For the richest Chai Chai Love, start with a pot, a little time, and your favorite milk.
Our blend is mostly organic spices, with functional mushroom extracts and either a little black tea or no tea at all in our caffeine-free version. The spices need time and heat to develop their full flavor. A quick steep in a tea ball won't give you the same result.
Simmering on the stove is still my favorite. But I also make chai ahead for iced drinks and use our infuser bottle at the office or when I'm heading out. Here's how to choose what works for your day.
The starting ratio: 1 tablespoon chai + 1 cup (8 fl oz) water.
Simmer covered for 15–20 minutes or longer, then add milk and sweetener to taste, warm together, and strain. The milk is added in addition to the water.
Stovetop chai: my everyday favorite
A regular pot and a fine-mesh strainer are all you need. Simmer the spices first, then warm the milk and sweetener with the chai for the rich, creamy cup I grew up drinking.
For one large 16 oz mug or two smaller cups
How much does it make? About 16 fl oz with 1 cup water and about 1 cup milk: enough for one large mug or two smaller cups to share. Expect a little less after simmering and straining, especially if you use less milk.
- 1 tablespoon Chai Chai Love
- 1 cup (8 fl oz) water
- ¾–1 cup milk, depending on how creamy you like it
- About 1 tablespoon coconut sugar, or your preferred sweetener to taste
- Boil the water. Bring the water to a boil in a pot with room for the milk.
- Add chai and simmer. Reduce the heat, stir in the chai, cover, and gently simmer for 15–20 minutes or longer. Longer brewing gives a fuller spice flavor.
- Add milk and sweetener. Stir them into the brewed chai and gently heat everything together until hot. This helps the milk, sweetness, and spice flavors come together for a smoother, creamier cup. Stay nearby once you add the milk, and turn off the heat before it boils over.
- Strain and enjoy. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into a large mug.
For two large mugs, double everything: 2 tablespoons chai, 2 cups water, 1½–2 cups milk, and sweetener to taste. You can also share that larger batch among four smaller cups. The finished amount varies with milk quantity, simmering time, and evaporation.
Optional tip: give it a creamy, chaiwala-style finish. After adding the milk and sweetener, bring the chai back toward a gentle simmer while you watch the pot. When a little light froth begins to form, turn off the heat before it rises and spills over. Heating everything together lets the spice flavors and sweetness blend with the milk for that fuller, smoother, extra-creamy taste I love. This short finish is optional, and it's one of the things that makes stovetop chai so delicious.
Watch the stovetop brewing video
Make a batch for iced chai or reheating
Brew the chai with water, then add milk and sweetener when you serve it. It's an easy way to prepare several servings at once.
Keep the same ratio: 1 tablespoon chai per cup of water. For example, use 8 tablespoons chai + 8 cups water. Start with 2 quarts of water; the strained yield will be a little less.
- Simmer. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, stir in the chai, and cover. Simmer for 20–30 minutes or longer. For iced chai, I like 45–60 minutes for a stronger spice flavor.
- Strain and chill. Strain into clean containers, cool promptly, and refrigerate. Store the brewed chai without milk.
- Stir or shake before serving. Some settling is normal. Add milk and sweetener to taste.
Serve it your way
- Iced: pour chilled chai over ice and add milk. Try about ¾ brewed chai to ¼ milk, then adjust to taste.
- Hot: warm one portion with milk and sweetener in a pot. At the office, use a microwave-safe mug and heat in short bursts, stirring between.
- With an espresso machine: use the steam wand to heat the brewed chai with milk and sweetener.
- Apple cider chai: swap the milk for apple juice and enjoy it hot or over ice. See the hot and iced recipe →
Storing your batch
In my own kitchen, I've found the brewed chai keeps well for at least 7 days when stored without milk in a clean, sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. Add milk only to the portion you're about to serve.
Cool promptly in smaller containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 40°F (4°C) or below. Storage life varies with cooling, handling, and refrigerator temperature; the seven-day experience above is not a tested shelf-life guarantee. Freeze extra portions for longer storage.
Watch the batch-brewing video
Our insulated infuser bottle: grab and go
I've been using our white 16 oz Chai Chai Love bottle more often, both for chai and regular tea at the office. It's a handy option when I don't have a stove nearby or want to bring my chai along.
The extra-long, enclosed infuser keeps the spices contained, and the insulated bottle holds heat while they steep. You can pour straight into your cup with the infuser in place.
How I use it
- Fill the infuser. Use 1 tablespoon chai per 8 fl oz water, or 2 tablespoons for a larger brew with up to 16 fl oz. Secure the infuser's cover.
- Add freshly boiled water. Pour water into the bottle first, then insert the infuser. Leave space for the infuser and lid.
- Close and give it time. Steep for at least 15 minutes; I recommend 20–30 minutes or longer for a fuller spice flavor. You can leave the infuser in while the chai continues steeping.
- Pour into a cup. Add milk and sweetener when you're ready to drink. You can also enjoy it without milk, with a little honey or agave if you like.
What to expect: a good, convenient chai with a lighter flavor and texture than the stovetop version. The bottle steeps the spices; it doesn't simmer the chai or heat the milk and sweetener together. Cold milk will cool the finished cup. Warm your milk separately if you'd like it hotter, or choose the pot method for that extra-creamy, piping-hot finish.
For other teas, use the water temperature and steeping time suited to that tea. Remove the infuser to use the bottle for water or other hot and cold drinks.
Watch the thermos method: earlier bottle demo
This older video shows the commercial bottles I originally tested. The instructions above are for our current Chai Chai Love bottle.
Electric kettle with a tea infuser
A tea-brewing kettle with an infuser and a temperature-hold function can keep the water hot while the spices brew. A basic kettle that switches off at boiling won't do the same job.
- Start with 1 tablespoon chai in the infuser and 8 fl oz water, staying within your kettle's minimum and maximum fill levels.
- Use a hot tea-brewing setting with temperature hold. On the model I tested, I used 205°F and held it for about 20 minutes.
- Pour into a cup and add milk and sweetener. Warm the milk separately if you want a hotter cup.
Follow your kettle's instructions. Only heat milk in an appliance specifically designed for it; ordinary water-only kettles are for water. My earlier video shows the milk-in-kettle approach with the model I tested.
Watch the electric infuser kettle video
Spiced Apple Cider Chai
A dairy-free variation · Enjoy hot or iced
Apple juice takes the place of milk in this simple variation. The ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, cardamom, and other spices in Chai Chai Love taste so good with apple.
Enjoy it warm on a cold day or poured over ice when you want something refreshing.
For the hot version
- 1 tablespoon Chai Chai Love
- 1 cup water
- About 1 cup apple juice
Make it hot
- Brew the chai. Bring the water to a boil, stir in the chai, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10–20 minutes.
- Add apple juice. Pour the juice directly into the pot and heat everything together before straining.
- Strain and enjoy. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer into your mug and serve hot.
Make it iced
In summer, I keep brewed chai without milk in a glass jar in the fridge. Then making a glass of iced apple chai takes just a moment.
- Start with chilled chai. Follow the batch-brewing method, strain, and chill the chai without milk.
- Mix over ice. Fill a glass with ice, pour in the chilled chai, and add a little apple juice. Stir, then add more juice to taste. Use more chai for a stronger spice flavor or more juice for a sweeter, fruitier glass.
No milk or extra sweetener needed. The apple juice adds the sweetness.
Make it the way you like it
Choosing your milk
Whole milk gives a creamy, traditional result. For a dairy-free option, I like barista-style or extra-creamy oat milk. Planet Oat Barista Lovers is one I've enjoyed.
Almond and soy can work too, but may separate with strong heat. Warm gently and try a barista-style version. Coconut milk adds richness along with a noticeable coconut flavor.
Start with the amounts above, then adjust. More milk makes the chai milder and creamier; less milk keeps the spices more pronounced.
How much sweetener?
Our chai blend is unsweetened. I usually use coconut sugar because its caramel-like flavor goes well with the spices. About 1 tablespoon per tablespoon of chai mix is my starting point; use less or more to suit your taste. Honey, maple syrup, and agave are other options.
You don't have to use both milk and sweetener. A little of either can round out the spices if you find the chai too sharp on its own.
Want a stronger or milder chai?
For more spice: give it more time on a gentle, covered simmer. Check the water level during longer brews. For a milder cup, add more milk or use a little less chai next time.
The longer brew is mainly for the spices. Our functional mushrooms are already hot-water extracts; you aren't starting with raw mushrooms that need extracting at home.
Small tea balls, paper filters, and short steeps in an open cup tend to give a lighter result. Our insulated bottle works differently by retaining heat for a longer steep with its deep infuser.
Need a hand getting your chai just right? Send me a message and tell me how you're brewing it. I'm happy to help.
