Beginner's Guide to Brewing Tea

Are you new to preparing loose leaf tea? Never fear! It's way easier than it looks. This tea brewing guide will help you steep the perfect brew. 

How to Brew Hot Tea

Water Temperature:

Boil water in a traditional or electric kettle. Let the water cool for about one minute. (Cheat code: you can also add an ice cube or two before pouring the boiling water over the tea!)

Why are we cooling it off? 212°F is a bit too hot, and it will scorch your tea leaves. We want full flavor, but we don't want bitterness!

As a general rule, here are the ideal brewing temperatures for your tea:

BLACK TEA: 195°F

OOLONG TEA: 185°F

GREEN AND WHITE TEA: 175°F

TISANES/HERBAL TEAS: 212°F (no tea leaf/can't burn!)

Time:

You need to steep for the right amount of time to get the ideal brew. The goal is to extract maximum flavor with minimal tannins (bitterness-causing chemicals in the leaf.)

Each tea has a guideline for optimal steeping time.

BLACK TEA: 3 minutes

OOLONG TEA: 3-5 minutes

GREEN AND WHITE TEA: 45 seconds - 2 minutes (directions on packaging)

TISANES/HERBAL TEAS: forever (no tea leaf/can't burn!)

Pro-tip: Many teas can be re-steeped a 2nd or 3rd time! Flavor and antioxidants aren't all extracted in steep one. (However, all the caffeine does escape with the first steep.)

How to Brew Iced Tea

There are several methods for brewing iced tea, depending on your goals. 

If you want a single cup of iced tea and you want it now - follow the instructions above with double the tea leaves and half the water. Pour over ice and enjoy!

You can also cold steep your tea.

For measurement, a general rule is 1 tsp per 8 oz. If you're making a pitcher, use about a quarter cup of tea leaves!

Place leaves in cold water, refrigerate, and wait!

You can cold steep anywhere from 2 - 10 hrs. Find your perfect flavor by experimenting and testing the brew along the way!

Now you're an expert!

That's it! There's no big secret to brewing tea. It's a simple equation.

Temperature + Time = Tea !

Check out our collection of specialty teas and find your flavor! 

Happy brewing!