Decent tea bags. Not Lipton's yellow label. I favour Twinings Assam but even good 'ole PG tips is fine Boiling water i.e. 100 C (212 F). Not some luke warm stuff in an insulated jug or pump-operated thermos. If you uses tea leaves the motto is take the pot to the kettle NOT the kettle to the pot for that reason. And the water should be hard water. You can't make a decent dark brew in Preston or Glasgow the water is too soft. Don't worry about the matt surface, a little calcium is good for the bones. If you do not live in a hard water area try some bottled spring water to get a little mineral. Real milk. Not long life, not little non-diary creamer jiggers, not skimmed; semi-skimmed at least. IHMO milk second, then you can judge the colour better but opinions differ. HTH