Tea Brewing, How to brew tea

Below are the general instructions for tea brewing (and a few extra tea brewing tips). However, if you purchase tea, the manufacturer will usually place directions for how to brew that specific type of tea, and I recommend following those instructions (for the most part) when brewing your tea.

Tea Brewing can be tricky initially, but after you get a hang of it, it is really easy. There are certain temperatures to which tea should be brewed, but the temperature you boil your tea to does not need to be exact. Trust me, if your temperature is way off you will know. For your first time brewing tea, you can use a thermometer if you want, although it is not necessary. And after your first attempt at brewing tea, you will probably not need a thermometer anymore.

When brewing tea, it is important to use water that you would drink. This means, that it is probably best not to use sink water (unless your sink water tastes really good!). Well filtered water and bottled water are usually the best options for the best tasting tea.

When brewing tea, you should use around seven ounces of water for one tablespoon of tea leaves. First bring the appropriate amount of water to the right temperature for your tea (temperatures listed below). And then combine it with your tea leaves in a separate tea pot. Brewing tea is really that easy! However, when brewing different teas you will need specific temperatures and steeping times:

Oolong tea: when brewing oolong tea, the water should be heated to 185 degrees and leaves should be steeped for 4 to 6 minutes.

Black tea: when brewing black tea, the water should be heated to a boil and leaves should be steeped for around 4 minutes.

Herbal tea: when brewing herbal tea, the water should be heated to a boil and leaves should be steeped for 6 to 8 minutes.

Green Tea: when brewing green tea, the water should be heated to 160 degrees and leaves should be steeped for 2 to 4 minutes.

White Tea: when brewing white tea, the water should be heated to 180 degrees and leaves should be steeped for 5 to 8 minutes.

-the steeping times for these teas are just general estimations; it really depends on how strong you like your tea. Some people will steep a cup of tea for ten minutes, others for only one. It is really just preference.