How long to steep tea: black, green, oolong, white and herbal
The short answer
Steep black tea for 3 to 5 minutes in water just off the boil, green tea for 1 to 3 minutes at 70 to 80°C, white tea for 2 to 5 minutes at 75 to 85°C, oolong for 3 to 5 minutes at 85 to 95°C, and herbal teas for 5 to 7 minutes in boiling water. Longer and hotter draws out more bitterness, so start at the short end and taste.
Most tea goes wrong in one of two ways: water that is too hot, or leaves left in too long. Both draw out the bitter compounds in the leaf faster than the flavour. The fix is a temperature and a time, and the times are short enough that a timer is the easy way to get them right.
Steeping times and temperatures
| Tea | Water | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Black (Assam, Darjeeling, English breakfast) | Just off the boil, 95–100°C | 3–5 minutes |
| Green (sencha, gunpowder) | 70–80°C | 1–3 minutes |
| White (silver needle, white peony) | 75–85°C | 2–5 minutes |
| Oolong | 85–95°C | 3–5 minutes |
| Herbal (peppermint, chamomile) | Boiling, 100°C | 5–7 minutes |
| Rooibos | Boiling, 100°C | 5 minutes or more |
These are starting points, not rules. Different gardens, grades and packets vary, and the packet’s own time is usually the best guide for that tea. Start at the short end, taste, and add a minute next time if it is thin.
Why time matters
The flavour in tea comes out first. The bitter, drying compounds, the tannins, keep coming out the longer the leaves sit, and they come out faster in hotter water. So a cup that is perfect at three minutes can be harsh at seven.
That is also why green and white teas need cooler water. Their leaves are less processed and more delicate, and boiling water turns them bitter in a minute or two.
How to get it right every time
- Heat the water to the right point. Many kettles have temperature settings. Without one, let boiled water stand for a few minutes for green or white tea.
- Start the timer when the water touches the leaves, not when the kettle clicks off.
- Take the leaves out when it rings. Lift the bag, or pour off the pot through a strainer. Leaving them in is what turns a good cup bitter.
The 3 minute timer is set for black tea and has presets for 2, 4 and 5 minutes. In a kitchen with a kettle and an extractor fan running, choose Loud bell, until stopped so a single chime cannot slip past you. For herbal tea, the 5 minute timer is already set. Green tea sits happily on the 2 minute timer.
Tea bags versus loose leaf
Most tea bags hold finely broken leaf. More broken edges means more surface, so the flavour comes out faster. Two to three minutes is often enough for a black tea bag, where whole loose leaves might want four or five.
Loose leaf also needs room. Packed tightly in a small infuser, the leaves cannot open, and the cup comes out weak however long it sits.
Stronger, not longer
If a cup tastes weak, add more tea rather than more time. Extra time mostly adds bitterness. An extra half teaspoon of leaf makes a stronger cup that still tastes clean.
Masala chai
Indian masala chai is not steeped at all. The tea is boiled in water with spices, then milk is added and the pot brought back to the boil. Recipes vary widely, but a few minutes of boiling before the milk goes in is common. A timer still helps, because a pot of chai boils over the moment you look away.
Cold brew
For iced tea without bitterness, steep the leaves in cold water in the fridge overnight, around eight to twelve hours. Cold water draws out far less of the tannin, so it is hard to over-steep.
Several infusions
Good oolong and green tea can be steeped more than once. In the Chinese gongfu style, a small pot holds a lot of leaf and each infusion lasts well under a minute, a little longer each round. Save a few short times on the countdown timer under My times so each round is one tap.
Related
If the tea is to get through the afternoon slump, a short nap may do more: see how long a power nap should be.
- Kitchen
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