What this calculator does
Tea type determines both temperature and time, and the range is wide. White tea wants about 78°C for 1 to 3 minutes; black tea wants 97°C for 3 to 5; herbal infusions want fully boiling water for 5 to 7.
Temperature is the variable that matters most and the one most often ignored. Green tea brewed with boiling water turns bitter quickly, because the higher temperature extracts tannins far faster than it extracts the compounds you want. Letting the kettle stand a couple of minutes after boiling is usually enough to fix it.
The formula
The tea type sets the water temperature and the steep time range from standard brewing guidance. The leaf quantity is the number of cups multiplied by the grams per cup, and the water needed uses 240 ml per cup. Times are ranges rather than single figures because personal preference and leaf grade both shift the ideal.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Steep time | How long the leaves stay in the water. Longer extracts more tannin and more bitterness. |
| Water temperature | The dominant variable. Delicate teas need well below boiling; robust ones want it near. |
| Grams per cup | Around 2 to 3 g of loose leaf per cup is typical, with lighter teas often used more generously. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Tea type | The tea type, which sets both the temperature and the steep time. |
| Cups to brew | Number of cups being brewed. |
| Tea leaves per cup (g) | Grams of leaf per cup. 2.5 g is a reasonable default for most types. |
When to use it
Brewing an unfamiliar tea
Green and white teas in particular go wrong with boiling water, and knowing the temperature before brewing avoids wasting good leaf.
Scaling for a pot
Leaf quantity scales with cups, and the water figure confirms the pot is large enough.
Diagnosing bitter tea
Bitterness usually means the water was too hot or the steep too long, and both are addressed by the same guidance.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
What temperature and time does each tea need?
Five tea types brewed at the same quantity.
| Tea type | Water temperature | Steep time | Tea leaves needed | Water needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78°C / 172°F | 1 to 3 minutes | 10.0 g | 960 ml |
| Green | 80°C / 176°F | 2 to 3 minutes | 10.0 g | 960 ml |
| Oolong | 90°C / 194°F | 3 to 5 minutes | 10.0 g | 960 ml |
| Black | 97°C / 207°F | 3 to 5 minutes | 10.0 g | 960 ml |
| Herbal / tisane | 100°C / 212°F | 5 to 7 minutes | 10.0 g | 960 ml |
Questions
Why should green tea not be brewed with boiling water?
Because it extracts tannins much faster at high temperature, giving bitterness and astringency that mask the tea itself. Around 80°C is the usual recommendation, which a kettle reaches a couple of minutes after boiling, or immediately if you add a splash of cold water.
How much tea per cup?
About 2 to 3 g of loose leaf per 240 ml cup, with 2.5 g a reasonable default. Large-leaf teas take up more volume for the same weight, which is why weighing is more consistent than measuring by spoon.
What happens if I steep too long?
Bitterness and astringency, from continued tannin extraction after the desirable compounds have already come out. Removing the leaves at the end of the steep matters: leaving them in the pot keeps extracting, which is why the second cup from an unstrained pot tastes worse.
Can I re-steep the leaves?
Yes, particularly oolong and pu-erh, which are traditionally steeped many times with each infusion tasting different. Later steeps generally need slightly longer to compensate for what has already been extracted. Black tea and most herbals give little on a second steep.
For another time-and-temperature problem in the kitchen, see the egg boiling calculator. For getting drinks cold rather than hot, see the drink chilling calculator.