How to Steep Tea

How long should I steep my tea?

This is a question that I get asked very often. Tea is really very simple to prepare. If you do not like your tea the first time you try it, try changing the way you steep it. If when you prepare it, you find that it is too strong or bitter, add more water, or better yet, next time, don't allow it to steep so long. If you find that the tea is too weak for your taste, try using more tea leaves the next time. You can experiment with different varieties of teas, sweeteners (such as honey or sugar), and temperatures - hot or iced. It's really all about your personal taste, so enjoy exploring to find what you like the best!

The following info will help you to prepare the best cup of tea possible:
1. Heat fresh, cold water (if available filtered water is best) to the appropriate temperature.
2. Add the loose tea leaves into your infuser (use approximately one full teaspoon of loose tea leaves per 6-8 oz. cup) and add water.
3. Infuse (steep) for the recommended amount of time or to suit your personal taste preference.


Type of Tea ~ Water Temp ~ Steep Time in Minutes

Green Tea~175°-180° (steaming)~1-3 minutes

White~175°-180°(steaming)~1-3

Oolong~180°-190°(steaming)~2-3

Black~208°-212°(boiling)~3-5

Pu-Erh~208°-212°(boiling)~3-5

Rooibos~208°-212° (boiling)~5-10

Herbal~208°-212°(boiling)~5-10

Red Tea

Although Rooibos or "red tea" is gaining in popularity--mostly through the ready-to-drink, bottled varieties, it is still relatively new to most people. Rooibos is actually an herb that grows in South Africa and not really "tea" at all. It is from the plant "Aspalathus linearis" (not Camellia sinensis, which is true tea) and produces fine, needle-like leaves.

Reasons to drink:

*naturally caffeine-free
*anti-spasmodic properties relieve stomach and digestive discomfort
*contains no additives, preservatives, or colors
*helps to relieve allergies
*promotes healthy skin, teeth, and bones
*contains antioxidants
*increases iron absorption
*contains essentials minerals, such as iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, fluoride, and manganese and
* it produces a gorgeous red cup with fantastic flavor! (good ones to try: Cape Town Chai, RubyMint Falls, and Lemon Grove Rooibos)

DIY: Decaffeinate Your Tea

Worried about your caffeine intake?

If you are, you don't have to limit yourself to only purchasing teas labeled as "Decaf". Any tea can be decaffeinated easily.

Here's how: Take any of your favorite loose teas and steep for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Then pour out the brewed tea, add more water, and steep again for the full recommended steep time for that particular tea.

Caffeine is very water-soluble and by pouring off the first brewed tea most (anywhere from 85-90%) of the caffeine is removed. An easy way to decaffeinate your favorite tea!

Iced Tea Maker

With the heat and humidity setting in here in the Midwest, it was time for me to purchase a new iced tea maker. Since I'm not a "fan of the fannings" of tea bags, my main criteria was to find an iced tea maker that allowed for using fresh loose leaf tea....the real, good stuff!

After researching different brands and reading many reviews on Amazon, I finally settled on the Hamilton Beach 40911 2-Quart Electric Iced Tea Maker. It arrived last week and I LOVE it! It has a more updated design to it than the typical iced tea maker, so you don't have to be embarrased to leave it out on your kitchen counter!


I love "sun tea", but don't really want to wait hours for my tea. This new iced tea maker makes fresh iced tea in about 10 minutes. You just add water, ice, and then fresh loose tea. The instructions recommending 3-4 teaspoons of loose tea for 2 quarts of tea, but I prefer to use a lot less tea and am finding that about 2 teaspoons is about right for my taste.

For anyone looking for a new iced tea maker, I give this one a big thumbs up!

Oolong Teas

In between the category of black and green teas, you will find Oolongs. And that is where the simplicity ends. Oolongs are a complex category of tea that range from "very oxidized" (sometimes known as dark oolongs) to jade oolongs which have very little oxidation. Normally you'll find oxidation levels anywhere from about 10-80%. The levels of oxidation determine flavor ranges from delicate, orchid-like flavor to dark, rich honey-like flavors.

Whereas green teas might take just a few hours to process and black teas could take up to a full day, oolongs can take over 36 hours to achieve partial oxidation. The leaves are first bruised, rolled, heated and then allowed to "rest" and cool in a repetitive process until just the right amount of oxidation is achieved.

Most oolongs come from either Taiwan or China and combined with the specific processing, as well as the climate and soil can create a wide array of aromas and complex flavors. Often with most oolongs you'll want to try multiple infusions. The first infusion will often lend itself to an initial flavor profile, but with a second or even third infusion you'll discover a new layer of flavor subtleties.

Have fun experimenting with this category of tea!