English Breakfast Tea | How To Make The Perfect Cup

English Breakfast Tea is a delicious, traditional black tea. It is not limited to breakfast only! Enjoy this full-flavored tea with your morning routine, with breakfast, mid morning, or even as a late afternoon tea. Regardless, it pairs perfectly with almost any dessert or scrumptious treat.

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English breakfast tea is a classic tea typically enjoyed at breakfast time. It contains enough caffeine for a bit of a “wake me up,” and is enjoyed by a wide range of people from all walks of life. As a bold black tea blend with a hint of spice, the flavor holds up very well when combined with milk and sugar, added according to preference. 

Ready to get started? Here are some suggestions on how to make the perfect cup, and where to find this delicious tea!

What is English Breakfast Tea? Reasons why you will love it!

English Breakfast Tea is typically an unflavored blend of 3 different black teas from various locations around the world. Each one contains a unique combination of teas ranging from Assam, Darjeeling, and Ceylon as well as Kenyan black teas.

Why English Breakfast Tea is different from Earl Grey Tea

English Breakfast Tea is a blend of black teas and is different from Earl Grey which is flavored with bergamot.

Origins

As the story goes, English Breakfast Tea was originally invented by the Scottish tea merchant, Robert Drysdale, who wanted to fill the need for a more affordable and stronger tea for breakfast time. It is said that Queen Victoria enjoyed this tea so much she made the tea popular in Britain.

Tea Benefits for Your Heath

English Breakfast tea is not only delicious but it is also reported to contain several possible health benefits as well. If you have any health concerns, then be sure to consult with your doctor first.

• As a black tea, it contains significantly less caffeine than a cup of coffee. If you are trying to cut back on caffeine but don’t want to give up the boost altogether, then this could be a great option to consider! 
• This tea is packed full of antioxidants which are reported as helping prevent the damage of cells in your body. This benefit may help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer.
• Watching calories? This tea contains zero calories (if consumed without milk and sugar of course!)

Key Ingredients, and English Breakfast Tea Recipe

Ready to start sipping a satisfying cup of tea? Here are a few suggestions on how you can get started.

Loose Leaf or Tea Bags? 

I’ve tried out both tea bags and loose leaf tea. I usually opt for tea bags when I’m in a rush. However, I do enjoy the process, aesthetics, and scent of using loose leaves. This choice is yours to make! 

How to make English Breakfast Tea

Wondering how to drink English Breakfast Tea? Here is what works well for me.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Filtered Hot Water
• 1 tea bag or 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves
• Milk, or Substitute (to taste) 
• Sugar, or Substitute (to taste)

Steps:

1. Bring water to a boil on the stovetop. (you can also use an electric kettle and set the temp to 212 F)
2. Prepare your teapot or tea cup with an infuser. (I like this one! Although it is not pictured)
3. Place tea in the teapot.
4. Pour boiling water over tea and cover.
5. Let it Steep. (I like to let it steep for 4-5 minutes)
6. Strain out tea.
7. Enjoy!

Tips and Considerations for Preparing | Recipe Notes

• For the best flavor use freshly drawn and filtered water
• Beware of over-steeping as the tea will become astringent. For a stronger tea, add more tea leaves.
• A shorter steeping time leads to a weaker tea. This could be preferable for drinking if you are sensitive or new to an English breakfast tea.
• Don’t allow the water to overboil. This can lead to lower oxygen levels and this plays an important role in the flavor of your tea. It helps in the transmission of atomic components.

Make it your own with additional ingredients

• Water: I recommend using filtered water if you can. In my experience, the better the water the better the tea!
• Milk: This is classic! I’ve found that any type of milk can be used. Some people like oat milk, or almond milk for the non-dairy options, and heavy cream, or whole milk are always staples.
• Sweetener: Traditional table sugar is perfect! I try to avoid coarse sugar as it doesn’t dissolve as quickly. Trying to avoid refined sugar? I have enjoyed raw honey, but be sure to keep reading below for more suggestions!

Dietary Considerations, Caffeine content, Vegan and Dairy-Free options

Looking for some options to the standard milk and sugar? And what about caffeine content?

My favorite dairy alternatives include:

• Oatmilk – in my opinion, is the most neutral flavored
• Coconut Milk – adds a bit of sweetness.
• Soy Milk
• Almond Milk – adds a sweet nutty hint. I prefer unsweetened. 

How Much Caffeine is in English Breakfast Tea anyway?

Does English Breakfast Tea have caffeine? Yes, it does. An 8-ounce cup of tea contains about 42 mg of caffeine. While about 80% of the caffeine from the tea enters your brew within the first minute of steeping, longer steeping can lead to higher caffeine levels. This is considerably less than a cup of coffee which contains about 96 mg per 8-ounce cup.

To make this tea refined-sugar-free try:

• Raw Honey
• Stevia
• Monk Fruit
• Agave
• Coconut Sugar
• Date sugar
• Sucanant
• Maple Syrup

Questions you may have!

Curious about where to get English Breakfast Tea?

Fortunately for tea drinkers, this blend is easily available and can be purchased in almost any supermarket, drugstore, local shops, and even at most online grocery retailers. You can find my favorite tea bags here or loose leave blend here! 

Tea Brands to Try

• Twinnings Tea Bags or Loose leaf
• Numi
• Harney & Sons
• teapigs

How to drink English Breakfast Tea:

Drink plain or with milk and sugar.

Can you use English Breakfast Tea for kombucha?

Yes, as English breakfast is a solid black tea it can be used in kombucha.

English Breakfast Tea for weight-loss?

Always consult your doctor if you have any health concerns!

More Teas You Might Love

• Rose Hip Tea
• Ginger Chai
• Vanilla Chai
• Cold Brew Green Tea
• Brown Sugar Milk Tea

I hope you enjoy this English Breakfast tea recipe. Leave a comment below and let’s connect!