Tea Time: How to Get the Best Cup

When preparing a cup of tea something that we often don't talk about is the brew time. Depending on the type of tea you have, you'll want to make sure that you don't under or over steep your tea once the water in your kettle has boiled.

While there aren't any hard fast rules, here are some guidelines you can follow when brewing your tea to ensure you get the best tasting cup:

Photo Credit: Joanna Kosinska

Black Tea: 3-5 minutes (max.) [Ideal temperature: 212F/100C]

Green Tea: 1-3 minutes (max.) [Ideal temperature: 170F/77C]

White Tea: 1-4 minutes (max.) [Ideal temperature: 160F/71C]

Rooibos: 5-6 minutes (max.)

Herbal Tea (Tisane): 5-6 minutes

Oolong Tea: 4 minutes

Another helpful tip is to use a tea timer. Here's a few examples:

Source: Tealeaves Tea Timer 

Source: Fairmont Store 345 Tea Timer 

Source: Kikkerland Trio Tea Timer 

Source: Sloane Tea Timer