The time and number of steepings for Tea can vary greatly, depending on the type of tea, the water temperature, the amount of tea used, and drinking habits. It is not possible to make a blanket statement.

For example, when brewing common black or green teas in a Cup, about 3 grams of dry tea leaves are placed in the cup and steeped with 200 milliliters of boiling water. After covering it for 4-5 minutes, it is ready to drink. The downside of this method is that if the water temperature is too high, it can scald the tea (mainly referring to green tea); if the temperature is too low, it is difficult to extract the flavor; and because there is often more water than one can drink at once, the tea can become cold after prolonged steeping, affecting its color, aroma, and taste.

A better method is: after placing the tea leaves in the cup, first pour a small amount of hot water just enough to cover the tea leaves, let it sit covered for about 3 minutes, then add more hot water to fill the cup to around 70-80% fullness, which can be drunk while still hot. When there is about one-third of the tea left in the cup, add more hot water, ensuring a relatively uniform concentration throughout the steepings.

According to measurements, during the first steeping, about 50-55% of the soluble substances in the tea can be extracted; during the second steeping, about 30% can be extracted; during the third steeping, about 10% can be extracted; and by the fourth steeping, very little remains. Therefore, three steepings are generally considered ideal.

For finely granulated and well-rolled black and green broken teas, after steeping for 3-5 minutes with boiling water, most of their active ingredients are extracted and can be consumed in one go. Instant teas are also brewed using a single steeping method.

When tasting Oolong Tea, small purple clay Teapots are often used. With a larger amount of tea (about half the pot), the first steeping should take only 1 minute before decanting, the second steeping takes 1 minute and 15 seconds (15 seconds longer than the first steeping), the third steeping takes 1 minute and 40 seconds, and the fourth steeping takes 2 minutes and 15 seconds. That is, starting from the second steeping, the steeping time gradually increases to ensure a more even concentration between steepings.

The temperature of the water used and the amount of tea also affect the length of the steeping time. High water temperatures and large amounts of tea require shorter steeping times; lower water temperatures and smaller amounts of tea require longer steeping times. How long exactly? The steeping time should be judged based on the concentration of the tea liquor matching the drinker's taste preferences.

Research has shown that after the first steeping, the extraction rates of various active ingredients in green tea differ significantly. Amino acids, the most easily soluble component in tea, have an extraction rate of over 80% in the first steeping; caffeine follows, with nearly 70% extracted in the first steeping; the extraction rate of catechins is lower, around 45% in the first steeping; and the extraction rate of soluble sugars is even lower, typically less than 40%.

During the processing of black tea, the rolling degree is generally more thorough than that of green tea, especially for black broken tea, which has small particles and a high cell breakage rate, so the extraction rate in the first steeping is often much higher than that of green tea.

Currently, bagged tea is becoming increasingly popular both domestically and internationally. Bagged tea is convenient to drink and increases the extraction of active ingredients, enhancing the concentration of the tea liquor. According to comparisons, the extraction volume of bagged tea is about 20% higher than loose tea.