How do you brew loose-leaf tea?

Brewing tea

The answer to this question should be simple, or is it?

So, when I was embarking on brewing loose-leaf tea, I, like most people, put the tea in a tea ball, or have a built-in strainer in my teapot for the tea. Pour boiling water onto it, let it steep for a few minutes, then you are done; with your lovely cup of tea. However, while researching tea, I learned there is more to brewing tea than I originally imagined.

First, there are six categories of tea not including herbal tea.

Green Tea – Tea in its purest form, minimally altered by man.

Yellow Tea – Also known as Huang ya, it is unique in the high mountains of China and sometimes gets categorized as green tea.

White tea – Hardly processed light and refined. Like Green tea, White tea represents the purest form of tea.

Oolong tea – These are very diverse, offering a wide range of styles, flavors, and aromas.

Pu-Erh tea – The most exotic tea from China. China is the only supplier of this tea.

There is one important ingredient that affects tea, and that is water. Not just any water, pure water. Chlorine and calcium are enemies of good tea. Tap water in some areas is okay but check the Chlorine and calcium levels. To get the best cup of tea, use filters to make sure your water has zero alkaline and acid. So, water filters are your best bet to get good water for your tea. In Japan, they use a charcoal filter device for their water. The Chinese believe that water sourced from the mountains where the tea is made is the best. I use water filters that are called Zero Water.

So, you have your good water, now you must have it at the right temperature for your tea. To aid this process in getting the correct water temperature, you will need a temperature-controlled kettle, easily found on Amazon. The reason why you do not want your water to boil is that your tea will need some of that oxygen. Oxygen leaves the water when it is boiled. You need these gases in the water to help facilitate the transmission of the aromatic components.

“Heat facilitates the release of most of the components found in tea leaves – the hotter the water, the more they migrate into the solution – but heat also destroys or alters some of these elements.” Tea Sommelier, by Francois-Xavier Delmas.

This is a very important point. Well-brewed tea does not automatically contain the maximum amount of tea attributes, instead, it will be a balanced contribution of tannins, amino acids, and aromatic elements.

The different brewing temperatures and steeping times for your category of tea are listed below, from The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook, by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss.

You will also need a good teapot with no inbuilt strainer so you can allow the tea to unfurl and get the full bloom of the flavor of the tea. After steeping you will need a small tea strainer to use over your cup to catch the leaves.

Most good tea companies who sell loose-leaf tea should be able to inform you of the correct brewing temperature and steeping time. However, I found in some cases tea companies still say to boil the water, but when I did not allow the water to boil the tea tasted better.

I hope this will help you to get the best out of your tea-drinking experience.

Green tea

MEASUREMENTS
Tea type	Amount (per 6 ounces of water)
Green teas from China	1 to tablespoons for leafy tea 1 to 2 teaspoons for bud tea
Green teas from Japan	1 to 2 teaspoons
Green tea from Korea	1 to 2 tablespoons
WATER TEMPERATURE
Tea Type	Temperature
Spring green teas from China	160 to 170 F
Green teas from Japan	160 to 170 F
Green teas from China	170 to 180 F
Green teas from Korea	170 to 180 F
STEEPING TIME
90 seconds to 2 minutes
NUMBER OF STEEPING
One to three

White Tea

MEASUREMENT	WATER TEMPERATURE
2 tablespoons for leafy tea 2 teaspoons for bud tea (Per 6 ounces of water)	160 to 170 F
STEEPING TIME	NUMBER OF STEEPINGS
90 seconds to 2 minutes	One to three

Black Tea

MEASUREMENT	WATER TEMPERATURE
2 teaspoons of leafy tea 1 teaspoon for orange pekoe grades or CTC (per 6 ounces of water)	190 to 200 F
STEEPING TIME	NUMBER OF STEEPINGS
31/2 minutes for small leaf of CTC tea; 31/2 to 5 minutes for orthodox leaf	One (possibility for a second steeping of large orthodox leaf, only if briefly steeped for the first infusion)

Oolong Tea

MEASUREMENT	WATER TEMPERATURE
Begin with 2 to 3 tablespoons (5 to 6 grams) of tea (Per 6 ounces of water)	180 to 200 F
STEEPING TIME	NUMBER OF STEEPING
First, rinse the tea: place the tea into the teapot or gaiwan, add heated water, and swish it gently around the inside of the vessel. Quickly pour off this rinse water and discard it. Add more water to steep the first infusion	Four to eight or more, depending on the type of oolong tea and its age. Semiball-rolled-style oolongs hydrate more slowly than strip-style oolongs; aged versions of each hydrate more slowly again have greater staying power, thus yields more steeping.
INFUSION TIMES
Infusion Number	Time
First	10 seconds to 1 minute
Second	15 seconds to 65 seconds
Third and additional	Increase time by 5 to 10 seconds for each steeping, and as the flavor begins diminishing, add an additional 30 seconds for each remaining infusion. Steep at a slightly higher temperature for each successive infusion.

Herbal Tea

MEASUREMENT	WATER TEMPERATURE
1 teaspoon of tea leaves per cup of water	212°F
STEEPING TIME	NUMBER OF STEEPS
Let it steep for at least 5 minutes	One
Here are the best temperatures and times for the most common herbal teas:
Tea Type and measurement	Temperature and steep time
Chamomile - use 1-2 teaspoons of leafy tea	212°F for 5 minutes
Mint – use 1-1 ½ teaspoons of leafy tea	212°F for 5 minutes
Rooibos – use 1 teaspoon of leafy tea	212°F for 8-10 minutes
Rosemary - use ½ -1 teaspoon of leafy tea	212°F for 10-15 minutes
Linden flowers - use 1 teaspoon of flowers	212°F for 10 minutes
Rose hips – use 1-2 teaspoons of rose hips	212°F for 10-15 minutes
Hibiscus - use 1-2 teaspoons of flowers depending on their size	212°F for 5-10 minutes
Yerba mate - use 1 teaspoon of leafy tea	203-208°F for 3-5 minutes
For blends with two or more ingredients, follow the instructions on the label. In the absence of instructions, use the water temperature and steep time recommended for the most delicate ingredient in the blend.

Pu-erh Tea

MEASUREMENT	WATER TEMPERATURE
4 to 5 grams per 100 ml capacity 3 tablespoons (5 to 6 grams) 150 ml capacity 4 tablespoons (6 to 7 grams) 200 ml capacity	205 to 210 F
STEEPING TIME
Choose a gaiwan or unglazed clay teapot that is between 150ml and 200ml in size. The first pour of hit water is the ‘rinse water’ for washing the leaves. Pour it on and immediately pour it off. Add more hot water and steep the tea for twenty-five seconds. Drain the tea into a tea pitcher and serve.
INFUSION TIMES
Infusion Number	Time
First	Rinse (rinse a second time if the tea is old beeng cha or if it seems particularly dusty)
Second	25 seconds
Third	30 seconds
Fourth	35 seconds
Fifth	40 seconds
Sixth	45 seconds
Seventh	50 seconds
Eighth	55 seconds
Ninth	60 seconds
Tenth	90 seconds