Black
Puerh
Oolong
Green
Herbal
RooibosBeginner Brewing
Beginner Brewing
Loose leaf tea preparation is EASY despite the beliefs of a lot of North Americans. The truth is that loose leaf does require minimal extra effort, but should result in a better tasting cup.
The mechanisms that require your attention are: water temperature and quality, the quality and quantity of tea leaves, and the time you steep.
Water
Since a cup of tea consists of mostly water, use filtered water that is as pure as possible. Do not use distilled water; distilling eliminates components that allow the tea to come to its full taste potential.
Use this simple guide for the best results.
|
Tea Type |
Leaf Quantity |
Water Temp |
Steeping Time |
|
Greens |
4 grams |
165-175° |
2-3 mins |
|
Whites |
4 grams |
180-190° |
3-4 mins |
|
Blacks |
4 grams |
195-212° |
3-5 mins |
|
Oolongs |
|
|
|
|
Green style |
4 grams |
180-190° |
3 mins |
|
Dark style |
4 grams |
185-195° |
4 mins |
|
Pu’erhs |
4 grams |
208-212° (boiling) |
4-5 mins |
|
Rooibos |
4 grams |
208-212° (boiling) |
5 mins |
|
Herbals |
4 grams |
208-212° (boiling) |
5 mins |
Why are there ranges? Because everyone is different and we hate rules. The ranges are a guide, so consider the hotter the water and the longer the steeping time, the stronger the tea will be.
Tea Leaves
Begin with fresh, high quality loose leaf tea, and remember just because it’s loose doesn’t mean it’s fresh.
The standard unit of measure for loose leaf tea is almost universally described in teaspoons and tablespoons. This long standing de facto method is not necessarily accurate, as illustrated in the comparison image below.
Insert an image here that has 4 grams or bai mu dan versus 4 grams of dragon well versus 4 grams of keemun & rooibos & organic relax.
Weighing your tea leaves will offer the best results–4 grams per 8 ounces of water.
Make daily preparation even easier by weighing leaves once, then check the equivalent in teaspoons/tablespoons (or any combination of the two).
Steeping Times
In general, the longer you steep the stronger the cup. Over steeping green tea, for example, is part of the reason why many people ‘think’ they dislike it.
Steeping times is the step that you can play with to adjust strength characteristics in your cup.
Remember
Loose leaf tea is intended to be fun! These guidelines are a great starting point and are not meant to be hard and fast rules. Everyone likes different types of taste profiles and we encourage you to experiment: that’s a part of the journey.
