Tea Brewing Calculator
Get the ideal water temperature, steeping time, and tea amount for any tea you are brewing. Pick your tea type, enter the volume you are making, choose your preferred strength, and select the brewing round - the calculator handles the rest and shows you exactly how many grams or teaspoons of leaf to use. Supports 13 tea types from classic black to gongfu pu-erh and cold brew.
Why temperature matters more than steep time
Water temperature is the single biggest lever in tea brewing. Heat drives extraction: it determines which compounds dissolve and how quickly. The most sensitive teas are delicate green and matcha types, which contain catechins and amino acids (especially L-theanine and EGCG) that break down or become bitter when water is too hot. At 80 °C or above, the amino acids responsible for the sweet, umami character of Japanese sencha and gyokuro degrade rapidly, and tannins extract faster, turning the cup astringent and harsh. By dropping to 70-75 °C you get a sweeter, smoother result with the same leaf. Black teas and herbal tisanes, on the other hand, need near-boiling water to fully release their robust flavor compounds. Oolongs and white teas sit in the middle, where temperature selection lets you tilt the cup toward floral brightness or toward fuller body. This calculator gives you the midpoint of the expert-recommended range for each tea type, which is the safest starting point.
How the leaf amount is calculated
The industry standard for western-style brewing is roughly 2-3 grams of loose leaf per 237 ml (8 fl oz) of water, though this varies significantly by tea type. Pu-erh and oolong are often brewed gongfu style with 5-7 g in a small 100-150 ml gaiwan, while matcha uses only 1-2 g of finely ground powder per bowl. The calculator starts from a per-cup baseline for each tea type, scales it linearly to your target volume, then applies a strength multiplier: 0.75x for a lighter cup, 1.25x for a stronger one. The teaspoon conversion uses an approximate density factor because leaf density varies widely - tightly rolled oolongs or compressed pu-erh cakes are much denser per teaspoon than airy white peony or chamomile flowers. When in doubt, weigh your tea with a kitchen scale.
Re-steeping: getting multiple cups from one serving of leaves
Quality loose leaf tea can usually be infused more than once. The key is that subsequent steeps need more time to compensate for reduced extraction: a leaf that needed 2 minutes the first time may need 2.5-3 minutes the second time and 3-4 minutes the third. Some gongfu-style teas (light oolongs, raw pu-erh) are specifically designed for 6-10 short infusions, where each steep reveals a different phase of the leaf's flavor. Herbal tisanes, matcha, and cold brew are single-use preparations - they either fully extract in one infusion or the leaf breaks down in a way that prevents a good second cup. The calculator shows the maximum recommended re-steeps for your selected tea type and adjusts the steep time range accordingly when you change the brewing round input.
Cold brew tea: a different extraction method
Cold brewing replaces heat with time. At refrigerator temperature (4-10 °C), the extraction is slow and selective: cold water pulls out sweetness and some caffeine but far fewer tannins, which is why cold brew tea tastes smooth and light compared to a hot brew of the same leaf. The trade-off is time - you need 6-12 hours in the refrigerator. Any tea can be cold brewed, but green teas (especially Japanese varieties), white teas, and lightly oxidized oolongs produce particularly clean, refreshing cold brews. Use about twice as much leaf as you would for a hot cup to compensate for the slower, less thorough extraction. Cold brew tea can be kept refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
Tea brewing reference: temperature, time, and ratio by type
| Tea type | Water temp | Steep time | Leaf per 237 ml | Caffeine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black tea | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 3-5 min | 2.5 g | High |
| Green - Chinese | 75-85 °C / 167-185 °F | 1.5-3 min | 2 g | Medium |
| Green - Japanese | 70-80 °C / 158-176 °F | 1-2 min | 2 g | Medium |
| White tea | 80-85 °C / 176-185 °F | 3-5 min | 3 g | Low |
| Oolong - light | 80-90 °C / 176-194 °F | 1-3 min | 3.5 g | Medium |
| Oolong - dark | 90-95 °C / 194-203 °F | 2-4 min | 3.5 g | Medium |
| Pu-erh - raw | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 15-40 sec | 6 g | High |
| Pu-erh - ripe | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 10-30 sec | 6 g | High |
| Herbal tisane | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 5-10 min | 2.5 g | None |
| Matcha | 70-80 °C / 158-176 °F | 15-30 sec whisk | 1.5 g powder | Very high |
| Rooibos | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 5-10 min | 2.5 g | None |
| Chai blend | 95-100 °C / 203-212 °F | 5-10 min | 3 g | High |
| Cold brew | 4-10 °C / 39-50 °F | 6-12 hours | 5 g per 237 ml | Medium |
Values reflect the midpoint of typical western-style brewing ranges. Gongfu style uses a higher leaf ratio and shorter infusions.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I steep tea for too long?
Over-steeping extracts excess tannins and other bitter compounds from the leaf. The result depends on the tea: black tea becomes harsh and astringent; green tea turns grassy and unpleasant; white tea can handle longer steeping and stays relatively forgiving. Pu-erh brewed gongfu style is the most tolerant because the infusions are so short that even a slight overshoot does not cause much damage. If your tea is consistently too bitter, shorten the steep time by 30 seconds before adjusting anything else.
How do I get water to exactly the right temperature without a thermometer?
A few practical methods work well. For 80 °C, bring water to a full boil and let it cool for 3-4 minutes in a kettle or pour it into a cold mug first. For 70 °C, cool for about 6-8 minutes or mix one part cold water with three parts boiling water. Variable-temperature electric kettles are the simplest solution if you brew daily and are worth the investment. For herbal and black teas that call for 95-100 °C, just bring the kettle to a full boil and pour immediately.
Should I measure tea by weight or by volume (teaspoons)?
Weight is always more accurate because leaf density varies enormously. A teaspoon of tightly rolled Ti Kuan Yin oolong holds about 3-4 g, while a teaspoon of fluffy white peony or chamomile holds barely 0.5 g. A cheap pocket scale (0.1 g resolution) will give you far more consistent results than measuring by volume, especially with expensive teas where getting it right matters. Use the gram figure this calculator provides as the primary guide; the teaspoon conversion is an approximation.
What is gongfu brewing and how does it differ from western style?
Gongfu (or gong fu) style uses a high leaf-to-water ratio (5-7 g per 100-150 ml) and many very short infusions, typically 15-40 seconds each, in a small teapot or gaiwan. Western style uses fewer leaves (2-3 g per 237 ml) and one longer steep of 2-5 minutes. Gongfu lets you taste how the flavor evolves over 6-10 infusions from the same leaves, making it especially popular with oolong and pu-erh. This calculator defaults to western ratios; for gongfu, multiply the suggested leaf amount by about 2.5 and divide the steep time by 4.
Can I re-steep tea bags?
Technically yes, but the result is usually poor. Most commercial tea bags use fannings or dust, which are the smallest broken particles left after whole-leaf processing. These have a very large surface area that extracts almost everything in the first steep, leaving very little flavor for a second. Premium whole-leaf pyramid bags are an exception and can sometimes handle two steeps. Loose leaf tea, which is mostly what this calculator is designed for, typically has enough residual flavor for 2-8 re-steeps depending on the type.
How much caffeine is in my cup?
This calculator shows a relative caffeine level (none, low, medium, high, very high) rather than an exact milligram figure, because caffeine content varies widely with leaf grade, flush (harvest season), brewing time, and temperature. As a rough guide: a 237 ml cup of black tea has about 40-70 mg of caffeine, green tea 20-45 mg, white tea 15-30 mg, and matcha 60-80 mg (since you consume the whole leaf). Herbal tisanes and rooibos contain no caffeine.
Why does the recommended temperature change between Chinese and Japanese green tea?
The main reason is processing style. Japanese green teas (sencha, gyokuro, matcha) are steamed immediately after harvest to stop oxidation, which preserves a high concentration of amino acids like L-theanine that contribute savory umami character. These amino acids are heat-sensitive and degrade above about 75-80 °C, so a lower brewing temperature is critical. Chinese green teas (Longjing, Bi Luo Chun) are pan-fired instead, which converts some of those amino acids and creates a slightly nuttier, less umami-forward profile that can handle a few degrees more heat without turning harsh.