How to brew tea
Water, time, leaf. Everything else is detail.
Most tea goes wrong at the kettle, not the shop. Match the water temperature to the leaf, use more leaf than feels reasonable, and keep the first steeps short. Those three habits fix nearly every disappointing cup. TEAKI's brewing guides cover seven methods, from a gaiwan to a cold-brew bottle, with a timer tuned to each tea.
By the TEAKI editors · Updated 21 October 2026 · 11 guides
At a glance
| Water | Filtered or soft, boiled once, cooled to the leaf's temperature |
|---|---|
| Temperature | About 70 °C for green, up to boiling for puer and black |
| Leaf | Western: 2 to 3 g per 250 ml. Gongfu: 5 to 7 g per 100 ml |
| Time | Western: minutes, once or twice. Gongfu: seconds, many times |
| Rinse | Rolled oolong, puer and aged tea, for a few seconds |
| Vessel | A gaiwan for anything, a yixing pot for one family of tea |
| Re-steep | Nearly all loose leaf, three to ten times |
Temperature and time
Starting points, not rules. Western is a mug or teapot; gongfu is a gaiwan with far more leaf and far less water.
Open the timer →The guides
11 pieces, in the order most people need them.
The methods
Grandpa StyleLeaves in, water in. The oldest conversation. · 杯泡 · bēi pàoGongfuSmall vessel, many steeps. · 功夫茶 · gōng fū cháCup & InfuserQuick and easy. We've all done this.The TeapotSteep, pour, share.Cold BrewPatience rewarded.UsuchaWhisked, not steeped. · 薄茶 · うすちゃThe Masala MethodSimmered with spices and love. · मसाला चायQuestions people ask
What temperature should I brew green tea at?
About 70 to 80 °C. Boil the kettle, then wait three or four minutes, or pour it into a cold jug first. Boiling water pulls bitterness out of green tea faster than flavour.
Why does my tea taste bitter?
Too hot, too long, or both. Drop the temperature, halve the steep, and try again with the same leaf. Bitterness is a brewing problem far more often than a tea problem.
Do I need to rinse tea before brewing?
Only for compressed or tightly rolled leaf: puer, aged tea and ball-rolled oolong. A few seconds of hot water opens the leaf and lifts dust. Green and white tea lose flavour to a rinse, so skip it.
How many times can I re-steep the same leaves?
Loose-leaf tea is built for it. Three or four times in a teapot, six to ten in a gaiwan. Lengthen each steep a little as the leaf gives less.
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