5
THE ART OF STEEPING TEA
Great care is taken to create a tea’s unique
character. Each type of tea should be
brewed at the right temperature to properly
savor and appreciate all the natural and
aromatic flavors and benefits. More
delicate teas risk burning at general
steeping temperatures and should be
steeped at a lower temperature to
optimize flavors. Below is a chart with
our suggested steeping temperatures
and times.
TYPES OF TEA
There are many types of teas, with the
most popular being black, oolong, green
and white. All teas come from the same
warm-weather evergreen plant: the
Camellia sinensis
, or tea plant. Tisane or
“herbal” teas can be a mixture of just about
anything: herbs, flowers, spices, seeds,
etc. There are also varieties of tea that are
real teas with spices or other flavorings
blended in. Earl Grey, for instance, is black
tea with bergamot peel or oil added.
TYPE
TEMPERATURE
STEEP TIME
Delicate Tea
160°F
1–2 min.
Green Tea
175°F
2–3 min.
White Tea
185°F
2–3 min.
Oolong Tea
190°F
3–4 min.
Herbal
200°F
4–5 min.
Black
212°F (full boil)
3–5 min.
TEA STEEPING CHART
