Brewing Your Tea
Simple guidelines to start with — then experiment to find your own perfect cup.
If a tea is new to you, start with our recommendations below, then adjust one variable at a time to discover what you like best. The key variables are:
- Amount of tea
- Amount of water
- Water temperature
- Steeping time
Tip: use clean, pure water (filtered if possible). Water with heavy minerals can add strong tastes to your tea.
Part I
Hot Brew
Oolong leaves come in many shapes — some tightly rolled, some loose — so we recommend measuring tea by weight.
(1) Normal brewing
Ratio: 3 grams of tea + 150 ml water, steep 5 minutes (or 0.1 oz tea + 2/3 cup water).
Easy to remember: 4 grams of tea + 1 cup hot water, steep 6 minutes. This extracts plenty of flavor in the first cup, but good leaves will give you a second, third or even more steepings — and you may like those even better.
(2) Gongfu-cha style brewing
Ratio (grams of tea : ml of water): medium brew 1 : 15–20 for oolong; light brew 1 : 20+ for green, white and black tea.
Multiple short steepings are the traditional — and best — way to enjoy oolong as the leaves slowly unfold. Bring water to a boil, pour it over the leaves, cover and steep:
- 1st steep: under 80 seconds
- 2nd steep: under 60 seconds
- Later steeps: add 30–60 seconds each time
You can usually enjoy 4–5 steepings before the tea weakens.
Recommended water temperature for each type of tea:
| Type of Tea | Water Temperature |
|---|---|
| TungTing oolong | 95 – 100°C (205 – 212°F) |
| High Mountain oolong | 85 – 95°C (185 – 205°F) |
| BaoZhong oolong | 80 – 90°C (176 – 194°F) |
| Oolong-style black tea | 95 – 100°C (205 – 212°F) |
| Oolong tea bags | 90 – 95°C (194 – 205°F) |
Warming rinse
A quick rinse before brewing used to be common in Taiwan, but opinions are now divided. Supporters say it relaxes rolled leaves and lets heat reach inside, like a warm-up before exercise, and washes away impurities. Others point out that aromatic compounds are lost with the rinse water. If you would like to try it:
- Pour just enough hot water over the dry leaves to cover them.
- Pour the liquid out right away (you can save it and add it back later).
- Cover the pot and wait about 30 seconds so the heat soaks into the leaves.
- Start brewing.
Part II
Cold Brew
Cold brew is very easy — it just takes a little longer.
Tea bags: 1 tea bag + 2½ cups (20 fl oz) cold water
Loose leaf: 3 grams (0.1 oz) tea + 2½ cups (20 fl oz) cold water
Put the tea in a large pitcher or jug, add the water, cover and refrigerate for 3–5 hours. For a stronger tea, steep 8 hours or overnight.
Don’t worry if you forget it in the fridge — the tea gets stronger, but it won’t turn bitter or astringent.
How to Order
Interested in one of our teas?
We do not take online checkout. Browse our teas and brewing tips here, then email us at info@taiwanteaconnection.com — we will be happy to take care of your order personally.