Brew guides
Starting points for western-style brewing in a mug or teapot. Taste, then adjust one variable at a time.
| Tea | Water | Leaf | Steep | Re-steeps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green tea | 75 °C / 167 °F | 1 g per 60 ml | 1:30–2:00 | 2–3 |
| Black tea | 95 °C / 203 °F | 1 g per 80 ml | 3:00–4:00 | 1–2 |
| Oolong tea | 90 °C / 194 °F | 1 g per 60 ml | 2:30–3:00 | 4–6 |
| White tea | 80 °C / 176 °F | 1 g per 50 ml | 4:00–5:00 | 2–3 |
| Pu-erh tea | 98 °C / 208 °F | 1 g per 50 ml | 2:00–3:00 | 4–8 |
| Matcha | 80 °C / 176 °F | 2 g per 70 ml | whisk 15–20 s | none |
| Herbal tea & rooibos | 100 °C / 212 °F | 1 g per 80 ml | 5:00–7:00 | 1 |
No thermometer?
Water cools roughly 10 °C in the first couple of minutes after boiling in an open kettle, though it depends on the kettle and volume. A safer trick: mix one part cold water with four parts boiling water to land around 80 °C. A variable-temperature kettle is the single most useful upgrade.
Water matters
Use fresh, filtered water. Very hard water dulls flavour and leaves a film on black tea; very soft or distilled water can taste flat. Don’t re-boil water that has sat in the kettle.