest, they are processed in small batches and craftily stone ground into fine powder. 

This Kenya Highlands Matcha brews up a very well balanced tea that is smooth, malty, and slightly astringent. It couples with milk/cream very well. 

Black tea Matcha is super rich in antioxidants and fibers. It is less vegetal than green Matcha. For some who don’t like the grassiness of Green Matcha, this Kenya Highlands Black Tea Matcha is a nice alternative.

We highly encourage you to experiment with various quantities, water temperatures, and whisking time until you find the strength that‟s perfect for you. 

For more information please visit our tea info page. 

https://www.beantowntea.com/tea-info-2/

Bruising is a Tea making technique that breaks down the structures of leaf cells in order to promote oxidation of the tea leaves. It is a very important step in the making of oolong tea and black tea as the bruising allow for oxidative enzymes to work. 

In the making of oolong tea, the bruising is done by tossing or tumbling the tea leaves in containers. After the tossing and/or tumbling  the edges of tea leaves are bruised and the oxidation starts. 

Depending on the desired level of oxidation, some oolong teas are just lightly oxidized, while some other oolong teas are further oxidized. Taste of oolong teas can vary largely due to different degrees of oxidation. The less oxidized oolong teas usually taste more floral and vetegtal. The darker, more oxidized oolong teas take on a fuller taste profile that is earthy, nutty, and sometimes toasty.

Pictured here is the infused leaves of the lightly oxidized Jade Oolong tea. It is noticeable that the edges of the leaves are bruised while the overall appearance of the leaves remained green. 

Black tea on the other hand, after the bruising, usually goes through the oxidation process completely. This means most black teas are fully oxidized. And as a result, they have a full bodied profile with little to no vegetal taste.  

Pictured above is a brewed cup of Golden Monkey black tea.  

Want more information? Visit our other blog posts and the information page on our website.

If you like an all natural antioxidants filled caffeine free fruit blend, you should definitely try the Very Berry blend. 

We blended delicious and nutritious fruits and herbs to make this tea. The ingredients are black currants, raspberries, elderberries, bilberries, hibiscus flowers and rose hips. 

Very Berry makes excellent iced tea. When garnished with some honey,  kids will sure love this fruit punch like healthy tea.

Visit this link to view product  https://www.beantowntea.com/herbal-tea/very-berry

A high altitude grown crisp green tea with depths and classic green tea characters. 

Green Curls make a perfect afternoon tea.  

Green Curls are grown in the mountainous area of Fujian province. The leaves are tigltly rolled and green in appearance. The cup is crisp and complex with little to no vegetal grassiness. It is slightly smokey and pleasantly refreshing. Excellent both hot and iced. 

If you would like more information, click “here” to visit the product page  

Pouchong Oolong is a very green (slightly oxidized) Oolong from Taiwan.  

The leaf appearance of Pouchong is green and wavy. Click here to view this product.

It is arguably the greenest Oolong of all. Pouchong brews a very floral cup with melon like fragrance.  It has a lot of the green tea characteristics but does not have the sharp green tea vegetal notes. Its name in Chinese, literally "the wrapped kind", refers to a practice of wrapping the leaves in paper during the drying process that has largely been discontinued due to advancement in tea processing. At its best, Pouchong gives a floral and melon fragrance and has a rich, mild taste.

Brewed Pouchong. 

So what is Tencha? Tencha is a unique kind of green tea from Japan. It is a green tea of the Gyokuro variety. In the past, it was used almost solely as a the base for Matcha. In short, Matcha is a finely ground version of Tencha.

Since Tencha is a Gyokuro variety, some would wonder what the differences are between Tencha and the famouse Gyokuro.

Firstly, it is harvested a little differently than Gyokuro. tencha leaves plucking is “three leaves and a bud”, while the Gyokuro plucking is “two leaves and a bud” on a tea branch. In layman’s term, when compared, the Tencha making calls for leaves that are slightly older. This is necessary, because Tencha needs to have a fuller flavor in order to produce a good Matcha. 

Secondly, Tencha is flat, while the Gyokuro is rolled to needle like shape after the steaming processe. The reason for Tencha leaves being flat is that staying flat makes it easier to strip of the stems and veins. Stems and veins will bring bitterness and undesired flavor to Matcha. 

So who does it taste? The taste profile of Tencha is similar to Gyokuro. However, because the leaves are little bit older and stems are striped, Tencha has a fuller body and taste sweeter.

Availabilty of Tencha is more limited due to the fact that it is produced mainly for Matcha production.  

If you are a fan of Japanese teas such as Gyokuro, Sencha and Matcha, you should definitely give Tencha a try.