If and When to Put Milk in Tea
Should you add the milk or water first? It’s the eternal tea debate – up there with how strong you like it, what shade you prefer and whether you take sugar. But unlike those personal preferences, the milk in tea conundrum is one with an actual proper answer.
We’ll share that below, with the help of Head of Tea Buying and Blending, Suzy Garraghan. She knows a thing or two about how to make the perfect cup of tea, including when to put milk in.
Just before we hit you with the milky truth, it’d be remiss of us not to shoehorn in a shameless plug. Because the most important factor in a decent cup of tea is the actual tea. You know, like one of our teas.
OK, let’s get into it. Is it better to be a Miffy (milk in first) or a Tiffy (tea in first)?
Should you even add milk to your tea?
do go really well with a spot of milk.
There’s a popular theory about how it started, which is that adding cold milk helped people to protect their posh crockery from under the heat. Some people also reckon it might have been a way of making tea, which used to be very pricey, stretch a bit further.
But however it caught on, the reason it stuck around is simple: it tastes nice. Strongly brewed black tea packs a punch of bitterness and astringency, and adding milk mellows those intense bits out.
So, if you’re adding milk, should you go milk or water first?
Suzy said: “To get the best infusion possible, black tea really needs freshly boiled water (as close to 100°C as possible). When you put milk into infusing tea you lower the temperature of the water so a proper infusion can’t take place. To get the best of your brew in a mug, always make the tea first to your taste and strength and the milk after.”
What about teapots?
Ah, the trusty teapot. If you're brewing your tea in one of those, you can completely ignore what we've just told you. In fact, we suggest you save this web page, print out a hard copy and then tear it up, just to make the point. But not before reading this next bit first.
Teapots mean the milk doesn't get a chance to lower the water temperature and stifle the brewing process. So, by the time milk and tea meet in the cup, it’s all academic and it doesn’t matter which goes first. Though Suzy does still prefer adding milk last for personal preference.
Suzy explained: "When using a teapot, it’s really up to you, as you’re not adding the milk to the infusion. Though I like to pour tea first to judge the strength and add milk last.”
Dos and don’ts
- Milk and tea bag shouldn’t touch
- Tea brews best with water that’s only just boiled
- Brew to whatever strength you like (we leave it 4-5 mins)
- Add sugar if you want, we’re not here to judge
So, milk first or milk last?
If you want your tea to be everything it can, add the milk last. Unless you’re brewing in a teapot, in which case, do whatever you want. In fact, do whatever you want anyway, we’re not the boss of you!
But if you do want chapter and verse on nailing an absolutely perfect brew every single time, you should definitely check out our guide on how to make tea.
Suzy’s thoughts: “One of the things I love about tea is how everyone has their own way of making it, which they often feel quite passionate about! But here at Yorkshire Tea HQ it’s our job to make sure that only the best quality tea goes into our blends, so you get the same great brew every time.
“Ultimately, it’s what’s inside (the bag) that counts!”
