HOW TO STEEP

WESTERN STYLE (TEAPOT/TEA BAG) | GONG FU (GAIWAN/SMALL TEAPOT)


We’ve been working out the math on brewing the perfect cup of tea for over 20 years. The following instructions are the very basic guidelines that we begin with when tasting every new tea. You’ll find that the following brewing parameters (dose, time, temperature) are a great start, but are not the perfect formula for every individual tea. We provide more fine tuned parameters with each tea we sell, on the packaging and on their specific page online, for what we think will make the tastiest cup. However, since we understand all taste buds, water sources, and environments are different we do encourage you to play with your tea a little and lock in dosing that works for you and your complete enjoyment.

The only hard rule for brewing: Always use fresh and clean water for your premium tea preparations.

Notice: Our parameters also list weight in grams for dosing. Weight is the most accurate way to consistently brew. Any small kitchen scale will give you the desired dose you’d need.

WESTERN STYLE / TEAPOT BREWING

The teapot is a seemingly classic way to steep your leaves but it is almost entirely a Western method. Regardless of the technique's origin, it is a most popular and most efficient way to steep.

Make sure your teapot as a fine, deep mesh strainer. You’ll want plenty of space to allow for the loose leaves to unfurl and release all their flavors.

Always use clean, fresh water and a clean teapot.

  • WHITE TEA

    2 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (or 2.5 - 3 grams)
    175°F Water
    3-4 Minutes

    White tea is okay to steep for a bit longer to bring out more flavor if a normal brew is too light for you. Increase the flavor and body of the brew by increasing the leaf or the time, but never the temperature - never use boiling water on those delicate leaves.

  • GREEN TEA

    Chinese Green Tea

    1-3 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
    (2.5 - 3 grams)
    175°-185°F Water
    1-3 Minutes

    Japanese Green Tea

    1-2 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
    (2.5-3 grams)
    165°-175°F Water
    1-2 Minutes

  • Green Tea is very sensitive to being over steeped and can taste just awful if brewed improperly. We do not recommend exceeding any of the listed parameters for green teas. We very often find that people who have a major aversion to green teas have actually never had one after it’s been properly brewed.

  • OOLONG TEA

    Rolled / Twig Oolong

    1 Heaping Teaspoon of Leaf
    (2.5-3 grams)
    190°F Water
    1-4 Minutes

    Twisted Oolong

    2 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (2.5-3 grams)
    175°F Water
    1-3 Minutes

  • Rolled Oolongs tend to be very hearty and the time and temperature parameters can be pushed a little further than listed for heavier more flavorful brews.

    All forms of oolong are excellent for steeping multiple times. For multiple steeps begin with shorter times. 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can gradually increase the steep time. If you feel the flavors are all absent after a few steeps, be brave, go for a 10 minute steep. You’ll be surprised at how much flavor there is still contained within the leaves.

  • BLACK TEA

    1 Heaping Teaspoon of Leaf
    (2.5-3 grams)
    212°F Water
    4 Minutes
    (5 Minutes for Chai)

    Do not exceed the parameters for black teas unless you are planning on adding milk and sugar to counter act the bitterness of an over-steep. *Enjoy chai with milk and sugar!

  • PU-ERH

    1 Heaping Teaspoon of Leaf
    (2.5 - 3 grams)
    175°-212°F Water
    3 Minutes

    Pre-wash pu-erh with hot water for 10 seconds then dump the wash. Pu-erh is also great for multiple steeps. Begin with shorter times. 30 seconds to 1 minute. You can gradually increase the steep time.

  • HERBAL TISANES

    1-2 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (2.5 - 3 grams)
    212°F Water
    4 Minutes

    You can really play around with herbals as they do not follow all the same rules as tea that comes from the camellia sinensis plant. Most herbals are immune to being over steeped. Play around and have fun with them.

  • MATÉ

    1 Heaping Teaspoon of Leaf
    (2.5 - 3 grams)
    175°F Water
    2 Minutes

EASTERN STYLE / GONG FU BREWING

Gong Fu means ‘with patience and skill’ and represents a style of brewing that is ideal for premium teas - utilizing higher leaf doses and shorter steep times. Gong Fu style tea preparation can use any number of 2 to 4 ounce infuser styles including clay teapots, and our favorite, the gaiwan. The gaiwan requires a little practice but once you get the hang of it, it allows for all day steeping of a single dose of tea leaves (as do clay teapots). You are able to experience the different stages of a tea and taste the subtlety of one steep to the next.

  • Illustration of proper hand placement for a giawan.

  • You’ll want to be careful when first learning as the sides of the gaiwan get very hot. Your thumb and middle finger should be placed on the very lip of the bowl part of the gaiwan and your pointer should be on the handle of the lid - these will be the coolest parts of the infuser.

    The following parameters are good for gaiwans, clay teapots, and any other small (2-4 ounce) infusers.


    Begin with a short infusion, 20 seconds or so, then with each infusion increase the steep time by 10 - 15 seconds.

  • WHITE TEA

    6 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (5 grams)
    185°F Water

    OOLONG TEA
    Rolled/Twig
    3 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
    (5 grams)
    195°F Water
    Pre-wash*

    Twisted
    6 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (5 grams)
    185°F Water
    Pre-wash*

  • BLACK TEA
    3 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
    (5 grams)
    212°F water

    GREEN TEA

    6 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
    (4 grams)
    185°F water

    PU-ERH TEA

    3 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
    (6 grams)
    205°F Water
    Pre-wash*

  • *Pre-washing: A pre-wash is a very short, 10-20 second blast of hot water that aids in the opening of more hearty oolong and pu-erh leaves.

    For oolongs, you may drink the pre-wash. It will be a very delicate infusion with very subtle and aromatic flavors.

    Do not drink the pre-wash for pu-erhs. This will help subdue the earthy fermentation flavors of the tea.