How to Drink Tea at Work, at Home and While Traveling

Wondering how to drink tea at work, at home or on the road? You can enjoy Chinese tea almost anywhere by matching the setup to the place. At home, relax with a gaiwan or teapot. At the office or at work, use a glass infuser pot for quick, low-fuss brews. In a tea room, slow down and focus. When traveling, a compact travel tea set lets you bring the ritual with you.

how to drink tea at work with a glass teapot and infuser — A glass infuser pot makes loose-leaf tea easy at the office.

Each place brings out a different side of tea: relaxed at home, focused at work, attentive in a tea room, and joyful on the road.

How do you enjoy tea at home?

Home is where you can take your time. Try gongfu-style brewing on a weekend: about 5 g of leaves in a 100–120 ml gaiwan with short infusions. On busy days, a mug is fine.

Pouring tea from a white gaiwan into a glass pitcher on a tea tray — At home, take your time with a gaiwan.

Good teas: oolong, pu-erh, black tea
Setup: gaiwan or small teapot, fairness cup, a few cups, a tea mat

See how to arrange a Chinese tea table for a simple layout.

How to drink tea at work

At the office you want good tea with little mess. A glass teapot with a built-in filter, like this heat-resistant glass teapot, works well.

Simple office ratios for a 300 ml glass teapot:

Green tea: 3 g at 80–85°C (176–185°F) for 1–2 minutes.
Black tea: 3–4 g at 90–95°C (194–203°F) for 2–3 minutes.
White tea: 3–4 g at 90°C (194°F) for 2–4 minutes.

Pour off all the liquid after each steep so it doesn’t turn bitter, then re-steep later. Many office water dispensers don’t fully boil, which is fine for green, black and white tea.

What is it like to drink tea in a tea room?

A tea room, or teahouse, is made for paying attention: to the brewer’s movements, the aroma, each infusion. It’s the best place to try new teas and learn from people who brew every day. If you visit China, our post on 3 tea destinations in China has ideas, and teahouse on the riverside gives a taste of the atmosphere.

How do you drink tea while traveling?

A travel tea set turns a hotel room, train or campsite into a tea table. Look for a set with a gaiwan or small pot, two or three cups, and a padded case.