Ten practical tools for a tidy home loose-leaf tea station, from a temperature-controlled kettle to a simple tasting log — plus what you can skip.

Seven everyday teapot habits—from oversteeping and wrong water temperature to poor rinsing and careless pouring—that quietly ruin good tea, plus simple fixes.

Water temperature, leaf ratio, and steep time decide whether a pot of loose-leaf tea tastes sweet or bitter. Here's how to dial in all three.