I often brew my tea a little stronger than I want it, and then dilute it with water until it is perfect.
I like this, as it speeds up the cooling process (I like the tea warm not hot), and makes it easy to create the perfect tea strenght without excessive experimentation.
By stronger, I mean that I use more leaf. I still try to brew for the optimal amount of time for each tea, which I have to experiment to determine.
Anyone else do this?
A good chunk of the world population, actually.
What you're describing is pretty similar to the samovar style of brewing, which is popular is Russia, the former states of the USSR, Turkey, Pakistan, and a whole bunch of other countries in that general geographical area. It's not so much done in European or Asian-influenced brewing, but the results are--as you know--quite satisfying.
If this is the way you like your tea, you could look into purchasing an actual samovar. They are pricey--about $150 for modern models...considerably more for antiques or those made to look antique--but they do their job, do it well, and let you have your tea your way at any time.
What you're describing is pretty similar to the samovar style of brewing, which is popular is Russia, the former states of the USSR, Turkey, Pakistan, and a whole bunch of other countries in that general geographical area. It's not so much done in European or Asian-influenced brewing, but the results are--as you know--quite satisfying.
If this is the way you like your tea, you could look into purchasing an actual samovar. They are pricey--about $150 for modern models...considerably more for antiques or those made to look antique--but they do their job, do it well, and let you have your tea your way at any time.