The water must not be hard. Well, you're going to get 2nd-rate tea then. Here's the standard for brewing tea in American restaurants: Pour coffee water int

The water must not be hard. Well, you're going to get 2nd-rate tea then. Here's the standard for brewing tea in American restaurants: Pour coffee water into the funny little tea carafe. Put a low-end (ex: Liptons) tea bag beside the carafe. Allow an indeterminate amount of time to pass while other items are being prepared. Carry everything to the customer. Allow customer to add bag to water. Charge him 1.25 for the experience. Coffeehouse version: Pour coffee water directly into cup. Use TAZO instead of Lipton. Add bag to water for the customer. Charge him 1.75 for the benefit. I was surprised that even San Francisco coffeehouses seemed to always use the above method.