Since you have spent time and money finding the best product you can lay your hands on, it stands to reason that you should prepare that fine cup of tea in just the right way. Since few of us have the time for the full five-hour ritual of a Japanese tea ceremony, here are some tips to brew the perfect cup of tea but in a little less time.

Rather than pick up ordinary tea from the local supermarket, you have gone to great lengths to track down fine fresh teas that, like any agricultural product, will go stale if it is not stored correctly. In fact, finer teas often contain fewer or no artificial preservatives and can decay the quickest. However, keeping your tea stored properly can keep it fresh for as long as a year.

A full traditional Japanese tea ceremony can take anywhere up to five hours to carefully prepare each component and then drink the results in a leisurely way. However, what happens when us modern busy mortals want to enjoy a truly fine cup of tea but do not have the time to follow the Japanese tradition.