Your Drinks, Your Way
Taste expert reveals tips to make the best cuppa ever
Drinking tea and coffee is one of life’s greatest pleasures and should be enjoyed properly by all! We are here to help you take your drinks to a whole new level thanks to our new Aurora hot and cold water dispenser and international expert Angela Pryce…
Ever wondered why your morning cuppa might taste a little funny, or why the appearance of your tea can look dull? Well, it’s all down to the quality of your water and the area in which you live which can result in hard or soft water. There are a few tips and tricks to help make things a whole lot tastier, for you – and your guests.
Many of us know that there’s an optimum water temperature for coffee, but did you know that using filtered water could make your daily drinks even better too?
We’ve teamed up with internationally renowned tea expert and master blender Angela Pryce to bring you an in-depth guide to creating the very best hot and cold drinks using our brand new Aurora water chiller, exploring the quirky and surprising elements which might affect the taste of your drinks.
Angela has been busy analysing everyday drinks including black tea, green tea, peppermint herbal infusion, hot chocolate, coffee and plain water to uncover how exactly we should be drinking our favourite beverages – and most importantly, whether filtered water is best after all.
Who is Angela Pryce?
Angela provides tea consultancy services across the globe. Her finely tuned taste buds, extensive knowledge and infectious passion for tea know no bounds. Angela has travelled and tasted her way around the world’s tea estates and is an expert in sourcing, tasting, blending and preparing the finest teas.
“I’ve absolutely loved using my Aurora by Aqua Optima, to taste test a whole variety of different drinks. Hot and cold drinks are there to be enjoyed, so it’s important that we give them the care and attention they deserve. There are various factors which contribute to a good cuppa – get these right, and I promise you’ll soon be everyone’s cup of tea!”
A kettle, chiller & filter jug all in one appliance. The Aurora beverage machine offers fast, convenient flexibility to enjoy your drinks, your way whilst saving energy & removing impurities.
GREEN TEA
Cleanse your body with green tea – a natural source of polyphenols and an antioxidant to the body. It can be served hot or cold, but serving in a glass cup helps to see the beautiful colour perfectly. When drinking green tea hot, never use boiling water as this will make the tea taste bitter, or leave a dry mouth feel which nobody wants. Instead, for best results, use water at around 70 – 80 degrees celsius.
Green tea is also excellent when cold brewed, as you get all of the flavour with absolutely no bitterness. Simply add your green tea leaves to a jug or filter bottle, add cold water and chill in the refrigerator for around 3 hours or even leave it to infuse overnight.
Angela’s taste test results
Hot green tea
Using filtered water meant the drink appeared lighter in colour, and brighter with a much better clarity. It had more flavour and sweetness, with a thinner, crisper mouthfeel. The difference became even more noticeable as it cooled.
The drink prepared using tap water had a rounder, fuller mouthfeel.
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Green tea with filtered water
Green tea tap water
Cold green tea
The sample prepared using filtered water had a much crisper mouthfeel with a cleaner taste. The clarity was much improved, appearing crystal clear with no residue or cloudiness – this was apparent immediately, and remained after infusing
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Green tea filtered cold brew
Green tea cold tap water
BLACK TEA
All tea types are a rich source of vitamins and minerals – did you know that a cup of tea has lots of health benefits? Tea when taken with milk is a natural source of calcium, fluoride, zinc and even iron.
Traditionally drunk hot, tea is best brewed for five minutes at 95 degrees celsius, and a white porcelain cup allows the drinker to really appreciate the colour of the tea.
Angela’s taste test results
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Black tea with filtered water
Black tea with tap water
HOT CHOCOLATE
When making this real sweet hug in a mug, use water at around 95 degrees celsius, and for best results use filtered water. It makes this treat feel even more decadent, with a richer taste and a thicker feel – perfect for those cosy nights in front of the fire!
For an indulgent hot chocolate, use a milk frother to whizz up your hot chocolate to a bubbly texture. It gives hot chocolate made with water a more luxurious, indulgent texture – closer to the feel of a hot chocolate made using milk.
Angela’s taste test results
Sample prepared using filtered water has a much brighter, more attractive appearance. When whisked with a milk frother, the texture was foamier, with bigger bubbles that also held their shape for longer. The taste was richer, with more depth and a thicker mouthfeel vs. the sample prepared with tap water.
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Hot chocolate with filtered water
Hot chocolate with tap water
HOT CHOCOLATE
It might be plain, but water is truly mighty! If you’re taking steps to save the planet you’re probably drinking more tap water than ever, but are you filtering it first? Filtering tap water gives it a smoother and cleaner taste, you can literally SEE the difference in your glass.
For best results, serve it at an ambient temperature.
Angela’s taste test results
The filtered water appeared much clearer vs. the tap water, with absolute crystal clarity. The filtered water tasted smoother and cleaner
The tap water appeared more cloudy and had small bubbles when poured.
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Filtered water
Tap water
PEPPERMINT HERBAL INFUSION
Many herbals have been used for centuries as a form of herbal remedy – peppermint is regarded as an aid to digestion, making it a great after dinner drink to settle the stomach.
Peppermint Herbal Infusions are best served hot, but by using filtered water the flavour becomes more minty and intense vs brewing in standard tap water.
Angela’s taste test results
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Peppermint with filtered water
Peppermint with tap water
COLD COFFEE
While many of us drink hot coffee regularly, cold brew coffee (not to be confused with iced coffee, which is brewed with hot water, then chilled) is more often only picked up from the local coffee shop – but it’s easy to make if you plan ahead.
Coffee that is cold brewed tastes naturally sweeter and smoother than coffee brewed with hot water – because cold brewing doesn’t generate the bitter-tasting compounds that are created when hot water is used.
Simply add cold water to your ground coffee and leave overnight in a fridge to infuse.
By using filtered water, cold brewed coffee takes on a much more intense flavour, with a crisper and cleaner mouthfeel than when using unfiltered tap water.
Angela’s taste test results
The sample prepared with filtered water appeared brighter and clearer. The character/flavour was much more intense, with a crisper, cleaner mouthfeel vs the sample prepared using tap water.
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Coffee filtered water cold brew
Coffee tap water cold brew
Hot Coffee
There was no distinguishable difference between the samples brewed using tap water vs. the samples brewed using filter water.
The BRAND NEW Aurora by Aqua Optima is an all-in-one kettle, chiller and water filter for great-tasting water in whatever way you choose. Whether you live in a soft or hard water area, the filter in the Aurora helps with water hardness and will make things tastier and a much more enjoyable drinking experience.
*www.tea.co.uk