It's really not that hard. 1 - There should be normal, black tea. Not green. Not chamomile. Not lavender / rose hip / turmeric / echinacea. Black. Goddam. Tea. 2 - Teabag first. Then water. Teabag first, THEN water. 3 - The water must be boiling--BOILING--at the moment it hits the tea. Further reading: A Nice Cup of Tea by George Orwell How to Make a Decent Cup of Tea by Christopher Hitchens