Normally, when we drink tea, we do so at our leisure, not caring whether different types of tea require water of different temperatures or how much tea to put in.

If you want a better tea drinking experience, these issues cannot be ignored. Different water temperatures and different amounts of tea can greatly affect the taste of the tea.

1. Water Temperature

When boiling water for tea, use a strong fire to bring it to a rapid boil; do not use a slow fire to simmer the water. Water that has just boiled is ideal for brewing tea, producing a fragrant and tasty Brew.

If the water boils for too long, as the ancients called it, “old water.” At this point, the carbon dioxide dissolved in the water has mostly evaporated, and the freshness and briskness of the tea are significantly reduced.

In general, the water temperature used for brewing tea is positively related to the solubility of effective substances from the tea leaves in the water. The higher the water temperature, the greater the solubility and the stronger the tea soup; conversely, the lower the water temperature, the smaller the solubility and the lighter the tea soup. Generally, the amount of extract obtained from water at 60°C is only 45-65% of that obtained from boiling water at 100°C.

The control of water temperature for brewing tea also depends on the type of tea being brewed.

For high-grade green teas, especially various tender and delicate green teas (famous green teas), boiling water at 100°C should not be used for brewing. A temperature around 85°C is generally more suitable. The finer and greener the tea leaves, the lower the water temperature should be, resulting in a tea soup that is bright and tenderly green with a fresh and delicious taste.

For brewing various flower teas, black teas, and medium to low-grade green teas, boiling water at 100°C should be used. If the water temperature is low, the permeability will be poor, and fewer effective components will be extracted, making the tea taste weak and insipid.

For brewing Oolong tea and Pu'er tea, a relatively large amount of tea is used each time, and the tea leaves are older, so boiling water at 100°C must be used.

2. Amount of Tea Used

Many people who are new to brewing tea often ask one question – “How much tea should I use?”

Although experience will naturally lead to an understanding over time, adhering to a problem-solving attitude, we will still provide a basic explanation about the knowledge of the amount of tea used.

There is a commonly used ratio of tea to water which is 1:50, meaning 1 gram of tea for 50 milliliters of water (except for Oolong Tea and compressed tea, where a ratio of approximately 1:30 is used).

This can help you estimate how much dry tea to use. For example, if your pot holds 400 milliliters of water, then adding about 8 grams of tea would be appropriate.

However, it is usually difficult to estimate the volume of the container and the weight of the tea. Without specific guidelines, you might try using a volume-based method to calculate the amount of tea to use.

Below, we will use the common tea brewing tool, the purple clay pot, as an example.

Green Tea

In general, green tea is recognized as the freshest of all tea categories, and after rolling, its soluble substances come out quickly.

When brewing with a purple clay pot, you should use enough tea to just cover the bottom of the pot.

Remember two points: first, do not cover the lid, as it will spoil the tea soup. Second, do not use water that is too hot, as it will make the tea soup bitter and astringent, but it cannot be too low either.

Otherwise, the aroma of the tea will not be fully released. Generally, 85°C water is used, but adjustments may be made based on actual conditions.

Black Tea

The amount of black tea used is similar to that of green tea, covering the bottom of the pot, but slightly more than with green tea.

Black tea is divided into large-leaf and small-leaf varieties. Keemun black tea is a small-leaf variety, while Yunnan black tea is a large-leaf variety. Large-leaf varieties have larger leaves and occupy more volume.

Therefore, more tea should be used when brewing large-leaf black tea compared to small-leaf black tea.

Those who often drink foreign black teas often drink broken black tea. Due to the rapid release of soluble substances in broken black tea and the lack of concern for its Steeping durability, the amount of tea used should be reduced by nearly half.

Oolong Tea

The types and categories of oolong tea are very diverse, but they can be roughly divided into strip-shaped and ball-shaped.

The amount of strip-shaped oolong tea used is about 1/6 to 1/5 of the capacity of the purple clay pot, while the amount of ball-shaped oolong tea should just cover most of the bottom of the purple clay pot.

This semi-fermented tea has its aroma and flavor strongly stimulated by hot water.

Especially for high-mountain oolong tea, boiling water must be used for brewing. Using lukewarm water is almost a waste, so remember this.

Compressed Tea

The amount of compressed tea used is about 1/6 of the capacity of the purple clay pot. Some compressed teas are tightly packed, with a “higher density,” so the amount of tea used can be appropriately reduced for adjustment.

There is also something to note here – there is a saying that compressed teas “under three years old should be brewed with the lid off, and those over three years old should be brewed with the lid on.”

The reason is that younger compressed teas have a lower degree of fermentation, and covering them with a lid can spoil the tea soup like green tea. However, compressed teas over three years old do not have this issue due to their subsequent self-fermentation.

Amount of Tea Used for Other Brewing Methods

In addition to the common methods of brewing tea, some unconventional brewing methods also have their own considerations regarding the amount of tea used.