Try a new type of tea or coffee

Most people drink the same tea or coffee for years without ever tasting anything beside it. To try a new type of tea or coffee usefully means brewing it properly and drinking it alongside your usual cup, because a single unfamiliar drink tells you very little on its own.

Why try a new type of tea or coffee is worth an hour

Palates work by comparison rather than absolute judgement. Tasting one coffee tells you whether you like it; tasting two side by side tells you what is actually different about them, which is the thing that develops your ability to choose. Brewing correctly matters for the same reason: a badly made cup tells you about your technique rather than the ingredient.

How to try a new type of tea or coffee step by step

1. 1

   Buy something deliberately different

   A different origin, roast level or processing method. Buying a slightly different version of your usual teaches nothing.

2. 2

   Check the recommended brewing

   Water temperature and ratio. Good coffee brewed carelessly tastes worse than mediocre coffee brewed properly.

3. 3

   Brew your usual alongside it

   Same method, same time. Comparison is what makes the difference perceptible rather than merely present.

4. 4

   Smell before you taste

   Most of what you experience as flavor is aroma. Smelling first tells you what to look for in the cup.

5. 5

   Write down three words

   Whatever comes to mind, however unsophisticated. Naming a flavor makes you notice it again next time.

Tips to get more out of it

• Let it cool slightly before judging. Very hot drinks suppress most of the flavor you are trying to detect.
• Buy small quantities of several things rather than a large bag of one. Variety teaches faster than volume.
• Note the roast date on coffee rather than the best-before. Coffee is meaningfully better within a month of roasting.

Ways to mix it up

If you want the theory behind why the categories differ, learning how processing produces the different types is a satisfying companion hour. If you want a different brewing experience rather than a different bean, changing method changes the cup more than changing origin does.

Try a new type of tea or coffee: frequently asked questions