A simple guide to making the perfect cup of loose-leaf tea
Whether you’re a tea connoisseur or have recently started curating tea into your everyday living, creating the perfect brew can sometimes be intimidating. We at TWG Tea are here to break down the process into simple steps so that every cup turns into a memorable experience.
There are three things to consider when we brew loose-leaf teas: the amount of tea leaves used, the temperature of the water, and the brewing time.
To start with, you’ll need a mug, infuser (or strainer), teaspoon, filter water, and a kettle.
Step One: Measuring the Amount of leaves
For a regular cup with around 250 ml of water, we generally use one teaspoon, which is 2.5 - 3 grams in weight. Once you’ve set your leaves in an infuser, place the infuser in the mug and set your water to boil.
Step Two: Boil the kettle and wait for the right temperature
It might be tempting to pour a kettle of boiling water over your tea leaves. However, pouring boiling water directly onto tea leaves reduces the amount of oxygen stored in the tea and affects the tea’s texture and taste.
We recommend waiting for a few minutes after your kettle is boiling, depending on the type of tea you use. For the perfect brew, you might like to use a thermometer to measure your water’s temperature. But if you don’t have one, you can simply follow our guidelines on how long you should wait after your water comes to a boil:
| Type of Tea | Time | Temperature |
| Dark or Fermented Tea | 1 minute after boiling | 94°C |
| Oolong (Blue) Tea | 2 minutes after boiling | 90°C |
| Green Tea | 4 minutes after boiling | 75 - 85°C |
| White Tea | 4 minutes after boiling | 75 - 85°C |
| Yellow Tea | 4-5 minutes after boiling | 75 - 85°C |
| Red Tea | Immediately after boiling | 95 – 98 °C |
| Herbal Tea | Immediately after boiling | 100°C |
Step Three: Letting the leaves brew
Once you’ve poured the water into your mug, let the tea infuse based on the times listed below:
| Type of Tea | Brewing Time |
| Dark or Fermented Tea | 3.5 – 5 minutes |
| Oolong (Blue) Tea | 3.5 – 5 minutes |
| Green Tea | 3 minutes |
| White Tea | 3 minutes |
| Yellow Tea | 3 minutes |
| Red Tea | 5 minutes |
| Herbal Tea | 4 minutes |
Once the leaves have brewed, simply remove them the infuser and your tea is ready to taste!
Step Four: Tailored to your taste
If you’re someone who prefers to add more leaves to your brew, our temperature guidelines remain the same, but we suggest removing the tea leaves from the brew slightly earlier.
If you prefer adding milk and sugar to your cup, we typically recommend using a stronger tea to balance the flavour. Our Uva Highlands BOP from Ceylon is a bold afternoon tea with an intense flavour that can pair well with milk and sugar. TWG Tea’s Harmutty from the Assam region in India is another robust black tea that is excellent in the morning.
