Don’t know how long to steep your tea? Check out this easy how-to guide to learn ideal steep times and benefits for your perfect cup of tea.
Do you enjoy having a cup of tea but never know how long to steep the leaves?
Some may feel the longer they steep their tea, they extract more flavor and health benefits from their leaves. Science research has proven that the health benefits released from the tea leaves reach a saturation point after a certain amount of time. You may also notice a bitter taste which indicates steeping too long. Steeping your tea too long can cause caffeine content to diminish and no longer provide the boost you are looking for.
Avoid these mistakes by following this breakdown guide of steeping times and temperatures to achieve your perfect cup of tea.
White Tea
Varieties: Silver needle, white peony, gong mei, shou mei
Green Tea
Varieties: Sencha, hojicha, gyokuro, tencha, matcha
Black Tea
Varieties: assam, darjeeling, ceylon, early gray
Oolong Tea
Herbal Tea
Varieties: chamomile, peppermint, ginger, hibiscus
Pu-erh Tea
Rooibos Tea
Here are highly rated items that may help you make that perfect cup.
This Chefman electric kettle has 5 presets that match the ideal temperatures for the type of tea you want to steep. There is even a light feature that changes color when the water reaches a certain temperature to give you a visual indication. It even has a tea infuser so you can steep your whole kettle, which would be great for tea parties.
I saw this cute little sand glass timer while having high tea service at The Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco. It has three different times marked to help you steep your tea depending how strong you want it.
I hope this guide helps you find your optimum steeping time, depending on your preference of flavor and caffeine strength. Results may vary based on using tea leaves or tea bags. This is just the beginning of your tea connoisseur journey!
-Elle
