At what temperature to brew different teas?

For the Japanese, it's a ceremony backed by centuries of tradition. Gourmets of hot beverages, on the other hand, treat tea brewing in terms of a true art. One of the reasons why preparing aromatic infusions based on camellia leaves is considered a challenge is the need to choose the right temperature for the type and species of a particular tea. Today, we share this secret knowledge with you and touch on the optimal brewing temperature for different teas.

Why is the temperature of water for brewing tea so important?

In short: the wrong brewing temperature can destroy the taste, aroma and properties of even the most expensive and refined dried tea. Actually, the more delicate and refined the tea, the more attention we should pay to the temperature of the water we pour over it. By the way, this is not only a matter of our sensory experience. Too hot water also weakens some of tea's health- and beauty-saving components, such as antioxidants.

And while it's good to stick to the general rules in this regard, it's also worth remembering that tea making should make it fun for us above all. So we encourage you to experiment with the temperature of the water within a certain framework, and in this way look for flavor and aroma compositions that are interesting to you. After all, each brewing opens up a whole new tea story.

High brewing temperature for black tea, red tea and dried Rooibos

Black tea is quite resistant to high temperatures. All its varieties, including, for example. Darjeeling, should be brewed in water with a temperature of 95-96°C. This is almost boiling water, water that has just been boiled, but is already uncooked. Similar conditions also correspond to red tea, called Pu-erh, as well as an infusion of red bush (Rooibos) or honeysuckle (Honeybush).

Water temperature for green tea

Green tea is perhaps the one most demanding in terms of choosing the right water temperature. This is due to its subtle flavor, as well as the fact that it is extremely rich in rejuvenating and anti-cancer polyphenols. It is also not insignificant that there are a whole bunch of green tea varieties. Almost every one of them has its own requirements for the brewing method. The general rule is that the higher the quality of the dried green tea, the lower the temperature at which the tea should be brewed. The range is considerable - the most delicate dries are poured already with water
60°C, the upper limit is 85°C.

Let's look at the brewing temperatures of Japanese tea. Its most popular varieties are Sencha and Bancha

• Sencha

It is a delicate green tea. For its brewing, use water with a temperature of 65-80°C. Interestingly, in successive brewings we can gradually increase the water temperature (e.g. in the 1st brewing - 70°C, in the 2nd - 80°C, in the 3rd - 85°C).

• Bancha

This is by far the most common green tea found in stores. It comes from the same bushes as sencha leaves, but from a much later harvest. The brewing temperature for this tea is usually
75-85°C.

Brewing white tea

Despite its subtle flavor, white tea is not very demanding when it comes to brewing method. The water temperature for brewing white tea should oscillate between 80°C and 95%. The latter is almost boiling water. So it is enough to wait from 2 to 5 minutes after the water boils and you can already pour the leaves with confidence. White tea is brewed for about 2-5 minutes.

How to brew Oolong tea?

Here, too, you should aim for a fairly high temperature, as high as 85-90°C. Like white tea, Oolong, also known as turquoise tea, should be poured at almost boiling water.

How to measure the temperature of water?

There are several ways to do this. The most obvious one involves using a special thermometer. Nowadays, both mercury-free glass ones and electronic ones are available on the market. You can also meet teapots with a built-in thermometer.

However, what if we do not have such gadgets? How do we know then that temperature of water for brewing tea Is it exactly what we want? This is where two popular ways come to our aid.

1. Allowing the water to cool. The idea is that the temperature of the liquid decreases by a few degrees for each additional minute.
   A liter of water cools at the following rate:
   • 2 minutes - 90°C
   • 4 minutes - 85°C
   • 6 minutes - 80°C
   • 8 minutes - 75°C
   • 9 minutes - 70°C
2. Transferring water from pot to pot

It is safe to assume that each transfer of water to a new vessel results in a heat loss of 4-5°C.

Why does the brewing temperature of tea matter so much?

Temperature significantly affects the taste, aroma and health-promoting properties of the brew. Each type, species or variety of tea has slightly different requirements in this regard.

The most common questions

What should be the brewing temperature of black tea?

All varieties of black tea, as well as red tea and Rooibos, can be poured almost boiling water.

What is the ideal water temperature for green tea?

It all depends on the variety of tea, the optimal temperature ranges from 60°C to 85°C.

How to check the temperature of the water for brewing tea?

For this you can use special thermometers or wait long enough or pour water from pot to pot.