Tea Brewing Guide Calculator
Get the water temperature, steeping time, and leaf weight for any tea.
Covers black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh, matcha, and herbal infusions.
How Tea Brewing Parameters Are Calculated
Brewing tea correctly is a balance of water temperature, steep time, and tea-to-water ratio. Deviating from optimal parameters leads to bitterness, flatness, or weak flavor.
Tea-to-Water Ratio:
There is no single divisor that works across the leaf, which is where most tea charts go wrong. A cup of white tea and a cup of pu-erh want very different weights for the same volume of water, so the amount is set per type rather than derived from one formula:
Tea (grams) = Cups × grams per cup for that tea
A cup here means 250 ml, except for matcha, which is whisked into about 100 ml.
Brewing Parameters by Tea Type:
| Tea Type | Water Temp | Steep Time | Amount per 250ml | Spoons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 75–80°C | 4–5 min | 2.5 g | 2 tsp |
| Green | 75–80°C | 2–3 min | 2.5 g | 1 tsp |
| Oolong | 85–95°C | 3–5 min | 3.5 g | 1½ tsp |
| Black | 95–100°C | 3–5 min | 2.5 g | 1 tsp |
| Pu-erh | 95–100°C | 3–5 min | 4.5 g | 1½ tsp |
| Herbal/Rooibos | 100°C | 5–7 min | 3 g | 1½ tsp |
| Matcha | 75–80°C | Whisk 30s | 2 g per 100ml | 1 tsp |
Look at the last two columns together. White tea takes 2 teaspoons to reach 2.5 grams while black takes 1, because white tea is unrolled leaf and buds and is mostly air. Pu-erh is the opposite, compressed and dense. This is why spoon measures for tea are so unreliable and why anyone serious weighs it.
Worked Example — Green Tea, two 250 ml cups:
- Temperature: 75–80°C (boil, then let the kettle stand 3 minutes off the heat)
- Amount: 5 g loose leaf, about 2 teaspoons
- Steep time: 2–3 minutes, then take the leaves out. Leaving them in is what makes the second half of the cup bitter.
Tannin and Bitterness: Tannins extract faster at higher temperatures. Green tea at 100°C becomes bitter in under 60 seconds. Temperature control is the single biggest quality factor.
Gongfu Style (multiple infusions): Use 5–8g per 100ml, steep for 20–45 seconds, repeat 4–10 times. Each infusion reveals different flavor layers. Popular for high-quality oolongs and pu-erh.
Water Quality: Soft water (low mineral content) is best for delicate greens and whites. Avoid distilled water — it tastes flat.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
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