Your Guide to Brewing Delicious Loose Leaf Tea

There's a moment, just after hot water meets the leaves, when a tea begins to tell you what it is. The leaves loosen and unfurl, the liquor deepens in color, and the aroma rises out of the pot. A tea bag rarely gives you that moment. Loose leaf tea gives it to you every time, and with a little care it rewards you with a far better cup.

This guide covers the essentials: the right water temperature and steeping time for each kind of tea, the few pieces of tea ware worth owning, and how to brew Darjeeling, the tea closest to our hearts.

A quick guide to water temperature and steeping time

For every tea below, start with 3 grams of leaf for an 8–12 oz cup. Then match your water and timing to the type of tea:

These are starting points, not rules. Every tea is a little different, so please check the brewing instructions on each tea's page for its specific temperature and steeping time. These guidelines are for brewing in a teapot or a single cup; if you brew gong fu style, you'll find instructions on individual teas.

Once you have a baseline, let your own palate take over. Steep a little longer for a bolder cup, a little shorter for a lighter one. Going too long or too hot is what usually turns a tea bitter, so a timer and a thermometer (more on those below) are your best friends while you learn.

Why loose leaf?

The quality of a tea is right there in the loose leaf. You can see whether the leaves are whole, smell them before you brew, and watch them open in the water. Tea bags, by contrast, usually hold broken leaves and dust, cramped into a space too small to expand. Whole leaves given room to unfurl make a richer, more layered cup.

Loose leaf also puts you in charge. You decide how much leaf to use and how long to steep, and you can experiment with blends of your own, as some of our customers do. And then there's the ritual itself: measuring the leaves, waiting on the kettle, watching the color change. It's a few minutes of gentle attention in a busy day, and that may be the best part.

The main types of tea

Black, green, white, oolong, and pu-erh all come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. What sets them apart is how the leaves are processed, especially how much they're allowed to oxidize.

• Black tea is fully oxidized, giving it a dark color and a strong, full-bodied flavor. It's the most popular tea in the world.
• Green tea is heated soon after picking to stop oxidation, which keeps it fresh, vegetal, and bright.
• White tea is the least processed of all and has the mildest, most delicate flavor.
• Oolong tea is partially oxidized, so it spans a wide spectrum, from light and floral to dark and roasty.
• Pu-erh tea is fermented and aged. Raw (sheng) pu-erh is lighter in body, while ripe (shou) pu-erh is deep and earthy. Brew ripe pu-erh with near-boiling water and raw pu-erh around 185°F, for 2–5 minutes.
• Herbal tea isn't technically tea at all, but a blend of herbs, flowers, roots, or fruit. Herbals are naturally caffeine-free, which makes them a favorite with many of our customers.

Tea ware worth having

You don't need much to brew well, but a few simple tools make a real difference:

• A teapot with a strainer. Glass or ceramic holds heat well, and a built-in strainer keeps stray leaves out of your cup.
• An infuser for single cups. Perfect when you're brewing just for yourself. Fill it, steep, and lift it out when the tea is ready.
• A thermometer or a temperature-control kettle. Since each type of tea likes different water, knowing your temperature matters. A variable-temperature kettle costs more but is a great convenience if you drink a variety of teas.
• A timer. The simplest way to avoid a bitter, over-steeped cup.
• Good teacups. Choose ones that can handle heat. Handle-less cups are lovely for teas brewed at lower temperatures, like greens and whites.

How to brew Darjeeling

Darjeeling is often called the "champagne of teas," and how you brew it depends a great deal on when it was picked.

First flush Darjeeling is plucked in spring and has a distinctly greenish look. Its flavors are earthy, peachy, floral, and grassy, sometimes brisk. It's far more delicate than a typical black tea, so treat it gently: about three minutes at 176–185°F. Sometimes some first flush draws better flavors when steeped in warmer temps. Give it a try! 

Second flush Darjeeling is picked in early summer and is closer to a classic black tea, known for its prized muscatel character. It can take hotter water: about three minutes at 195°F.

A few more tips for a great cup:

• Start with fresh, filtered water. Tea is mostly water, and it shows.
• Measure your leaf and water. About 3 grams of tea for an 8–12 oz cup keeps the strength consistent from cup to cup.
• Adjust to taste. Nudge the temperature or time up slightly for a stronger cup, or down for a lighter one.
• Go easy on milk and sugar. A second flush can take a splash of milk, but Darjeeling's subtle flavors are easily overpowered.

Brewing good tea is less about precision than attention. Get the water right, give the leaves the time they need, and then taste what's in your cup. Do that a few times, and you'll find each tea starts to tell you how it likes to be made.