The number of times different types of Tea can be steeped varies. In daily life, one often finds that very delicate and high-grade teas are not particularly resilient to steeping and usually lose their flavor after just 2 infusions. Common black and green teas can typically withstand 3 to 4 steepings. The resilience of tea to steeping is indeed related to the tenderness of the leaves, but more importantly, it depends on the integrity of the tea after processing.

How Many Times Can You Steep a Cup of Tea?

In daily Tea drinking, we often find that very delicate and high-grade teas lose their flavor after being steeped 1 to 2 times, whereas common bulk black teas and green teas can be steeped 3 to 4 times. The resilience of tea to steeping mainly depends on two factors – the total soluble content and the degree of cell disruption during processing. Generally, teas with moderate tenderness (about one bud and two leaves) have a higher total soluble content, which provides the material foundation for being resilient to steeping. The method of Tea processing has a significant impact on its resilience to steeping. If the tea leaves are cut into smaller pieces during initial processing, the tea juice is more easily extracted, resulting in a higher concentration in the tea liquor but less resilience to steeping. Conversely, if the cell disruption rate is lower during initial processing, the tea juice will be released more slowly, making the tea more resilient to steeping.

Regardless of the type of tea, the first steeping extracts about 50% to 55% of the total soluble content; the second steeping generally extracts around 30%; the third steeping extracts approximately 10%; and the fourth steeping only extracts 1% to 3%. Therefore, from the perspective of the nutritional components of tea, after 2 to 3 steepings, most of the effective components have been extracted, and further steeping does not offer much benefit. From the perspective of aroma and taste, the first steeping is rich in aroma and fresh in taste; the second steeping is rich and mellow in taste, but the freshness of the aroma is somewhat diminished; the third steeping is light in both aroma and taste; and if steeped again, there is hardly any tea flavor left. Some scholars believe that multiple steepings can gradually release harmful substances (such as some residual pesticides) that are difficult to dissolve in water, which can be harmful to human health.

It can be concluded that, generally speaking, common black teas, green teas, and flower teas are best steeped three times. Oolong teas, due to their large leaf quantity and coarser texture, can be steeped more times. Bagged teas made from red broken tea, because the tea leaves are finely crushed and the tea juice is easily extracted, are typically suitable for a single steeping. It is not advisable to steep a cup of tea from morning until night, turning it into plain water and continuously adding hot water. My father used to make this mistake, not changing the tea all day and using too much tea at once, resulting in a brew that was too strong and bitter. Looking back, it was quite a basic mistake.