Tea Info › How to Brew Hot Tea
How to Brew Hot Tea
There are three keys to making a good cup of tea: quantity, temperature and time.
Swipe the graphic sideways to see it in full →
Quantity
There's no set rule for how much tea to use. It comes down to personal preference and the type of tea you're brewing. If you're new to loose-leaf tea, start with about 1 teaspoon per 8 oz cup of water for most teas.
Some open, fluffy leaves, such as white teas and some oolongs, take up more room in the spoon, so use 1–2 teaspoons. Tightly rolled or small, broken leaves are denser, so a little less than 1 teaspoon may be enough.
Remember, these are starting points, not rules. Use more or less tea to suit your taste and brewing habits. If you're not sure how strong you'd like your tea, it's always better to start with less.
Water Temperature
Delicate teas need cooler water. When young, tender leaves are brewed with water that's too hot, the cup turns bitter and astringent. Heartier teas need hotter water to bring out their full flavor.
Cooler water: Gyokuro 120–140°F; Sencha, Sencha Mint and Tencha 160–175°F; Dragonwell 160–180°F; matcha 160–175°F.
Warm water: most Chinese and flavored green teas, jasmine teas, Genmaicha and Kukicha 175–185°F; white teas such as Silver Needle, White Peony and Snowbud 170–185°F.
Hot water: oolongs such as Jade, Formosa and Iron Goddess (Ti Kuan Yin) 185–205°F; aged white teas 185–200°F; Darjeeling and Golden Monkey 195–205°F; Hojicha 195–212°F.
Boiling or near-boiling water: most black teas, breakfast teas and flavored black teas 205–212°F; chai 212°F; herbal teas and rooibos 212°F. Use freshly boiled water to bring out their full flavor.
Swipe the graphic sideways to see it in full →
Steeping Time
How long should you brew your tea? There are a few things to consider: your personal taste, how tender the leaves are, how oxidized they are, and how much tea you're using. Here's a general guide by tea type.
Up to about 2 minutes, for the most delicate teas: Gyokuro, about 2 minutes; Sencha, 1–2 minutes; Hojicha, 30 seconds–2 minutes.
2–3 minutes, for most green teas: Dragonwell, Jasmine Dragon Pearls, Gunpowder, Bi Luo Chun, Genmaicha and flavored greens, 2–3 minutes.
3–5 minutes, for white, oolong and black teas: Silver Needle and White Peony, 3–5 minutes; oolongs such as Formosa and Iron Goddess, 3–5 minutes; breakfast teas and most black teas, 3–5 minutes. Darjeeling is best at 3–4 minutes.
Longer, for chai and herbal teas: chai, 4–5 minutes; herbal teas and rooibos, 5–7 minutes; fruit blends, 5–10 minutes.
Quick Reference
| Tea | Amount per 8 oz water | Water temperature | Steep time |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 1–2 teaspoons | 170–185°F (aged whites 185–200°F) | 3–5 minutes |
| Green | 1 teaspoon (1 heaping for Sencha) | 175–185°F for most; Sencha 160–175°F; Gyokuro 120–140°F | 2–3 minutes (Sencha 1–2) |
| Oolong | 1–2 teaspoons | 185–205°F | 3–5 minutes; re-steep several times |
| Black | 1 rounded teaspoon | 205–212°F (Darjeeling 195–205°F) | 3–5 minutes (Darjeeling 3–4) |
| Chai | 1 heaping teaspoon | 212°F | 4–5 minutes, then add warm milk |
| Herbal & rooibos | 1–2 teaspoons (fruit blends: 2) | 212°F | 5–7 minutes (fruit blends 5–10) |
Every tea page lists its own brewing tips. When in doubt, follow the tea's page and adjust to your taste.