How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea: A Simple Guide for Every Type
Water, temperature, time and leaf. Our friendly guide to brewing loose leaf tea well, with a cheat sheet for green, black, oolong, white and herbal.
Brewing loose leaf tea is easier than it looks, we promise. You need four things: good water, the right temperature, the right amount of leaf and a little patience. Get those roughly right and almost any tea will reward you. We'll walk through each one, then leave you with a cheat sheet to keep by the kettle.
What you need to brew loose leaf tea
- A vessel. A teapot, a mug with a basket infuser or a glass pot like the Hario Chacha all work.
- An infuser or strainer with plenty of room. Leaves need space to unfurl. A roomy basket such as this stainless steel infuser beats a tiny ball every time.
- A kettle. A variable-temperature kettle is fun to have, but it's not essential.
- Fresh, good-tasting water. If you wouldn't drink it plain, it won't make great tea.
Step 1: Start with good water
Tea is roughly 99 percent water, so the water matters more than people expect. Filtered tap or spring water gives the cleanest flavor. Very hard water can make tea taste flat and leave a film on top. Distilled water swings the other way and tastes hollow. Start with fresh water each time, since water that's been boiled again and again loses some of its sparkle.
Step 2: Match the temperature to the tea
Temperature is where most cups go wrong. Delicate green and white teas turn bitter in boiling water. Black teas and herbal blends taste weak and sulky in water that's too cool.
No thermometer? Boil the water and let it rest with the lid off. After a few minutes it'll drop toward 185°F, which suits most green teas. Wait a little longer for water closer to 175°F. A mug of water cools much faster than a full kettle, so adjust the wait to how much you boiled.
Step 3: Measure your leaf
A good starting point is one teaspoon (about 2 to 3 grams) of tea per 8 ounces of water. Big, fluffy leaves like white tea or open oolongs take up more room, so use a heaping spoonful. Small, dense leaves like Assam need less. After a cup or two you'll know whether you like it stronger or lighter. When you want to adjust, change the amount of leaf rather than the steep time, since longer steeps tend to add bitterness before they add flavor.
Step 4: Steep, taste and remove the leaves
Set a timer, then sneak a sip a little before it goes off. As long as the leaves sit in the water, the cup keeps changing, so pull the infuser out once it tastes right. Many good teas can be steeped two or three times, and the second cup is often the most interesting one. Don't toss those leaves too soon.
Loose leaf tea brewing cheat sheet
| Tea type | Water temperature | Steep time | Re-steeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 175 to 185°F | 3 to 5 min | 2 to 3 |
| Green | 160 to 180°F | 1 to 3 min | 2 to 3 |
| Oolong | 185 to 205°F | 2 to 4 min | 3 to 5 |
| Black | 200 to 212°F | 3 to 5 min | 1 to 2 |
| Pu-erh | 205 to 212°F | 2 to 4 min | 4 or more |
| Herbal and rooibos | 212°F | 5 to 7 min | 1 |
Think of these ranges as starting points. Every tea is a little different, so check the maker's instructions on the product page too.
Common brewing mistakes (and easy fixes)
- Bitter or harsh? The water was too hot or the tea steeped too long. Cool the water or shorten the time.
- Weak or watery? Add more leaf instead of steeping longer.
- Flat? Try fresh, filtered water and warm your cup or pot first with a splash of hot water.
- Leaves escaping? Use a finer mesh infuser or a pot with a built-in strainer. Nobody wants a mouthful of leaf on the last sip.
Where to start
If you're new to loose leaf, pick one tea and brew it three ways: shorter, standard and longer. You'll learn more from that little experiment than from any chart (including ours). Our Starter Teas are forgiving and full of flavor. Wondering why loose leaf is worth the fuss in the first place? Read Loose Leaf vs. Tea Bags.
Quick answers
How much loose leaf tea should I use per cup?
Start with one teaspoon, or 2 to 3 grams, per 8 ounces of water. Use more for big, airy leaves and less for small, tightly rolled ones.
Can I reuse loose leaf tea?
Yes. Most green, white, oolong and pu-erh teas can be steeped several times. Add 30 seconds to a minute for each new round.
Should I use boiling water for all tea?
No. Boiling water suits black tea, pu-erh and herbal blends. Green and white teas taste sweeter with cooler water.
Do I need special equipment?
Not at all. A mug and a roomy infuser are all it takes to brew a beautiful cup.
