September 17, 2025
Prologue: no AI, no rocket science, and certainly no magic
First of all: NO, this blog is NOT the product of an AI! Nor did I write it to add yet another voice to the countless publications on the “right” brewing temperature for tea. Instead, the following lines aim at no less a goal than to make these – all of them – obsolete.
This is based on an insight that finally prevailed with me after — or rather despite of – reading quite a number of said publications and more than 15 years of daily practice: You can summarize everything you need to know about the brewing temperature of tea in just three simple sentences.
1. The only reason to brew tea leaves less than piping hot* is to avoid bitter taste
Tea drinkers will know this… Many green teas, in particular, but also some lightly oxidized oolongs or white teas, become bitter at too high a brewing temperature. Likewise, even the roughest young sheng pu-erh will taste milder and more approachable when brewed cooler. The main reason for this is the tannins, or “bitter compounds,” contained in the tea leaves.
Nevertheless, the resulting popular rule of thumb—“green teas should never be brewed above 70–75°C”—is dangerous nonsense. In fact, many fine green teas, as well as other lightly oxidized teas, will deprive you of much of their potential flavor if you don’t brew them hot enough. However, that’s not all yet, as our second guiding principle shows:
2. The higher the infusion temperature, the more of the active ingredients in the tea leaf are dissolved in the infusion.
What may sound banal at first is actually the crux of the matter. Whether caffeine, amino acids (such as L-theanine), flavonoids (such as catechins, tannins and theaflavins), minerals (such as potassium) or essential oils, the extraction rate of all of the tea leaf’s ingredients in the infusion is directly dependent on the infusion temperature.
This means, for example, that there are ingredients in the tea leaf that won’t dissolve at all at 70°C. And for each substance – tannins included – extraction rises with temperature. So yes: the hotter the brew, the more bitter compounds you’ll release.
Things get really interesting where – again, especially in connection with green teas – health benefits collide with taste preferences. For example, the catechins often praised for their antioxidant effects are, in fact, tannins, too. Which means: if you drink green tea for health, but brew at 70°C because it tastes better, you’re missing the point. Because much of what you seek never makes it into your cup.
Don’t worry, though — you don’t have to choose between flavor and health. As that’s where our golden rule number three comes in:
3. ALWAYS brew the final infusion of ANY tea with piping hot* water!
This closes the circle, as rule No. 3 shows you how to combine pleasure and benefit. Only this way can you coax out both the best taste and the full health potential of any tea. However, this will also mean parting with the Western “convenience” principle — disposing of the leaves (or worse, the teabag) after the first infusion.
Here’s the deal: the first infusion is for flavor. By using the temperature at which bitterness is optimally restrained, you highlight the tea’s most pleasant traits. Which temperature exactly? Well, that depends on the tea and its quality level — as well as of your personal taste preferences. Also, the number of infusions, steeping times, and how you adjust temperature along the way—all these are personal choices. However, one rule stands firm: always pour your last infusion with water at a full, rolling boil. As this will make your final steep your infusion for health.
In Conclusion:
Choose for the first infusion whatever temperature gives you the best taste. Then—always finish with boiling water. And in between? Do whatever you like!
How hot is “boiling”, or “piping hot” —and why the fuss about “after calming”?
Brewing notes often say: “boiling hot, after calming.” But what does it mean?
In China, they say that the “restlessness” of boiling water passes into the tea—and then into the drinker. This may sound poetic, maybe even nonsensical. However, there’s truth in it. Many lightly oxidized teas benefit from cooler water. And even strongly oxidized teas, including black teas, can taste harsher when brewed with water that’s too hot, because extraction rises so sharply.
As for the effect: hotter water means more caffeine. And yes, that can quite literally translate into “restlessness” for the drinker.
*Note:
“Boiling” – or “piping hot” means 100°C. As soon as you remove the kettle from the heat, the water calms and quickly drops to about 90+°C.
And, by the way…
As quality really matters and makes a difference — get your teas from Siam Tea Shop, one of the world’s best sources for hand-picked loose-leaf teas!
