How to brew black tea
Black tea is fully oxidised, giving malty, bready, fruity or honeyed flavours. It wants water just off the boil to fully extract, and it is the most forgiving tea to learn on.
- Water
- 95 °C203 °F
- Leaf
- 1 gper 80 ml
- Steep
- 3:00–4:00
- Re-steeps
- 1–2
Good examples: Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Keemun, breakfast blends.
Step by step
- Heat fresh water to 95 °C (203 °F).
- Weigh 1 g of leaf for every 80 ml of water (e.g. 3.8 g for a 300 ml mug).
- Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 3:00–4:00.
- Strain completely so the leaves don’t keep steeping. Keep the leaves for the next infusion.
Getting it exact
- First-flush Darjeeling is closer to a green in character; try 85–90 °C and 2:30–3:00.
- Broken-leaf and CTC teas extract fast: 2–3 minutes is usually enough, especially if you add milk.
- Whole-leaf black teas can take a second steep of 4–5 minutes.
Quick fix: Flat or thin? Use hotter water and more leaf, not just more time.