Brewing guide
How long should you steep green tea?
The short answer: 1–3 minutes in 70–85°C water, depending on the tea. Here is the breakdown.
The short answer: most green teas steep for 1–3 minutes in water between 70 and 85°C. Delicate Japanese greens (gyokuro, sencha) sit at the cool end; pan-fired Chinese greens (longjing, bi luo chun) tolerate slightly hotter water. Boiling water (100°C) scorches the leaves and pulls out bitter catechins and caffeine faster than flavor — this is the single most common green-tea mistake.
Time and temperature trade off. If you brew cooler, you can steep a little longer; if you brew hotter, shorten the steep. When in doubt, start at 75°C for 2 minutes, taste, and adjust: bitter means go cooler or shorter; thin means more leaf or longer.
Matcha is the exception. It is whisked, not steeped — about 2 g in 70 ml of 70–80°C water, whisked until frothy (15–30 seconds). Nothing is strained out, so there is no steep time at all.
Re-steeping. Quality green teas give 2–3 infusions. Add roughly 30 seconds per subsequent steep, or use the same short steeps gongfu-style with more leaf.
Steep times for every green tea in our database
| Tea | Water | Leaf / water | Steep | Re-steep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyokuro | 50–60°C | 3 g / 100 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Mecha | 65–75°C | 2 g / 250 ml | 0.5–1 min | 2–3 times |
| Sencha | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Matcha | 70–80°C | 2 g / 70 ml, whisked | whisk until frothy | Whisk until frothy |
| Kukicha | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Shincha | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Tamaryokucha | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Enshi Yulu | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Kabusecha | 70–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Bi Luo Chun | 75–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Huangshan Maofeng | 75–80°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Genmaicha | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Gunpowder | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Chun Mee | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Lu'an Gua Pian | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Tai Ping Hou Kui | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Mengding Ganlu | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Jasmine Green | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Laoshan Green | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Kamairicha | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Yunwu | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Xinyang Maojian | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Zhuyeqing | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Aracha | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2 times |
| Song Luo | 75–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
| Longjing | 80–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Hojicha | 80–90°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 1–2 times |
| Anji Bai Cha | 80–85°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 2–3 min | 2–3 times |
| Bancha | 80–90°C | 3 g / 250 ml | 1–2 min | 2–3 times |
Parameters are starting points drawn from commonly documented brewing guidance — adjust to your leaf quality and taste.