How Long To Steep Tea and Why: A Guide
We’ve all been there, playing the guessing game with a new tea on how long it takes for the perfect brew. The first brew is too strong because we steeped it for too long, or it doesn’t have enough flavour because we were scared and poured the water off the tea leaves too quickly. Eventually, we find the perfect steeping time, but something else might be off - it still doesn’t taste as good as it did in the shop.
Maybe you’re using water that’s too hot? Burning the tea leaves and resulting in a cup of bitter tea. YUCK.
There are several reasons to explain why your tea doesn’t taste quite right, and it’s all to do with steeping times and water temperature. There are also other factors like tea to water ratio and the quality of tea. The tea to water ratio is subjective, but we recommend 2g of loose leaf tea per 250mL of water (our tea bags contain 2g of high quality tea). As for tea quality, that is a different conversation for another blog post.
Today we will purely be focusing on high quality, full leaf teas. Since there are several categories of tea, this will be the comprehensive guide you need to perfect every tea that you bring home.
Black Tea
Steeping Time: 3-5 minutes
Temperature: 100 degrees celsius (boiling temperature).
Simply boil the kettle and as soon as it pops, add it to the tea leaves. Black teas are fully oxidised, so adding boiling hot water does not compromise its flavour. To find your optimum steep time for your favourite black tea, brew the tea for 3 minutes and then taste test every 30 seconds after that. Make a note of your favourite steeping time. It all depends on if you like a milder or stronger brew.
2. Green Tea
Steeping Time: 2-4 minutes
Temperature: 80-90 degrees.
If you don’t have one of those swanky kettles that control the temperature, simply boil the kettle and then let it rest for a couple minutes with the lid off before pouring the water onto the tea leaves. Putting fresh boiled water on top of green tea will result in burnt tea leaves and a bitter brew.
Green tea isn’t oxidised, so it needs a gentler temperature in order to extract it’s beautiful, vegetal and fresh flavour. Some more delicate green teas, for example some Japanese green teas, may need even lower temperature (between 70 to 80 degrees).
If you are looking for a more delicate, mellow flavour, use the lower water temperature.
3. White Tea
Steeping Time: 2-4 minutes
Temperature: 80-90 degrees. See green tea.
Like green tea, white tea is delicate, so it requires lower temperatures to brew.
4. Oolong Tea
This is dependent on the type of oolong tea. Oolong falls across a large scale, from lightly oxidised (close to green tea flavour and traits) to almost fully oxidised (more black tea characteristics and profile). This means that different steeping times and temperatures are needed for each.
Lightly oxidised:
Steeping time: 2-3 minutes
Temperature: 85-90 degrees
Heavily oxidised:
Steeping time: 5-7 minutes
Temperature: 90-100 degrees
The longer oolong is steeped, the more rich, complex and full bodied the flavour and tea becomes. Oolong is also wonderful for re-steeping, for as many times as possible. With each steep, it changes in flavour. It is truly a magical experience.
5. Herbal Tea
What is herbal tea? Any tea that does not contain actual leaves from the camellia sinensis bush. For example, chamomile, peppermint and hibiscus. Anything that says ‘herbal tea’ or ‘tisane’ does not contain tea leaves. Read more about the differences between teas and herbal teas here, ‘Tea vs Tisane’.
Steeping time: 4-5 minutes
Temperature: 100 degrees celsius (boiling temperature).
However, there are some anomalies. For example, our wolf berry herbal tea can’t be steeped like most herbal teas, or the berries will be destroyed. And our rosebud tisane can only be steeped once. For anomalies, there will always be special directions on the back of the label.
6. Pu-erh Tea
Steeping time: 3-5 minutes
Temperature: 100 degrees (boiling water)
Pu-erh is heavily oxidised, so it can handle boiling water. Brew one disk in a small clay pot for best flavour results. Re-steep this tea to your hearts content and watch the flavour profile change with each steep.
7. Chai
Chai is completely different and needs more than a kettle. For best results using fresh herbs, tea and spices, there is a process that will optimise the flavour.
Steeping time: Bring tea leaves and water to boil in a saucepan, using 2g of leaves per every 250ml of water. Switch off stove and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add the same amount of milk/ almond mylk and heat again, then turn off.
Serving suggestion: Strain in glass to serve. Sweeten with honey.
8. Rooibos
Steeping time: 5-7 minutes
Temperature: 90-100 degrees.
Rooibos is a herbal tea grown from a red bush in South Africa. Do not resteep. Sweeten with honey.
9. Darjeeling
Steeping time: 3-5 minutes
Temperature: 90-100 degrees.
Darjeeling used to be categorised as a black tea, but since they are not always fully oxidised, they have become a category of their own. They require slightly different steeping techniques due to this fact. For darjeeling that is slightly less oxidised, it will require lower steeping temperatures so as not to ruin the flavour.
Try with or without milk, although many believe that to drink with milk is sacrilege to the delicate, fruity flavour.
FAQ.
How many times can the tea leaves be re-steeped?
For a high quality tea, you should be able to steep the tea leaves more than once. We will cover tea quality and grades in an upcoming blog. To find out when we post our next blog, sign up to our mailing list below. With each steep, the tea leaves will change flavour, for example our Yunnan Golden Needle starts off with a nutty, honey profile and with each steep it becomes more floral. With each re-steep, increase the steeping time.
However there are some anomalies. Teas and herbal teas that require special care when brewing should say on the back of the label. For our teas, they are on the back of the label and on our website. If you have any further questions about how to steep the teas you own, we are a DM or an email away.
Why is steeping important?
Steeping times and temperatures are important to maximise tea flavour or to create your perfect brew. This is a guide, but you should taste the minimum brew time and then taste again every 30 seconds until you reach the maximum brew time. Make a note of your favourite.
Other factors that can affect your brew.
Your tea leaves are too old and stale
Your tea hasn’t been stored properly
Your tea is of low quality or grade
Quality and purity of the water used (do not use distilled)
Decant the tea once reached desired brew strength
All three things you will never have to worry about with our teas. We test and drink every batch of tea that we sell to see if it meets our standards.
How to steep supermarket tea bags?
Supermarket teabags usually contain a lower grade and quality of tea. If it looks like dust in the tea bag, this is the lowest grade of tea money can buy. Tea dust results in bitter flavours and tannic notes. For supermarket teas, steep them according to packet directions. But they’re not going to get much better in flavour unless you had honey.