Green
Water75–80°C
Steep2–3 min
Fresh and delicate. Cooler water helps keep the cup smooth.
Brew every blend at its best
Every epic brew begins with four essentials: leaf, water, heat and time. Follow the guide, then fine-tune your brew to suit your taste.
Tea2.5–3 g
About one level teaspoon
Water200 ml
Freshly drawn for each brew
Temperature75–100°C
Match the heat to the leaf
FinishStrain fully
Stop the steep on time
The everyday method
Five steps to a better cup
No ceremony required. A mug, roomy infuser, teaspoon, and timer are enough.
- 01
Start with fresh water
Fill the kettle with fresh, cold water. If your tap water has a strong taste or smell, filtered water will give the tea more room to shine.
- 02
Measure the leaves
Use one level teaspoon — about 2.5 to 3 grams — for every 200 ml cup. Give large, fluffy leaves a slightly heaped teaspoon.
- 03
Match the heat to the tea
Delicate green and white teas prefer cooler water. Black tea, rooibos, and herbal blends can handle water at or near boiling.
- 04
Set a timer
Start timing as soon as the water meets the leaves. Begin at the shorter end of the suggested range; you can always add time to the next cup.
- 05
Remove every leaf
Lift out the infuser or strain the whole pot when time is up. Leaving leaves in the water keeps extraction going and can turn the cup bitter.
Temperature and time
Find your tea, then start the clock
These ranges are friendly starting points. Directions supplied with a particular tea always come first.
White
Water80–85°C
Steep3–5 min
Gentle heat gives the light, sweet flavours time to open.
Oolong
Water85–90°C
Steep2–4 min
A little more heat helps rolled or twisted leaves unfurl.
Black & chai
Water95–100°C
Steep3–5 min
Use hot water for a full, rounded cup that can take milk.
Herbal & rooibos
Water100°C
Steep5–7 min
Boiling water and a longer rest draw flavour from herbs and fruit.
For an EpicBlendz recipe
Let the most delicate leaf set the temperature
If your blend contains green, white, or oolong tea, use the coolest setting needed by those leaves. A green-and-black blend, for example, should start at the green tea temperature.
If the blend contains only black tea, rooibos, herbs, fruit, or flowers, use freshly boiled water. Begin at the shorter steep time, taste, and add 30 seconds to the steep next time if you want more strength.
Quick fixes
Tune the next cup
Tea is personal. Use the guide as a baseline, then adjust one variable at a time.
Why does my tea taste bitter or dry?
Shorten the steep first. For green, white, or oolong tea, try slightly cooler water as well. Change one thing at a time so you know what improved the cup.
Why does my tea taste weak?
Use a little more leaf rather than leaving it to steep indefinitely. A long steep can add bitterness without adding the flavour you want.
Why does the flavour seem flat?
Use freshly drawn water and avoid repeatedly reboiling the same kettle. If your tap water tastes strongly of chlorine or minerals, try filtered water.
What if my kettle has no temperature control?
Bring the water to a boil, then wait about 2–3 minutes for green or white tea and 1–2 minutes for oolong. Pour straight away for black, chai, herbal, or rooibos blends.
Ready for the next quest?
Build a blend worth brewing again
Create your own recipe, or explore the blendz already forged by the EpicBlendz community.