Here is how I make tea. Specifically Oolong (cross between green and black tea) I have both a cast iron pot, and a porcelain pot. Porcelain is great for starters (I explain why below) I also suggest starting with Oolong, it is the smoothest of the teas, also start with flavored blends. If you try straight Green tea, or Black tea with no added flavor you may be turned away from tea due to its strong flavor.
I buy all my tea products at Teavana in the mall, or Teavana.com (the stores have a much, much larger selection of teas, and tea pots)
You do not have to have cast iron, it gives a better taste yes, but they are a tad more expensive then the porcelain ones. Cast iron start at $69 and go up to $200 while the porcelain start at $49 and go up to $200 (Porcelain comes with for matching cups as will, while cast iron does not) Either pot comes with a metal steeper to place the tea leaves in. Now each tea is different. Oolongs you will place one tsp of leaves in the steeper then heat up water in a kettle (not the tea pot its self it will cause damage) then once the water reaches 195F (or 90C) you pour it over your tea leaves and let set for three minute (no more it will make your tea bitter, same for the temperature any higher and it will make very bitter tea) then after said time remove the leaves and press them with a spoon over your pot to drain all the juices (note some higher quality teas like Monkey Picked Oolong *very rare* can be steeped more then once *up to four times just add one minute to the steep time per steep* that is why it is $25 per 2 ounces) then place your pot on the warmer (mine is a cast iron warmer that you place a tea light candle in to keep it warm. Costs $29) it helps keep your tea hot for hours. Then serve. You can add sugar if you like, but I do not recommend it, it really takes away from the true flavor of the tea. Now for iced tea you follow all the same steps except you add 2 tsp's instead of only one. Now that is only for Oolong, if you have Black, Green, White, Herbal, Mate (MAH-TAY), or Rooibos (ROY-BOS) then it is all different. If you by tea from Tevana then it will tell you on the package what the steep time, and water temperature is for each.
Now for storage I suggest you splurge and get the $7 air tight tin, other wise the tea will go bad in two weeks. The canisters will preserve your tea for up to a year. I am a heavy tea drinker, but still I have the tins because it is extremely hard to consume even 2 ounces of tea in two weeks. The tea is not cheap so the tins save you money in the long run, plus you can take them back to be refilled. Never I mean never buy more then 2 ounces of a tea you have never had before, no matter how sweet the aroma. Now once you have found a tea you enjoy you can buy as much as you like. I buy my favorite blends in pounds (around $50 to $150) but that will last me roughly a year. Also keep your tins away from direct sunlight it will cause you tea to oxidize and that is no good at all!
Once you get good at steeping your tea, experiment! Try adding two different blends to your steeper, play around with flavor, and aroma. Be forewarned you will make mistakes and make very bad tasting tea, but you will also make some very tasty ones as will! Just keep at it! I hope this helps anyone interested in tea making!
Color of teas~
White- Clear
Black- Medium to dark red
Herbal- Varies depending on blend (some are pink, yellow, white ect...)
Green- Light yellowish or white
Rooibos- White to yellowish (sometimes pink, red, or orange due to berries)
Mante- Gold to light brown (some are pink due to the berries)
If you need instructions on any tea listed above, let me know and I will post it!
