Tea Steeping

  1. Kyle's Converter >
  2. Calculators >
  3. Foodie >
  4. Tea Steeping

Tea Steeping Calculation:

  •  t =

    Type of tea being steeped. Tea type controls the brew temperature, brew length, and amount of leaves. Brew precision will be heavily depended on tea quality and personal preference

  •  V =

    Liquid volume of tea that will be brewed. Units specified below.

  • vu =

    Units used to measure the brew volume

  •  s =

    Brew strength alters the suggest brew times according to preferece

  • dg =

    Measuring units for water temperature

  • ta =

    Amount of tea leaves to use in brewing calculated in half-teaspoons

  • tp =

    Temperature of water to use in brewing

  • tt =

    Suggested number of minutes to steep the tea

  •

    Choose the number of decimals to show in your answer. This is also known as significant figures. Select an appropriate amount of significant figures based on the precision of the input numbers.

Please share if you found this tool useful:

Tea Steeping Formula

While there is no set formula for steeping tea the steeping temperature and time are major controls on the taste of the brew. The wrong temperature and brewing time can lead to brews that are not well extracted and often taste more bitter than they should.

The temperature, steep times, and tea amounts suggested here are only a starting point for your perfect cup of tea. The quality of tea used, brewing equipment, and personal preference are some of the factors that will change how you make the perfect brew.

Perfect Brew = Right Tea + Right Temperature + Right Timing

Tea Steeping Guide
Suggested Steeping Times and Temperatures

Tea Steeping Variables

These are some of the considerations used in the calculator to help you steep your perfect tea. Alter these variables to dial in the brew to your tastes.

Tea Type (t)
Type of tea leaf that will be used in the brew. Choose from black, green, white, oolong, pu-erh, rooibos, or herbal. Within these tea types many different variations in tea and quality exist so you will want to fine tune your brew to your own tastes.
Brew Volume (V)
Amount of liquid used when steeping the tea. The number of teaspoons of tea to use will be suggested based on the brew volume. Units are changable between ounces (fluid US) and mililitres.
Volume Units (vu)
Specify your preference for volume units. US Customary or metric.
Strength (s)
Specify your preference for brew strength. This will increase or decrease the suggested brewing time to the upper or lower end of the suggest range.
Temperature Units (dg)
Specify your preference for temperature units. Units are changeable between Fahrenheit or Celsius.
Teaspoons of Tea (ta)
Amount of tea to use while steeping measured in teaspoons. Calculated in half-teaspoon intervals. Depending on your type of tea and preference you may wish to change this amount after some experimentation. The density, weight per teaspoon, of different teas can be highly variable, therefore using teaspoons is simpler than measuring tea in grams.
Steep Temperature (tp)
Temperature of water to use for steeping the tea based on type. Suggested temperatures are given in five degree intervals since brewing can often be done across a range of temperature and brewing equipment does not often allow exact measurement. Some more delicate teas may require cooler water. Using water that is too hot can result in a bitter brew.
Steep Minutes (tt)
Number of minutes to steep the tea before removing the leaves. Given in half-minute intervals. A suggested range of different steep times are available for each type depending on your brew strength preference.

Tea Steeping Guide

How-to brew the perfect cup tea using oolong as an example. These steps will be very similar for most types of tea. Some variables, like steep temperature and time, will be altered depending on the type of tea.

  • Heating your water
  • Start with fresh cold water in your kettle. For oolong heat your water to about 195°F or 90°C. Consult the calculator for the temperature to use with other tea types. Water that has been sitting too long or boiled already or boiled too long may have lost some of its dissolved gasses and the resulting brew will taste flat.
  • Measure tea leaves
  • Place about one teaspoon of tea leaves for 6 - 8 ounces of water (or about 200 mililitres) in a brew basket, pouch, or tea pot.
  • Pour water
  • As soon as the water reaches the desired temperature pour the water directly over the leaves. If using a pot heat it first with some of the water, discard the cooled water before continuing with the brew.
  • Timing
  • Steep your oolong tea for 3 - 5 minutes depending on your taste preference. The tea flavor will develop after the color so it's best to track steeping progress by time not appearance.
  • Remove leaves
  • Pour your tea into a cup or remove leaves to prevent over extraction. Over extracted tea will taste bitter and not as pleasant.
  • Finish and enjoy
  • Add sugar or milk to taste and enjoy.
  • 1 Enjoyable cup of oolong tea!

Oolong is a very enjoyable semi-oxidized tea. Enjoy 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in 6 - 8 ounces 195°F water steeped for about 3 - 5 minutes. Use the calculator to find a starting point for your perfect cup of steeped tea.

Find other volumes

Volume converters

Tea Steeping Guide