Elements of Tea
The four elements to be aware of when preparing tea are water, weight, temperature, and time. These elements interact with each other when brewing, so a tea can have subtle differences in flavor based on how you play within these parameters.
Weight
For consistency in tea brewing, we recommend weighing your tea by the gram. Here are weight suggestions for one cup (8-10oz) of brewed tea.
1-5 grams
3 grams
3 grams
3-5 grams
3-4 grams
3 grams
Temperature
Water temperature can greatly affect the flavor of a tea. We recommend using a variable temperature kettle to accurately measure your water temperature. A good rule to remember: tea water should never reach a rolling boil.
205° F
190° F
170-185° F
195° F
205° F
205° F
Time
How long you infuse a tea can affect how sweet, tannic, or nuanced it tastes. We encourage you to experiment with steep time to discover the range of flavor available in any given tea. Often short steeps with a small amount of water offer the opportunity for a tea to slowly open and release layers of flavor and complexity.
1-3 minutes
1-2 minutes
1-2 minutes
2-2.5 minutes
2-3 minutes
2-3 minutes
Water
Water is perhaps the most important element in tea preparation apart from the tea itself. We use filtered or natural spring water whenever possible. When brewing tea, the ratio of water to tea is most important. We recommend using between 3-8 ounces of water for each infusion. This allows the tea's flavor to bloom with multiple steeps.
Our brewing instructions are a starting point to make tea brewing more accessible. We encourage you to experiment with these elements to discover each tea's unique essence.