Tea Steeping Times and Temperatures by Type
A quick reference for brewing white, green, oolong, black, pu-erh and herbal teas, with leaf amounts, water temperatures and steep times.
Every major type of tea comes from the same plant, Camellia sinensis, yet each one asks for different water. The difference lies in processing. Delicate white and green teas are barely oxidized and scorch easily, oolongs sit in the middle, and fully oxidized black teas and aged pu-erh can stand up to boiling water. Herbal infusions are a separate group and follow their own rules.
Use this guide as a reference when you open an unfamiliar tea. It gives a starting temperature, steep time and leaf amount for Western-style brewing in a mug or teapot, with notes on how to adjust from there.
Key points
- Lighter, less oxidized teas want cooler water; darker, more oxidized teas want hotter water.
- For Western-style brewing, start with about 2 to 3 g of leaf per 250 ml (1 cup) of water.
- Adjust leaf amount for strength and steep time for bitterness; changing both at once makes it hard to learn the tea.
- Herbal teas generally take boiling water and longer steeps, often 5 minutes or more.
How to use these numbers
The figures below assume loose-leaf tea brewed in a mug, basket infuser or teapot, about 2 to 3 g of leaf per 250 ml. Large, fluffy leaves such as white tea or open-leaf oolong take more space for the same weight, so weighing is more reliable than spooning.
Treat the ranges as a first try. If the cup is weak, use more leaf next time. If it is bitter or dry, shorten the steep or cool the water. Package directions from the seller are worth reading, since they know their specific tea.
White and green teas
These teas see little or no oxidation, so they stay delicate and grassy, floral or sweet. Too much heat makes them bitter and flat.
- White tea (silver needle, white peony): 75 to 85°C (167 to 185°F), 3 to 5 minutes
- Japanese green tea (sencha): 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F), 1 to 2 minutes
- Chinese green tea (dragon well, bi luo chun): 75 to 85°C (167 to 185°F), 2 to 3 minutes
- Jasmine green tea: 75 to 80°C (167 to 176°F), 2 to 3 minutes
Oolong teas
Oolongs vary from lightly oxidized and floral to dark and roasted. Rolled oolongs unfurl slowly and do well with several infusions.
- Light, green oolong (tieguanyin, high-mountain): 85 to 95°C (185 to 203°F), 2 to 3 minutes
- Dark or roasted oolong (da hong pao, dong ding): 90 to 100°C (194 to 212°F), 3 to 4 minutes
Black and pu-erh teas
Fully oxidized black teas and fermented pu-erh handle the hottest water. Small broken leaf, like many breakfast blends and tea bags, steeps fast; whole leaf takes longer.
- Breakfast blends, Assam, Ceylon: 95 to 100°C (203 to 212°F), 3 to 5 minutes
- Darjeeling (first flush): 85 to 95°C (185 to 203°F), 2 to 3 minutes
- Earl Grey: 95 to 100°C (203 to 212°F), 3 to 4 minutes
- Ripe (shou) pu-erh: 95 to 100°C (203 to 212°F), 2 to 4 minutes after a quick rinse
- Raw (sheng) pu-erh: 85 to 95°C (185 to 203°F), 1 to 3 minutes after a quick rinse
Herbal and other infusions
Herbal teas, or tisanes, are made from flowers, roots, leaves and seeds of other plants. Most contain no tea leaf and need fully boiling water and longer steeps to draw out flavor. Many will not turn bitter with time, so steep to taste.
- Peppermint, chamomile, lemon verbena: 100°C (212°F), 5 to 7 minutes
- Rooibos and honeybush: 100°C (212°F), 5 to 7 minutes or longer
- Hibiscus: 100°C (212°F), 5 to 10 minutes
- Fresh ginger slices: simmer 10 to 15 minutes
- Yerba mate (in a cup or infuser): 70 to 80°C (158 to 176°F), 3 to 5 minutes
Adjusting for milk, iced tea and multiple infusions
Black tea served with milk usually needs a stronger brew: use the longer end of the time range or a little extra leaf so the flavor carries through.
For hot-brewed iced tea, double the leaf and pour over ice, or brew at normal strength and chill. Whole-leaf oolong, green and pu-erh can be infused two to four times; extend each steep by 30 seconds to a minute as the leaves open.
Common questions
- Why does the same tea taste different every time?
- Small changes in leaf amount, water temperature and steep time add up. Weighing the leaf and using a timer for a few sessions makes results much more consistent.
- Do tea bags need different timing?
- Bagged tea is usually finely broken, so it extracts faster than whole leaf. Start at the short end of the range and taste; squeezing the bag releases extra bitterness.
- Can I leave herbal tea steeping indefinitely?
- Many herbal infusions tolerate long steeps, but some, like strong ginger or hibiscus, become very intense. Remove the herbs once the flavor tastes right to you.
About this page
Written and reviewed by the MyDrinkAI editorial team. Last reviewed . This is general educational guidance, not professional or medical advice.