If brewing is a new thing for you, just relax and be-leaf in yourself, you’ve got a perfect cup of tea in your future!
The Basics
- DO NOT boil the water: Oxygen is a critical part of making water taste good and well. Most of your tea is made of water! Start with the highest quality water you can find.
- Modest is hottest: keep your tea covered while steeping. Keeping the tea covered stops beneficial properties from evaporating out of the tea, making for a stronger cup.
- Caffeinated tea should not steep longer than 2-5 minutes. This is to avoid bitter stomach-irritating tannins that release with time. Herbal tea on the other hand should steep for much longer! I always say, “the longer, the stronger!” At least 10 minutes of steeping. Follow the guidelines below based on what you’re brewing.
The rules for Time and Temp:
- Black tea ~ 203 degrees
- Tea Bag: 3-5 minutes
- Loose Leaf: 3-5 minutes
- Green tea ~ 160 degrees
- Tea Bag: 1-3 minutes
- Loose Leaf: 2-4 minutes
- White tea ~ 185 degrees
- Tea Bag: 30-60 seconds
- Loose Leaf: 2-3 minutes
- Oolong tea ~ 203 degrees
- Tea Bag: 3-5 minutes
- Loose Leaf: 5-7 minutes
- Herbal teas should be steeped using a temperature of 203 degrees
- Tea Bag: N/A
- Loose Leaf: 10+ minutes
French Press? Don’t Press It…
With Caffeinated teas, when using a French press or a tea bag you never want to squeeze the leaves after steeping. This will leave you with less flavor and increase the bitterness. Don’t put any pressure on your leaves, they perform best in a relaxed environment. However, herbal teas are free for the squeezing!
How much? Enough to Leaf you Smiling
Intuitively named, the teaspoon will be your best friend here. About 1 teaspoon per cup is all you need and if you don’t have a teaspoon at home, about half a normal spoonful should do the trick.
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