Tea steep times
and temperatures
Every major tea type with the right water temperature and steep time. Steep time and temperature are the two variables that control everything in a cup. Too hot or too long: bitterness. Too cool or too short: thin and flat.
Western brewing parameters
One steep per session. Leaf ratio per 8 oz (240ml) of water.
| Tea Type | Temp (°F) | Temp (°C) | Steep Time | Leaf / 8 oz | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Tea | 160 to 175°F | 71 to 79°C | 2 to 3 min | 2g | Delicate. Do not over-steep. Silver Needle at the lower end. |
| Green Tea | 160 to 180°F | 71 to 82°C | 1 to 3 min | 2g | Bitter if too hot or too long. Japanese greens at lower end, Chinese greens at higher end. |
| Yellow Tea | 170 to 185°F | 77 to 85°C | 2 to 3 min | 2 to 3g | Rare and delicate. Similar to green tea brewing. Slightly sweeter and mellower. |
| Oolong, Light | 185 to 195°F | 85 to 90°C | 2 to 3 min | 3g | Floral, orchid character. Tie Guan Yin, Alishan. Multiple re-steeps. |
| Oolong, Dark / Roasted | 195 to 205°F | 90 to 96°C | 3 to 5 min | 3 to 4g | Wuyi rock oolongs, Dong Ding roasted. Can handle hotter water. |
| Black Tea | 200 to 212°F | 93 to 100°C | 3 to 5 min | 2 to 3g | Full extraction. Darjeeling benefits from 195°F to preserve muscatel. |
| Pu-erh, Sheng (Raw) | 195 to 205°F | 90 to 96°C | 2 to 4 min | 4 to 5g | Rinse leaves first. Young sheng can be astringent. Aged sheng is smoother. |
| Pu-erh, Shou (Ripe) | 205 to 212°F | 96 to 100°C | 3 to 5 min | 5g | Rinse leaves first. Dark, earthy, smooth from day one. Tolerates full boiling. |
| Herbal / Tisane | 212°F | 100°C | 5 to 7 min | 2 to 3g | Most herbals need full boiling. Rooibos nearly impossible to over-steep. |
Temperature is usually the problem.
Most bitter tea is not over-steeped. It is over-temperatured. Pouring boiling water over green tea or white tea burns the leaves. The bitterness from that mistake does not go away by steeping less next time. Get the temperature right first.
Three habits worth keeping
Use filtered water
Tap water with heavy chlorine or minerals changes the flavor of delicate teas. Filtered water is especially noticeable with green and white teas.
Pull the leaves out when time is up
Do not leave leaves sitting in hot water after the steep. The heat keeps extracting. For green and black teas especially, a 30 second overshoot adds real bitterness.
Re-steep quality loose leaf
Green teas and oolongs give 2 to 5 re-steeps. Add 30 seconds to each subsequent steep and raise the temperature by 5°F if needed. Pu-erh handles 6 to 10+ infusions gongfu style.
Gongfu shifts the math.
The table above covers western brewing. Gongfu uses much more leaf and much shorter steeps. 10 to 45 seconds per infusion, repeated 6 to 12 times. The same temperatures apply, but the steep times come way down.
Oolongs and pu-erh are the best candidates. They hold up to many re-steeps and reward the attention.
Track your steep times in the app
SteepLog logs every session: tea name, water temp, steep time, leaf ratio, and tasting notes. Over time you find the exact parameters you actually like for each tea. Free to download.
Or download the free brew temperature reference card.