Different tea categories, especially due to their production processes, fermentation levels, and the tea leaves' tenderness, require slightly different brewing and drinking methods. To savor the best flavors and reap health benefits, it's crucial to understand the brewing techniques for these teas, ensuring a healthy brew.

Green tea—Drink immediately after brewing. The health benefits of green tea, such as antioxidant properties, free radical removal, anti-aging, and antiviral effects, primarily come from its polyphenols. If brewed at too high a temperature or for too long, these polyphenols are destroyed, turning the tea yellow and causing its aromatic compounds to evaporate. Generally, green tea should be brewed at 80°C, just as the water starts boiling. The brewing time should be 2–3 minutes, and it's best consumed fresh. The ideal tea-to-water ratio is 1:50, typically 3 grams of tea leaves to 150 ml of water, resulting in a balanced brew. Yellow tea and white tea follow similar brewing methods.

Black tea—Longer brewing for better health. Due to its fermentation level, black tea benefits from high-temperature brewing, which promotes the release of healthful flavonoids, enhancing both flavor and aroma while maximizing its health benefits. Thus, black tea is best brewed with boiling water for a longer duration, ideally 5 minutes. The water-to-tea ratio is similar to green tea. Gongfu black tea can be brewed 3–4 times, while broken black tea is best brewed 1–2 times.

Oolong tea—Use more leaves. Oolong tea should also be brewed with boiling water. The recommended amount is 10 grams, filling about half of a small teapot. Oolong tea can be brewed 5–6 times, with steeping times gradually increasing from 2 to 5 minutes.

Dark tea—Focus on rinsing. Dark tea is a post-fermented tea with coarser leaves. Its characteristic "improves with age" requires intense boiling to fully extract its compounds. Loose dark tea infuses quickly, while compressed brick tea needs to be boiled. For the first brew, rinse the tea quickly for 10 seconds: add boiling water, discard it immediately, then refill with fresh boiling water and cover. This removes impurities and enhances flavor. Subsequent brews should steep for about 5 minutes.