Start with fresh, cold water, either bottled or filtered.  Bring the water to a boil and remove from heat. Then add one teaspoon of tea leaves per 8-oz cup of water into a teapot or infuser, or, if you’re using tea bags, immerse the tea bag directly into a 12-16oz cup.  The steeping time depends on the type of tea, so take a look at the guidelines to see how long you should steep your particular tea.