Website

Nicole Wilson

Tea Expert

Nicole Wilson is a Tea Writer and Educator based in Bayonne, New Jersey. Nicole is the founder and author of Tea for Me Please, one of the longest-running tea blogs on the internet. Since 2008, Nicole’s blog has been a comprehensive resource for tea enthusiasts, featuring tea reviews, industry news, and educational content. In addition, her over a decade of experience delving into the tea industry has led her to develop both in-person and online courses to help people learn more about tea. In 2022, Nicole published The Tea Recipe Book: 50 Hot and Iced Teas from Lattes to Bobas, which includes brewing basics, tea recipes, and recommendations for the perfect cup. She has also served as a judge for the North American Tea Masters Cup.

Professional Achievements

  • Winner, 2015 World Tea Award for Best Social Media Reach
  • Winner, 2018 World Tea Award, Best Blog

Certifications & Organizations

  • Member of the Tea Bloggers Roundtable and the Global Japanese Tea Association
  • Pursuing a tea sommelier certification with the Tea and Herbal Association of Canada

Favorite Piece of Advice

There is no such thing as a right way to make tea. What matters most is that you enjoy it. Don't be afraid to experiment and try different ways of brewing to figure a particular tea out.

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Forum Comments (2)

How do you make loose leaf tea?
To make loose leaf tea, start with fresh water that is filtered, ideally. Make sure that you have a way to control the temperature of your water, since different teas need different temperatures to get the best taste out of them.

When you brew loose leaf tea, make sure you can effectively remove the leaves from the water. If the leaves are left in the water too long, they'll over-extract and make the taste more bitter. I recommend using an infuser basket, which is kind of like a strainer. They come in a lot of different forms, but they’re often made out of stainless steel or a mesh to allow you to catch the tea leaves without having lots of pieces of your cup.

The main advantage with loose leaf tea is that you have the ultimate control over how your tea tastes. With tea bags, they're pre-measured. You're not necessarily in control of how much tea you're using. Adjusting the amount of tea that you use helps you make your tea either stronger or milder. Also, loose-leaf tea tends to be higher quality than a lot of tea bags.
How do you guys make matcha lattes at home?
You can make great matcha lattes at home! Here are my tips.

Matcha is a bit different than loose leaf tea because it's a powder. Rather than steeping it, you whisk it into the water. If I'm making a matcha latte, I usually reduce the amount of water I mix into the powder. That way, when I add the matcha mixture to the milk, it doesn't dilute the flavor and you can still taste the tea.

I also might use a little bit more tea than usual, just to make sure that you do get that full flavor in the latte.

Also, don't mix matcha into boiling water; use lower temperature water. Water that's too hot can make the drink taste bitter.

If you're whisking your matcha, it definitely can help a lot to sift the matcha through a strainer first. It helps break up the clumps.

Finally, when you whisk the matcha, make sure to do quick W motions with your wrist to get a really nice frothy texture on top.

Co-authored Articles (5)