How to Brew Loose Leaf Tea: Water Temperature and Steeping Times for Every Tea
Loose leaf tea tastes better than a tea bag, but only when it's brewed well. Water that's too hot turns green tea bitter, and a herbal blend steeped for two minutes tastes of very little. The good news is that once you know three numbers, how much tea, how hot the water and how long to steep, every cup comes out right.
This guide covers all three for every kind of tea we stock, plus the simple tools that make a daily tea ritual easier.
How much loose leaf tea per cup?
A good starting point is 1 teaspoon of tea per cup (about 250ml). Use a heaped teaspoon for herbal blends and spiced teas, which are bulkier and lighter than tightly rolled tea leaves. At this ratio, each of our 75g jars makes about 55 cups.
If you like a stronger cup, add more tea rather than steeping it for longer. Extra time mostly adds bitterness, while extra leaf adds flavour.
Water temperature and steeping times
| Tea | Water | Steep |
|---|---|---|
| Green tea: Sencha, Sanjeevani | 75 to 80°C | 2 to 3 minutes |
| Green tea blends: Hibiscus Green, Sunset Blend | 80°C | 3 minutes |
| First Flush Darjeeling | 85 to 90°C | 3 minutes |
| Black tea: Second Flush, Spiced Darjeeling | 90 to 100°C | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Herbal blends: RE+Balance, RE+Focus, RE+Vive, RE+Juvenate | Freshly boiled | 5 to 7 minutes |
| Matcha and hojicha powder | 70 to 80°C | No steeping, whisk |
No thermometer? No problem
Boil the kettle, then leave it to rest with the lid open. After about 2 minutes the water is roughly 85 to 90°C, and after 4 to 5 minutes it's around 75 to 80°C. Another easy trick for green tea is to pour a splash of cold water into the cup before topping it up from the kettle.
Step by step: a perfect cup
- Warm the cup or teapot with a little hot water, then tip it out. Tea brews more evenly in a warm vessel.
- Measure the tea into a strainer or straight into the teapot.
- Pour water at the right temperature for your tea (see the table above).
- Time it. A sand tea timer takes the guesswork out of it, no phone needed.
- Remove the leaves as soon as the time is up so the tea stops brewing.
- Brew again. Good green teas and Darjeeling can be steeped a second time. Add about 30 seconds to the steeping time.
The tools that make it easy
- RE+Fill tea strainer stick: fill it, stir, steep and lift out. Ideal for brewing one cup straight in your mug.
- Sand tea timer: wood, glass and sand, in 3 or 5 minutes.
- A teapot for sharing: our green Falcon enamel teapot holds 1.5 litres, and the classic white and blue Falcon teapot suits any kitchen.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Boiling water on green tea. It scorches the leaves and makes the cup bitter.
- Leaving the leaves in. Tea keeps brewing until you take the leaves out.
- Stale tea. Keep loose leaf tea in an airtight jar, away from light, heat and strong smells.
- Too little leaf. If your tea tastes weak, add more tea before you add more time.
Where to start
New to loose leaf tea? Three easy first picks: RE+Focus, a bright, caffeine-free herbal blend; Sanjeevani, a fresh, gentle green tea; and Spiced Darjeeling, a warming black tea with cinnamon and ginger. Browse them all in our loose leaf tea collection.