5 things every “tea station” needs in it - plus, the chance to win a tea and kitchen bundle

Whether you’re team green tea or team English Breakfast, you enjoy a fruity herbal brew or a rich, creamy matcha, a good cup of tea really is a work of art. But there are some things you might not know when it comes to making the perfect cup so we’re here to help you start each day with a masterpiece in a mug. 

Bosch has teamed up with the tea experts at Whittard of Chelsea to not only give us the low-down on what exactly we need in our kitchens to perfect the craft of brewing the perfect cuppa, but offer you a chance to enter a competition to win the ultimate kitchen and tea bundle, including one of Bosch’s clever Sky Kettles. 

As it turns out, there’s more to the ideal cup of tea than just pouring hot water into a mug. Here are the 5 things you need to upgrade your kitchen’s tea station, and how you can win this fabulous prize.  

1. A kettle that does more than boiling

For the uninitiated, making a cup of tea simply means boiling a kettle and pouring it over a tea bag, but this isn’t necessarily the way to achieve the best tasting tea possible. ‘Brew teas at the recommended temperature – too hot can scorch the leaves and to cool will not allow the full flavour to be released,’ explains Whittard tea expert Angela Pryce. 

Getting water to the perfect temperature is easier said than done, but investing in a kettle that has temperature control is a modern way to make sure you don’t scorch your tea. The Bosch Sky Kettle, for example, has a touch control panel that not only allows you to switch it on and off at your fingertips, but also adjust the temperature using the futuristic slider which displays the increasing temperature of the water. The display lights up when the respective temperature has been reached and the tea is able to develop its full aroma at the precise temperature it needs.

‘Try brewing the tea for the recommended time and at the recommended water/leaf ratio, but feel free to experiment to find what tastes good to you),’ Angela adds.  

2. The right storage

A good “tea station” needs to think about how you’re going to store away your precious teas. ‘Store loose leaf teas and teabags in a cool, dry place away from strong light and odours,’ advises Angela. ‘Once opened, store in a tea caddy or an airtight container to help maintain the tea’s flavour and freshness.’ A worktop kitchen pantry is the ideal spot for locating your tea station - designs with bifolding or pocket doors are ideal for easy access, and if you include a socket inside, it can also be the perfect spot to house your Bosch Sky Kettle, Toaster or Kitchen Machine to make a real breakfast pantry space. 

3. A teapot

Teapots are only needed if you’re brewing more than one cup, right? Well, not exactly. ‘If using loose leaf tea, brewing the tea leaves in a teapot allows the leaves enough space to unfurl and move,’ Angela explains. ‘Give the tea leaves a stir before pouring to help release their full flavour.’ Glass teapots, like Whittard of Chelsea’s Pimlico Glass Teapot with Infuser, are ideal for keeping an eye on how your tea is brewing, allowing you to get it to the perfect strength to suit your personal taste.  

4. Pao mugs

If you’re a fruit or herbal infusion tea fan, then you may be missing a crucial part of your tea station to make your brews tastier. ‘Fruit and herbal infusion usually benefit from longer brew times than most teas,’ says Angela. ‘Cover the fruit & herbal infusions while they brew to help retain the natural volatile oils in the herbs and spices.’

Angela advises using a Pao mug for this - this is a mug that has an infuser inside and comes with a lid, the perfect all-in-one solution for better fruit and herbal teas.  

5. A water filter

Last, but not least, tea is going to be better if you filter your water. ‘Especially if you live in a hard water area, filter your water before filling the kettle,’ Angela says. This will also help avoid limescale in your kettle, although Bosch’s Sky Kettle is particularly easy to clean regardless, as the heating element, which usually attracts limescale, is completely covered.  

Win a hamper from Bosch and Whittard of Chelsea, worth over £1,000

(Image credit: Bosch)

Fancy the sound of even better tea? Bosch has teamed up with Whittard of Chelsea to offer you the chance to win everything you need for your tea station. Between the 10th to 18th October, you can enter here for the chance to win a hamper worth over £1,000, including: 

The Bosch Sky Kettle, The Bosch Sky Toaster, The Bosch Kitchen Machine with Scale and, The Bosch Ergomaster Hand Blender, Chelsea Glass Teapot with Infuser, Arran Mug, Whittard Famous Tea Collection, English Breakfast 50 Traditional Teabags, Classic Green Tea 50 Traditional Teabags, Peach, Raspberry & Rose 20 Individually Wrapped Teabags, Matcha

T&Cs: No purchase is necessary. This is open to all UK consumers. Entrants opt-in to the prize draw when they complete an entry form via the Bosch website from an email they receive from subscribing to the Bosch newsletter or by clicking on the link to enter on Instagram social posts between 10th October to 18th October 2023. All entries will be entered into a prize draw and the winner will be selected at random by 24th October 2023.