Tea Preparation – How to Brew Tea Properly
🫖 Proper tea preparation makes all the difference. Whether you enjoy black tea, green tea, herbal tea or rooibos, the water temperature, steeping time and dosage all influence the flavour and aroma. With a few simple principles, you can prepare every cup to bring out the best in your tea.
In this guide, you’ll learn what matters most when preparing tea and why each type of tea requires a slightly different approach.
The Basics of Tea Preparation
Use fresh water
💧 Water makes up most of every cup of tea, so its quality has a major impact on the final taste. Very hard water can mask delicate flavours, while heavily chlorinated water may affect the aroma.
Fresh tap water is usually the best choice. If your water is particularly hard, using a water filter can help produce a cleaner flavour. Avoid boiling the same water several times.
Use the right amount of tea
🥄 As a general guideline, use about one teaspoon of loose tea for a cup containing 200–250 ml of water. Large leaf teas often require a slightly heaped teaspoon, while finer teas may need a little less.
The ideal amount depends on the tea variety, which is why every TeaSense product includes its own preparation recommendation.
Pay attention to temperature and steeping time
⏳ Different teas require different brewing conditions. Delicate teas, especially green tea, react quickly to excessively hot water or long steeping times.
If you would like a milder flavour, first adjust either the amount of tea or the steeping time rather than changing several factors at once.
Tea Preparation by Tea Type
🍵 The following recommendations provide general guidance. Always refer to the preparation instructions for the individual tea you have selected.
How to prepare black tea
☕ Black tea is usually brewed with freshly boiled water. Depending on the variety and steeping time, it can develop anything from a smooth to a full-bodied flavour.
- Water temperature: about 95–100 °C
- Steeping time: about 2–4 minutes
- Dosage: about 1 teaspoon per 200–250 ml
How to prepare green tea
🍃 Green tea should not be prepared with boiling water, as excessive heat may cause bitterness.
- Water temperature: about 70–80 °C
- Steeping time: about 1–3 minutes
- Dosage: about 1 teaspoon per cup
Some premium green teas can also be infused several times.
How to prepare herbal tea
🌱 Herbal teas are generally brewed with boiling water, allowing the herbs to fully release their aroma.
- Water temperature: 100 °C
- Steeping time: about 5–10 minutes
- Dosage: about 1–2 teaspoons per cup
Covering the cup while the tea steeps helps preserve the essential aromas.
How to prepare fruit tea
🍎 Fruit teas are also prepared with boiling water and usually benefit from a slightly longer steeping time.
- Water temperature: 100 °C
- Steeping time: about 8–10 minutes
- Dosage: about 1–2 teaspoons per cup
How to prepare rooibos tea
🌾 Rooibos is easy to prepare and remains pleasantly smooth even with a slightly longer steeping time.
- Water temperature: 100 °C
- Steeping time: about 5–8 minutes
- Dosage: about 1–2 teaspoons per cup
Common Tea Preparation Mistakes
⚠️ A few simple mistakes can noticeably affect the flavour of your tea:
- Using water that is too hot for the tea type.
- Steeping the tea longer than recommended.
- Using too much or too little tea.
- Not giving the leaves enough room to expand.
- Boiling the same water repeatedly.
- Storing tea in warm, humid or strongly scented places.
If the flavour is not quite right, try adjusting only one variable at a time, such as the steeping time or water temperature.
Adjust the Preparation to Your Taste
✨ Our recommendations provide an ideal starting point, but everyone’s taste is different. Some people prefer a milder black tea, while others enjoy a stronger fruit tea or a particularly delicate green tea.
Experiment with small adjustments until you discover your preferred balance of flavour and aroma.
Preparation Instructions for Every Tea
📦 Every TeaSense tea includes an individual preparation recommendation with dosage, water temperature and steeping time. You’ll find detailed instructions on each product page, together with a short guide on the back of the package.
This makes it easy to prepare every tea exactly as recommended for that particular blend.