Knowing Your Water Temperature by Sight

For every type of loose leaf tea, there is a recommended steeping temperature. This temperature is important for the correct notes and flavors to be brought out in the tea. If your water isn’t hot enough when steeping a black tea, for instance, the flavor will be weak because of the short steep.

Each blend’s water temperature and steeping time are selected for the highest quality flavor.

For the purest taste, we suggest using filtered water and following the brewing instructions for each tea.

That being said, not everyone has a thermometer at home to check their water temperatures, so we have provided a basic guide to follow below.

Water Temperature Guide for Loose Leaf Tea

Here are our general suggestions for water temperatures for the different types of loose leaf tea:

• 160 F – White or Green Teas: Bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Watch for gentle wisps of steam.
• 170 – 180 F – Green Teas: Visible pillar of steam materializes. Or bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
• 180-190 F – Green, Oolong & Black Teas: Large, lazy bubbles will gently break the surface. Or bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest 1 to 2 minutes.
• 200 F – Black & Puerh Teas: Tiny bubbles appear to loop near the perimeter of the kettle. Or bring the water to a boil and allow it to rest for about 1 minute.
• 212 F – Black, Herbal, Rooibos, PuErh & Chai Teas: Bring the water to a full, rolling boil (when the water is most active).

Note that the actual times will vary slightly, depending on how much water you are heating.

Contact Fava Tea Company!

If you would like to keep this guide handy, feel free to ask one of our Fava Tea Company associates in stores to give you our Water Temp Tips bookmark. If you are interested in learning more tea tips and tricks, let us know in the comments below!

Contact Fava Tea Company to discover your new favorite loose leaf tea(s)!

Article Written by Natalie Mast