There are few things more soothing to your soul than a nice, steaming cup of tea. But not just your soul; tea brewing and drinking has long been revered for its positive effects on the body, too.
In China, green tea has been used for thousands of years as a medicinal herbal drink due to its high concentration of antioxidants.
Today, adding a bit of honey to your green tea has been known to help alleviate a sore throat; chamomile is often used to combat insomnia; and black tea, when consumed in moderation, has been shown to help people relax by reducing the stress hormone cortisol.
So get your favorite teapot and good water (filtered or spring, and possibly tap, is fine, as long as it is clean, pure, and tastes good), and get ready for the perfect tea brewing experience.
What is tea?
Tea comes in countless varieties but one thing is the same. With the exception of herbals and rooibos (red bush tea), all teas are derived from the plant Camellia Sinensis and have caffeine.
Here are a few of our favorites and some tips for brewing the perfect cup.
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Tea brewing guide by type of tea
Green tea
Measure one teaspoon of green tea (or 2 grams of leaves) for every 6 ounces of water, and heat water just short of boiling.
Temperature: 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 1-3 minutes, slightly longer for Chinese green tea
White tea
The white tea variety, which actually is pale yellow to light orange when brewed, comes in buds and light leaves. Use 2 teaspoons of buds or 2 tablespoons of leaves for every 8-ounce cup.
Temperature: 150-155 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 1-5 minutes
Black tea
Use 1 rounded teaspoon of black tea (2 to 3 grams) per 8-ounce cup.
Temperature: 205-210 degrees Fahrenheit (let water come to rolling boil)
Steep: 3-5 minutes
Oolong tea
Oolong tea comes balled-up or as large, open leaves. Use 1 teaspoon of the balled-up kind or up to 1 tablespoon of open leaves per 6 ounces of water. Put the leaves straight into the pot or in an infuser. Pour the water over the leaves, cover the pot, and let it steep. If you’ve put the leaves straight into the pot, pour the tea through a strainer.
Temperature: 180-200 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 1-5 minutes
Pu-erh tea
Pu-erh tea comes as a compressed piece, like a cake, or in loose-leaf form. If you get the caked version, you’ll first need to break apart the leaves. Use 2 teaspoons to 1.5 tablespoons of leaves per cup of water, depending on the leaf’s density. (If it’s very dense, use less. If lighter, use more.) Heat water to 200-210 degrees and first rinse off the leaves: put them in the pot, pour hot water to cover them, and immediately discard this liquid. Then add more hot water and steep.
Temperature: 200-210 degrees, just as the boil
Steep: 3-4 minutes
Yellow tea
The yellow tea variety comes in a compact form (looks like a bird’s beak) and in “bud and two leaves” form. For the beaky kind, use a teaspoon; for bud/leaves, use two heaping tablespoons per 8 ounces of water.
Temperature: 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit
Steep: 2 minutes
Herbal tea
Metal isn’t good for the properties of herbal tea, so use a ceramic or glass teapot instead. Use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs (or 1 of dried), for every 8-ounce cup. Strain the leaves before drinking.
Temperature: To boil
Steep: 5-7 minutes
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Tea brewing your way
A general guideline for tea brewing is to steep for a minute, then take a sip every 30 seconds until it’s just the way you like it.
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