Recipe Guide

Your Chai Maker is more versatile than you might think and there's a lot you can add to make your brew your own. From fresh ginger and herbs to your own loose-leaf masala chai blend and sweeteners. Here's everything you need to know.

Does my ratio have to be equal parts milk and water?

Not always—it depends on your milk.

The ratio just means how much milk versus water you put in. Equal parts milk and water is our recommended starting point, but some milks give you more flexibility than others.

Most flexible: Whole dairy, oat, coconut, pea, and standard almond (i.e. not the high-protein kind).

With these milks, you can use anything from equal parts milk and water all the way up to 100% milk, without much risk of burning. Play around and find what you love. When making chai with closer to 100% milk, start on a lower heat to give the milk more time to heat evenly and reduce burn risk.

Least flexible: Low-fat dairy, skim and semi-skimmed dairy, high-protein milks, or any soy.

For these milks, stick to equal parts milk and water. The more milk you use, the more protein there is in the pot, and the more likely it is to burn. Adding water is the most effective way to prevent burning.

→ For guidance on which milk to use and how much, see our Milk Guide.

Using fresh ginger

Fresh ginger is wonderful in chai, but it can curdle the milk if heated together from the start.

The fix is simple: heat the ginger in water first, then add your chai blend and milk.

If you're using at least 10 fl oz / 300 ml of water (enough to cover the ginger in the strainer):

  • Put your fresh ginger in the strainer
  • Add water first so the ginger is submerged
  • Bring the water to a gentle simmer and let the ginger cook for about 2 minutes
  • Then add milk and continue brewing your chai as normal

If you prefer a milkier chai, and don’t use enough water to cover the ginger in the strainer, you can put ginger in the base pot instead, then strain it out afterward with a handheld strainer.

Fresh Spices and Herbs

You can add all sorts of things to your chai like mint leaves, holy basil (tulsi), lemongrass, and whole spices.

Here's how to get the best flavour from them:

  • Put them in the strainer. Tear larger leaves into smaller pieces, and keep lemongrass to about an inch long. Make sure you use enough liquid—if your ingredients are poking out above it, they won't infuse properly.

  • If you feel like you're not getting enough flavor, or your fountain is on the gentler side, putting spices or tea directly in the Base Pot can help the brew extract faster. The strainer won't catch them on the way out though, so you'll need to pour through a separate strainer.

    → See Fountain Guide

Tea Bags

It's fine to use tea bags in your Chai Maker.

  • Stick to one tea bag. Two or more can block the strainer holes. When that happens, the chai can't circulate properly, and you won't get the best brew.

  • Always keep tea bags in the strainer, not the Base Pot. In the Base Pot, they'd be sitting right on the hottest surface which can cause burning.

Your Own Blend

The traditional base for chai is CTC tea (crush, tear, curl). These small, granular leaves brew strong and fast. It's what we use in our Diaspora Co. x Loka blend, and it's the classic foundation for masala chai.

If using larger loose-leaf tea, give it a little more time to brew, since bigger leaves extract more slowly.

You can also add your own spices—either in the strainer along with your tea, or directly in the Base Pot—for a stronger flavor. If you add them to the Base Pot, you'll need to pour through a separate tea strainer so they don't end up in your cup.

One thing to watch: if your tea or spices are ground too finely, they can block the strainer holes. If you notice the fountain slowing down or foam building up, that might be why.

Sweeteners

Add sweeteners at the start or at the end. It doesn't affect how your chai brews. Purely personal preference.

One rule: always add sweeteners to the strainer, not the base pot. Viscous sweeteners like honey can pool at the base and burn. In the strainer, they dissolve into the liquid as it circulates.

Traditionally, chai is sweetened with jaggery (dried sugarcane juice)—less processed than white sugar, with lovely caramel notes. But white sugar, raw sugar, honey, and maple syrup all work, too.

Your Chai Maker isn't just for chai

It works beautifully for anything you'd simmer on a stovetop, like golden milk, spiced hot chocolate, and more. See this page for more ideas.

Published:
by