HOW TO BREW

tea leaves + hot water + time = tea.   

That’s it! There’s no alchemy. No guesswork. Just healthy and great-tasting tea in just a few minutes out of your day. 

Quality and freshness of product matter. If you’ve never had whole-leaf tea (which is true for most people in this country), you’re in for a mind-blowing treat. Our company has had the privilege of getting millions of people to their first cup of whole leaf tea. We’re always delighted with the fun and happy reviews we get after someone enjoys their first sip of infused goodness. The difference in both taste and health benefits compared to what comes in most commercially produced tea bags is huge! 

Water is key.

Water makes up 99.66% of your finished cup of tea. Use cold water fresh from the tap. If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, filtered or purified water is great. Don’t use distilled water - it will make your tea taste flat. 

Be careful with temperature, timing, and proportions - just like baking.

If you’re turning to tea for the antioxidant polyphenols - don’t worry, as they infuse rapidly, so you don’t need to over-steep your tea to the point where it gets bitter to the taste to get the good stuff.

Start with 1 teaspoon of leaves per 8 oz water, or 1 sachet for 8 oz water. 

Use a good infuser.

Tea leaves need room to open up to steep properly! Make sure your infuser is large enough to accommodate this. If the leaves are bunched up while brewing, your tea won’t be as tasty! 

Make it your own. 

It’s rare to make a new tea perfectly to your taste on the first try, but try starting with your tea’s recommended instructions or the guidelines by tea type below.  You may want to adjust the amount of tea or water you’re using, water temperature and/or steeping time as you dial in the perfect cup of tea. You decide what your tea should taste like. Make it as light or strong, cold or hot as you want.

Steeping Guidelines:

To steep black tea: At sea level, bring water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for one minute. You’re aiming for water around 200°F. If you’re at a high altitude, use water at the boiling point. Black tea should steep for about 5 minutes.

To steep green tea: Bring water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes. You’re aiming for water around 175°F. Green tea should steep for 2 to 3 minutes.

To steep white tea: Bring water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for 2.5 minutes. You’re aiming for water around 180°F. White tea should steep for 2 to 3 minutes.

To steep oolong tea: Bring water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes. You’re aiming for water around 190°F. Oolong tea should steep for 3 to 4 minutes.

To steep pu’erh tea: At sea level, bring water to a boil, then take it off the heat and let it sit for 1.5 minutes. You’re aiming for water around 195°F. If you’re here at a high altitude, use water at the boiling point. Pu’erh tea should steep for 5 to 6 minutes.

To steep herbal tea: Bring water to a boil. Herbal tea should steep for 6 to 7 minutes.

To Cold Brew:

Want a smooth, refreshing iced tea without any bitterness? Cold brewing is the way to go—and it's as easy as it gets.

• Add 1 heaping teaspoon of loose leaf tea (or 1 sachet) per 8 oz cold water.

• Let it steep in the fridge for 8–12 hours.

• Strain (if using loose tea), and enjoy!

Cold brewing works great with most teas—especially green, white, herbal, and fruity blends. It brings out natural sweetness and minimizes bitterness, making it an easy, grab-and-go option for busy days. Our Craft Cold Brew Filter makes cold brewing loose leaf teas extra easy. 

Bonus: Cold brewed tea is super forgiving. No need to worry about water temperature or over-steeping here.

Repeat.

Some whole leaf teas, especially green teas, white teas and oolongs can be re-steeped, using the same leaves over again. They generally continue to infuse flavor and color through the second steep. Note: Most black and herbal teas do not lend themselves well to re-infusion.

Drink it today.

Tea will stay tasting fresh and potent for about 24 hours after it’s steeped. Drink it while it’s still fresh for maximum pleasure and benefits.

Believe in yourself!

Steeping tea will soon become second nature to you. You can make a perfect-tasting, healthy cup of green tea in less than 4 minutes, start to finish. Time is our most precious commodity, right?  A daily tea practice can totally respect that. You don’t need to hesitate to embrace premium tea because of complexity or time.