Water temperature is the easiest way to make your tea taste better. Too hot, and delicate greens and whites turn bitter. Too cool, and a black tea or oolong comes out thin and flat. Match the water to the leaf and the same tea suddenly tastes the way it should.
Here's a quick guide to water temperature for each type of tea, based on the brewing tips on our product pages. Treat these as starting points and adjust to taste.
Water temperature at a glance
Japanese green tea (like Sencha): 160–175°F, 1–2 minutes
Gyokuro: 120–140°F, about 2 minutes
Most other green teas: 175–185°F, 2–3 minutes
White tea: 170–185°F, 3–5 minutes
Oolong tea: 185–205°F, 3–5 minutes
Black tea: freshly boiled, 205–212°F, 3–5 minutes
Herbal and fruit teas: freshly boiled water, 5–10 minutes
Green tea: keep it cool
Green tea is heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, so it keeps a fresh, vegetal flavor. Very hot water pulls out its bitter compounds quickly. Steamed Japanese greens like Sencha do best around 160–175°F for just a minute or two. Shaded Gyokuro goes even cooler, 120–140°F, which brings out its sweetness and savory umami. Most other green teas are happy at 175–185°F.
White tea: warm, not hot
White tea is only withered and dried, so the leaves are delicate. Water at 170–185°F and a 3–5 minute steep bring out its soft, honeyed sweetness without any harshness. Try it with Silver Needle or White Peony, and learn more in what is white tea.
Oolong tea: hotter water, many steeps
Oolongs are partly oxidized and often tightly rolled, so they need hotter water, 185–205°F, to open up. Lighter, greener oolongs like Iron Goddess (Ti Kuan Yin) sit at the lower end, while darker, roasted styles can take the top of the range. The same leaves can be steeped several times, and each cup tastes a little different. Read more in how oolong tea is made.
Black tea: just off the boil
Black tea is fully oxidized and sturdy, so it wants freshly boiled water, 205–212°F, to draw out its full body. A classic like English Breakfast takes 3–5 minutes. Some lighter black teas are nicer at 195–205°F with a shorter steep. For more, see our tips for brewing black tea.
Herbal and fruit teas: boiling is fine
Herbal and fruit blends aren't made from the tea plant, so there's no bitterness to worry about. Use freshly boiled water and give them time. A fruit blend like Red Orange takes 5–10 minutes to get its full flavor.
How to get the temperature right without a thermometer
Use a variable-temperature kettle if you have one. It takes all the guesswork out.
Bring water to a boil, then let it rest with the lid off. After a few minutes it drops into green and white tea range.
Add a splash of cool water to boiled water to bring the temperature down quickly.
Watch the bubbles. Tiny bubbles on the bottom of the pot mean the water is still well below boiling, and a rolling boil means it's ready for black or herbal tea.
Every tea page on our site lists its own brewing tips, so check there for the best starting point. Find your next favorite in our green, white, oolong, black, and herbal and fruit tea collections.