Recipes & Routines
Milk Tea at Home: Simple, Reliable Recipes
Hong Kong style, masala chai and a quick everyday milk tea — with the leaf-to-milk ratios that stop it tasting weak.
Key takeaways
- Milk mutes tea, so brew stronger than you would for a plain cup.
- Assam and Ceylon hold up best against dairy.
- Simmering leaf in milk is a different drink from adding milk after.
Everyday milk tea
8g of strong Assam in 8 oz (250 ml) of boiling water for 4 minutes, then 2 oz (60 ml) of whole milk. Sweeten if you like.
Recommended products
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Double-wall glass tea mug with lid
12 oz insulated borosilicate mug with an infuser basket and lid.
Why we recommend it: Keeps tea hot, stays cool to hold, and you can judge strength by color.
Porcelain teacup set, 6 pieces
Thin-walled 4 oz porcelain cups for tasting and gongfu sessions.
Why we recommend it: Small cups cool fast so you can taste each short steep at its peak.
Masala chai
Crush 4 cardamom pods, a small cinnamon piece and a few peppercorns. Simmer in 7 oz (200 ml) water with 6g CTC black tea and fresh ginger for 4 minutes, add 5 oz (150 ml) milk, bring back to a simmer, strain.
Also worth having
Stainless electric kettle, 1.7 L
Fast-boiling cordless kettle with a concealed element and auto shut-off.
Why we recommend it: The cheapest reliable way to get hot water; rest it a few minutes for delicate leaf.
Hong Kong style
A strong blend of broken-leaf black teas pulled repeatedly through a cloth filter, then finished with evaporated milk for that signature silkiness.
Recommended products to get started
Single-origin loose-leaf tea, 3.5 oz
A 100 g pouch of single-origin leaf with harvest and region on the label.
Why we recommend it: One good tea, drunk often, teaches more than twelve mystery pouches.
Fruit Infusion Pitcher
Pitcher with a fruit chamber for citrus, berry and herb tea blends.
Why we recommend it: Perfect for fruit-forward herbal iced teas without cloudy pulp.
Frequently asked questions
- Which plant milk works best?
- Oat, by a distance — it foams well and does not curdle. Barista versions handle heat best.
- Milk first or last?
- Practically it makes little difference at home. Add milk last so you can judge the strength.
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5 min readMore in Recipes & Routines, browse all tea guides, or use the tea converter to scale this recipe to your teapot.