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When I first began to dabble in green tea, I absolutely hated it. It was bitter, drying to the mouth, wretched taste, and I was left for a long time feeling that green tea just wasn't for me. Many people I knew who drank black tea felt the same way, so I concluded that green tea was for the few who had the palette for it.
Of course, this was during a time when the only other tea drinkers I knew were buying Bigelow or Lipton bags and, like myself, just throwing them in some boiling hot water and coming back whenever we remembered to take the bag out, squeezing the bag thoroughly to get the last drops into the cup.
I shudder these days when I think about how badly I was scalding my first attempts at green tea, and I marvel that I enjoyed any tea at all, considering the way in which I was preparing it. This is a predicament many novice tea drinkers find themselves when it comes to anything other than black tea: you're scalding (and probably over-steeping it).
If you really want to make good tea, you need to ditch the bags, get some loose leaf, measure it properly, and then use the right water temperature and steeping time for the type of tea you're preparing. Once you've mastered the basics listed below, there is (of course) some leniency with these rules, because there are some companies that do bagged tea very well, and you may like one type of tea steeped a little more or a little less than the norm. There are also traditional styles of preparing tea that involving different steep times and different amounts of tea as well, but these are things to play with later.
For now (if you're new to tea), these are good guidelines to start with, in terms of knowing the typical taste, color, and proper preparation of different teas:
- All Teas - Roughly one teaspoon (table teaspoon, not literally a measuring spoon) per cup (a bit less if the tea is handrolled into little balls like gunpowder green tea, a bit more for more flavor if desired)
- Black Tea - The darkest color tea, and the most commonly know (in my experience). Steep time of 4-5 minutes with boiling water (212º F), sometimes milk and sugar are added. Black tea is not suitable to multiple infusions (steeping the tea leaves a second time or more).
- Green Tea - Green-ish yellow in color, more green or yellow depending on type. Steep time is 3 minutes (maximum!) with rumbling water (176 °F to 185 °F). Some people listen for the moment when the water is "rumbling" or just about to boil, and some people let the water boil and then cool for minute before pouring over tea leaves. Sugar can be added to green tea, but milk is typically not. Some green teas are suitable for multiple infusions. (Don't apply these rules to matcha powdered tea!)
- Oolong Tea - This tea is a yellow or something orange color, depending on region/type. Steep for anywhere from 3-7 minutes with water 194 °F to 212 °F (just start to boil up to full rolling boil). There is a lot of variation on steep time for oolongs, so do what tastes best for you for each oolong. Oolongs are suitable for multiple infusions, depending on quality and strength of the tea.
- White Tea - White tea is very light, in color and flavor, very commonly infused multiple times (with good quality white tea). Steep in boiling water for up to 7 minutes (recommend starting at 7 minutes, as the flavor can be very light).
- Pu Erh Tea - This is an area of tea in which the steep time is very subjective and crucial to the success of the tea preparation. I have yet to master the making of pu erh, but I do know that boiling water is typically used and gong fu style preparation is often used as well (this is not an area of tea to start in as a novice).
- Herbal Tea (Tisanes) - Boiling water, leave the tea in as long as you want to (typically 7 minutes). Pretty simple, no? Tisanes don't contain actual tea, so they are less likely to become bitter or drying with a long steep, so this is one area in which you're unlikely to hurt the quality of the beverage too horribly.
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7-16-2008 @4:19PM Monika said... I've also found that for the flowering teas, I can keep the bud in, refill with water, and continue having tea. It's not quite as good as the first batch, but still worth it.
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7-16-2008 @4:19PM Kelsey said... Great post! Very informative as I am an avid tea drinker and can never remember the right temperature for different teas.
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7-16-2008 @3:48PM White On Rice Couple said... Thanks for the wonderful information! It's a great resource and we'll have to save it to share with others.
Monika is correct, the flowering teas can be used for a second batch! Lets get the most out of our teas!
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7-16-2008 @4:19PM Christine said... Brandice, I would highly suggest purchasing James Norwood Pratt's New Tea Lover's Treasury (you can buy it used from Amazon or new from various online tea shops). It is one of the best books on tea and tea history. He talks about how the Chinese distinguish 5 stages of tea water as the boiling point nears: "shrimp eyes", "crab eyes", "fish eyes", "rope of pearls", and "raging torrent". Hey, I even found someone's blog where they posted pictures!!
http://ncmagteawithfriends.blogspot.com/2008/06/how-to-boil-water-for-tea.html
Enjoy your tea!! And remember, with really high quality teas you can get multiple steeps out of teas, especially oolongs and high quality greens.
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7-16-2008 @4:19PM srah said... Adagio makes an electric kettle that you can set to different temperatures: http://www.adagio.com/teaware/utiliTEA_kettle.html
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7-16-2008 @4:19PM Brandon said... Alton Brown's rule is: for green teas, carry the pot to the cup, for other teas carry the cup to the pot.
In reality, the water doesn't cool all the way down to 180 in the time it takes to walk across the kitchen, but it cools enough to prevent scalding green leaves.
I like my green teas *very* light, usually I take my leaves out right after I finish pouring a cup for my companion(s). They're in there barely 30 seconds.
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7-16-2008 @4:20PM icedtea1954 said... In Japan, green tea is normally not brewed for more than a couple of seconds (but the same tea is often reused for several cups).
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7-17-2008 @1:48PM ChillyWilly said... Great post. I only drink black tea and green tea and your guidelines are pretty close to how I boil the water.
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7-20-2008 @5:05PM justfoodnow said... Really good blog. There is a company in Sri Lanka, called Dilmah that make the best bagged tea with a massive range, great tea gardens and everything that goes with it, and I do agree with you regarding tea leaves. Only way to go!
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4-26-2010 @7:40PM George said... So, you want to brew tea... but you don't have a thermometer?
NO PROBLEM!
We know that water boils at 212F or 100C and room temperature is (on average) 72F or 22C...
Using these two numbers, some room temperature water and a known measure we can accurately gauge our steeping water's temperature!
Here is a calculator - the math is kind of crazy so this makes life easy:
http://www.jennifersteagarden.com/tea_water_temperature_calculator.php
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