Tea Brewing Guide

Buying Tea is often the easy part.  Brewing it to perfection can be a little more tricky,  especially for the teas you don't drink so often.

In this guide I will take you through the brewing process step-by-step for the different types of Tea we have in our store.

Chapters:

1. General Recommendations (Read First!)
2. Green Tea
3. Matcha
4. White Tea
5. Oolong Tea
6. Black Tea
7. Pu'er Tea
8. Herbal Tea

 

1. General Recommendations (Read First!)

Before starting to brew there are a few things to consider:

• Introduction
  The recommendations are based on brewing 100-250 ml. of tea at the time.  If you decide to brew a large pot of tea (e.g. 1 liter) then be aware that you might need to adjust the amount of tea and/or the steeping time a bit.
  
  
• The 3 important parameters
  Apart from buying a good tea to begin with there are 3 important parameters to brewing the perfect cup of tea:
  
  
  1. Tea amount
     With tea more does not equal better.  Stick to the recommended tea-to-water ratio and only adjust it slightly if you find your tea too weak or strong.
     
  2. Water temperature
     The water temperature is critical.  The warmer the water the more Caffeine and Tannins are released (faster) - making the tea bitter.   If you find your tea to be bitter then try lowering the temperature a bit - 5 degrees at the time.
     
  3. Steeping time
     The steeping time is another critical parameter of brewing tea.  People often "forget" their tea and let it steep too long - causing release of more Caffeine and Tannins making the tea bitter.
     
     
• Get to know your Tea
  Even as a skilled tea drinker I often have to adjust the brewing parameters a bit when I try a new tea for the first time.  So have in mind that the below recommendations are general and might need small adjustments as you get to know your teas.
  
  
• Water
  Use clean, soft, low-mineral water.  If you live in a country or region where the tap water is not clean, is containing lots of minerals (like in Denmark) or has chlorine added to it, then buy bottled water for you tea.  Good water makes quite a difference to the taste.
  
  
• Teaware
  Use a small (100-250 ml) teapot or Gaiwan rather than a larger teapot.  Rather do more brews in a small pot than a large brew in a big pot.   This will ensure that your tea is always warm and freshly brewed - offering you a much better flavor profile and experience.
  
  
• Tea Tray or Towel
  If you are drinking a lot of Tea I will recommend you to buy a small Tea Tray or alternatively (and cheaper) to buy a Tea Towel.  When brewing in small pots you will often have some water ending up outside the Gaiwan or teapot.
  

 

2. Green Tea

Green tea can be quite sensitive to temperature, amount of leaves and steeping time, so be observant when you brew your Green tea the first couple of times. 

Especially the fine Japanese Green teas can be a bit tricky since the leaves are steamed during processing which make them break easier and, when brewed, release their flavor faster.   The smaller leaves of the Japanese Green teas also speaks for using a Kyusu for brewing since they typically have a fine-masked built-in filter.

Keep an eye on the temperature and use a timer to control steeping time.   If the tea becomes bitter try lowering the temperature by 5-10 degrees or reduce the steeping time by 10-15 seconds.

Other Green teas like Chinese, Taiwanese, Indian are not as sensitive but you still need to measure temperature and steeping time.

Water Temperature	75 degrees celcius (Gyokuro only 65 degrees)
Tea Leaves	2½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
1st Steep	60 seconds
2nd Steep	60 seconds
3rd Steep	60 seconds
Following Steeps	Add 15 seconds to each steep

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of Green tea:

1. Heat up the teapot and the cups by pouring warm water in them, let it stay for 10 second and pour it out again.
2. Add 5 gram tea leaves to the pot (enjoy the smell as the tea leaves comes to life)
3. Slowly pour 200 ml. of 75 degrees water in the pot (65 degrees for Gyokuro)
4. Let it steep for 60 seconds
5. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your Japanese Green tea can typically be brewed 2-4 times with full flavor (the smaller the leaves are the less brews you will get).  After that it start to loose power but by extending the steeping time and (or) using a little less water you can get another 1-2 good brews.

Enjoy your Green tea

 

3. Matcha

Matcha is traditionally brewed in 2 ways:

• Koicha (Thick Tea)
• Usucha (Thin Tea)
  
  

The only difference between the two is the amount of Matcha powder being used.  But due to the large amount of Matcha powder used for the Koicha, the tea will easily get bitter so the Matcha powder used for Koicha has to be of high quality to give a good and smooth taste.

Traditionally everyone (including guests) shared the same Chawan bowl.  But after Covid it is more common to make the Matcha in a bowl and pour it into small cups for each person to drink.

Water Temperature	70-75 degrees celcius (adjust to 65 degrees if bitter)
Matcha Powder	2 gram per 100 ml. water (6-8 gram for Koicha - Thick Tea)

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 100 ml. of Matcha tea:

1. Pour hot water in a cup and let your Chazen (whisk) soak in the water for 5-10 minutes.
2. Heat up the Chawan by pouring warm water in it, let it stay for 10 second and pour it out again.
3. Sift 2 gram of Matcha powder in the Chawan
4. Slowly pour in half of the water while whisking in a fast W motion
5. Pour in the remaining water and continue to whisk until a frothy foam forms on the top of the tea 
6. Let the Chazen whisk move over the foam to remove big bubbles

Enjoy your Matcha

 

4. White Tea

White tea is one of the least demanding teas to brew.  It is more acceptant to temperature and steeping time, but still I recommend to be focused on the brewing process to ensure the best result. 

Some White teas comes in compressed "cakes" and will require a quick "rinse" before brewing, as explained below

Water Temperature	85 degrees celcius
Tea Leaves	2½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
Rinse	10 seconds (only if the leaves have been compressed)
1st Steep	60 seconds
2nd Steep	60 seconds
3rd Steep	60 seconds
Following Steeps	Add 15 seconds to each steep

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of White tea:

1. Heat your teapot by pouring hot water in the pot and leave it for 10 seconds before pouring it out again. Do the same with the teacups
2. Add 5 gram tea leaves to the pot (enjoy the smell as the leaves comes to live)
3. If your tea has been compressed to a cake then give it a quick "rinse" by pouring hot water in the pot, leave it for 10 seconds and pour it out again.  This will allow the leaves to open up a bit before the brewing
4. Slowly pour 200 ml. of 85 degrees water in the pot
5. Let it steep for 60 seconds
6. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your White tea can often be brewed 3-5 times with full flavor.  After that it start to loose power but by extending the steeping time and (or) using a little less water you can get another 1-2 good brews.

Enjoy your White tea

 

 

 

5. Oolong Tea

Oolong tea comes in many variants but common for them is that they are rolled hard into small balls.  This require a quick "rinse" before brewing, as explained below.

Water Temperature	85 degrees celcius
Tea Leaves	2½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
Rinse	10 seconds
1st Steep	60 seconds
2nd Steep	60 seconds
3rd Steep	60 seconds
Following Steeps	Add 15 seconds to each steep

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of Oolong tea:

1. Heat your teapot by pouring hot water in the pot and leave it for 10 seconds before pouring it out again. Do the same with the teacups
2. Add 5 gram tea leaves to the pot (enjoy the smell)
3. Give it a quick "rinse" by pouring hot water in the pot, leave it for 10 seconds and pour it out again.  This will allow the leaves to open up a bit before the brewing
4. Slowly pour 200 ml. of 85 degrees water in the pot
5. Let it steep for 60 seconds
6. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your Oolong tea can typically be brewed 3-5 times with full flavor.  After that it start to loose power but by extending the steeping time and (or) using a little less water you can get another 1-2 good brews.

Enjoy your Oolong tea

 

 

6. Black Tea

Black teas are relatively forgiving when it comes to brewing but to get the best flavor I still recommend to stick to the amount, temperature and steeping time.  Some Black teas might need a little longer steeping time than stated below so experiment a bit with your tea.

Water Temperature	95-100 degrees celcius
Tea Leaves	2-2½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
1st Steep	60 seconds
2nd Steep	60 seconds
3rd Steep	60 seconds
Following Steeps	Add 15 seconds to each steep

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of Black tea:

1. Heat your teapot by pouring hot water in the pot and leave it for 10 seconds before pouring it out again. Do the same with the teacups
2. Add 4-5 gram tea leaves to the pot (enjoy the smell as the leaves comes to life)
3. Slowly pour 200 ml. of 95-100 degrees water in the pot
4. Let it steep for 60 seconds.
5. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your Black tea can typically be brewed 3-5 times with full flavor.  After that it start to loose power but by extending the steeping time and (or) using a little less water you can get another 1-2 good brews.

Enjoy your Black tea

 

7. Pu'er Tea

Pu'er tea most often comes in the form of compressed cakes so will need a quick "rinse" before brewing, as explained below.

Water Temperature	90-95 degrees celcius
Tea Leaves	2½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
Rinse	10 seconds (then let the leaves rest for 30-60 seconds)
1st Steep	15-30 seconds (first brew can sometimes be a little bitter)
2nd Steep	15-30 seconds
3rd Steep	15-30 seconds
Following Steeps	Add 15-30 seconds when the flavor start to fade

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of Pu'er tea:

1. Heat your teapot by pouring hot water in the pot and leave it for 10 seconds before pouring it out again. Do the same with the teacups
2. Carefully break up the leaves from the cake and add 5 gram of leaves to the pot 
3. Give it a quick "rinse" by pouring hot water in the pot, leave it for 10 seconds and pour it out again.  Let the leaves rest for 30-60 seconds before brewing.  This will allow the leaves to open up a bit before the brewing
4. Slowly pour 200 ml. of 90-95 degrees water in the pot
5. Let it steep for 15-30 seconds (first brew can sometimes be a little bitter)
6. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your Pu'er tea can be brewed many times - typically 7-8 times with full flavor.  After that it start to loose power but by extending the steeping time and (or) using a little less water you can get another 2-3 good brews.

Enjoy your Pu'er tea

 

8. Herbal Tea

Herbal teas will often require a little longer steeping time than the "real" teas, due to the larger pieces of herbs in the tea require more time to release aromas.  Experiment a bit with your specific Herbal tea to find the sweet spot where you get the best flavor.

Water Temperature	95-100 degrees celcius
Tea Leaves	1-1½ gram tea per 100 ml. water
1st Steep	3 minutes
2nd Steep	3-4 minutes
3rd Steep	4-5 minutes
Following Steeps	Add 1 minute to each steep (and use little less water)

 

Step-by-step guide to brewing 200 ml. of Herbal tea:

1. Add 2-3 gram tea leaves to the pot
2. Pour 200 ml. of 95-100 degrees water in the pot
3. Let it steep for 3 minutes
4. To ensure an even distribution of the tea flavor do one of the following steps:
   a) Slowly circle the teapot in your hands to distribute the tea extract in the pot
   b) Pour a little bit of tea in each cup at the time and start over until all cups are full
   

How many brews

Your Herbal tea can typically be brewed 2-3 times with full flavor.  After that it loose power but by you might get another 1-2 steeps by extending the time and by using a little less water.

Enjoy your Herbal tea