Fill a kettle with cold water and set it to boil. As the water nears a boil, pour a little of it into a teapot to warm it, swirling the water around and then discarding it.

For each cup of tea desired, place a spoonful of loose tea leaves into the empty, warmed teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot and let the tea steep 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the type of tea leaves.

Gently stir the tea before pouring it through strainers into teacups. Serve with milk and sugar cubes, or lemon slices and honey