Tea Brewing Guides

Start with fresh water. Clean-tasting filtered water is often helpful if your tap water has a noticeable mineral or chlorine taste.

Prewarm a teapot or mug when brewing delicate tea in a cool room. This keeps the temperature more predictable from first pour to final sip.

For many black teas, try water around 200–212°F and an initial steep of 3–5 minutes. Robust breakfast blends often handle milk, while nuanced single-origin teas can be delightful plain.

Taste before adding sweetener. If the result is bitter, shorten the steep or reduce leaf quantity rather than immediately lowering quality expectations.

Green teas often respond well to cooler water, roughly 160–185°F, and shorter steeps around 1–3 minutes. White teas vary more widely and may need a slightly longer gentle infusion.

A sweet, grassy, floral, or marine note may be a characteristic of the tea rather than a brewing error. Adjust one variable at a time to find your preferred expression.

Oolong spans lightly oxidized floral styles to deeper roasted profiles. Start near 185–205°F for 2–4 minutes, then explore repeated short infusions when the leaves support it.

Leave room for rolled leaves to open fully. A roomy infuser generally produces a clearer, more even extraction than an overcrowded tea ball.

Peppermint, chamomile, rooibos, and other caffeine-free blends are not all traditional tea leaves. Many benefit from freshly boiled water and 5–7 minutes of steeping.

For chai, simmering spices can develop body and aroma. If adding milk, start with an intentionally strong tea concentrate so the finished drink stays balanced.

Write down the leaf amount, water temperature, steep time, and a few words about the result. A simple record makes favorite cups repeatable.

Store leaves in a sealed, dry container away from heat, light, and strong aromas. Tea absorbs neighboring scents more easily than many people expect.