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Tea recipe · Black Tea

A Proper Cup of English Breakfast Tea

The everyday cuppa done properly: Ceylon black tea brewed four minutes for a brisk, malty mug, with the milk added after the brew.

  • Prep 5 min
  • Serves 1
  • Easy
Black Tea · recipe card
At a glance Updated 26 May 2026
Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black, 25 Tea Bags 50g, Black Tea, MJF Holdings Ltd. Sold by Teas.co.uk.
5Steps
5Ingredients
£5.60The tea
55In this section
Made withDilmah Premium Ceylon Black, 25 Tea Bags 50g
The recipe

Exact quantities, then the method.

This is the everyday cuppa done properly. A good Ceylon Black Tea bag, freshly boiled water and four minutes brings out its brisk, malty character and clean amber colour.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for the A Proper Cup of English Breakfast Tea recipe. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/recipes/black-tea/a-proper-cup-of-english-breakfast-tea/

Add the milk after the brew, the UK way, so you can judge the strength, and skip the sugar unless you really want it. Makes one mug.

⏱ 5 min 🍽 Serves 1 📊 Easy 📚 Black Tea Recipes

You'll need

  • 1 tea bag of Dilmah Premium Ceylon Black
  • 250ml freshly drawn water at 100C, just off the boil
  • 25ml cold whole milk
  • 1 250ml mug, warmed
  • 1 saucer for covering during steep

Method

  1. Warm a mug and pour in 250ml of freshly boiled water.
  2. Add the tea bag, cover with a saucer and steep for a full four minutes.
  3. Lift the bag out, draining it gently against the rim.
  4. Add a splash of cold milk after the brew, so you can see the strength as you pour.
  5. Four minutes gives a proper, brisk cup; rushing it leaves it weak and watery.
What you'll end up with: A bright, amber, malty mug with a clean Ceylon black-tea character, softened by a splash of milk. The proper everyday cup of tea.

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