The water temperature for brewing tea is categorized as tender, medium, and old. Water heated until just before boiling is called "tender soup"; when bubbles start rising from all sides, it is called "medium soup"; and finally, when it is rolling with waves, it is called "old soup". Brewing tea with "medium soup" (approximately 80-85 degrees Celsius) is best, as the tea leaves can unfurl and sink, and the leaves at the bottom are less likely to become overcooked.

If the water has already reached a rolling boil, wait for the boiling to stop and the water to become clear before brewing. When pouring, it is best to first add a small amount of boiling water to moisten the leaves, then brew after the leaves have expanded.

Generally speaking, high-grade tea is best brewed with medium soup water, while medium and lower-grade teas can be brewed directly with boiling water (old soup). Common black tea, oolong tea, pu-erh tea, scented tea, and ordinary green tea require a higher water temperature for brewing and can be steeped directly with boiling water (old soup) to rapidly extract the effective components from the tea.

Certain famous, very tender green teas, such as Longjing, Biluochun, Duyun Maojian, and Yuhua tea, should all be brewed with medium soup. This results in a bright, emerald-green liquor, a pure aroma, and a fresh, mellow, and sweet flavor, fully showcasing the characteristics of these premium teas.

If high-grade, famous teas are brewed with old soup (100°C) water, the leaves become "cooked," the liquor turns dark, the aroma becomes dull, and a "cooked soup" flavor appears, losing the distinctive style that delicate tea leaves should have. If you need to use old soup to brew high-grade tea, you can first pour the boiled water into a thermos, wait a few minutes for the temperature to drop slightly, and then use it.