In daily life, it is common to see tea drinkers repeatedly infusing a small amount of tea leaves, sometimes lasting an entire day. However, the number of infusions for tea leaves is important and should not be excessive.

The number of infusions for tea leaves should not be too many.

Tea leaves are generally not suitable for multiple infusions. According to relevant expert analysis, the release rates of various effective components in tea leaves differ. After the first infusion, amino acids and Vitamin C are most easily released, typically during the initial infusion; followed by Caffeine, polyphenols, and soluble sugars, which are mostly released within the first two infusions. It is evident that these nutrients are already dissolved in the tea liquor after the first two infusions. Moreover, the more times tea is infused, the lower the release rate of its soluble nutrients becomes.

For example, with green tea, around 50% of its soluble substances are released during the first infusion; approximately 30% are released during the second infusion; and only about 10% are released during the third infusion. Therefore, green tea is generally recommended for only three infusions. If infused more times, the flavor of the tea liquor will be similar to plain boiled water.

The number of infusions varies depending on the type of tea

Different types of tea have varying properties, compactness, and other differences, resulting in different optimal numbers of infusions.

Bagged red broken tea (a type of Black Tea) can be infused once.

Fine and tender green teas are usually recommended for 2 to 3 infusions.

Oolong tea is known for having “lingering fragrance after seven infusions” and can be continuously infused 5 to 9 times.

Common teas can be continuously infused 5 to 6 times.

White tea and Yellow Tea can generally be infused 2 to 3 times.

Aged teas, such as aged Pu'er tea, due to their slow release of soluble compounds, can be infused over 20 times.

The number of infusions also depends on the Steeping time

The steeping time depends on the amount of tea used. When using more tea, the steeping time should be shorter; when using less tea, the steeping time should be longer. The number of infusions also changes accordingly: if the steeping time is short, more infusions can be made; if the steeping time is long, the number of possible infusions decreases.