How this guide was put together: This guide draws on widely used brewing guidance from tea makers and sellers, plus S.Y.’s own daily brewing. It is a starting point, not a rulebook: taste and adjust. As an Amazon Associate, Lab Brewer earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Water that is too hot is the most common reason tea tastes bitter. Green and white teas scorch at a full boil, while pu-erh and roasted oolong taste thin if the water is too cool. The chart below gives a sensible starting temperature for each kind of tea, in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, with steeping times for gongfu (small pot, many short steeps) and Western style (big mug, one long steep).
Tea brewing temperature chart
| Tea | Water temperature | Gongfu steeps | Western steep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese green (sencha) | 70–80°C / 158–176°F | 30–60 s | 1–2 min |
| Gyokuro | 50–60°C / 122–140°F | 60–90 s | 2 min |
| Chinese green (Longjing, Bi Luo Chun) | 75–85°C / 167–185°F | 15–30 s | 2–3 min |
| White (Bai Mu Dan, Silver Needle) | 80–90°C / 176–194°F | 20–40 s | 3–5 min |
| Light / green oolong (Tieguanyin, high mountain) | 85–95°C / 185–203°F | 20–40 s | 3–4 min |
| Dark / roasted oolong (Da Hong Pao, Dan Cong) | 95–100°C / 203–212°F | 10–30 s | 3–5 min |
| Black tea | 90–100°C / 194–212°F | 10–30 s | 3–5 min |
| Raw (sheng) pu-erh | 90–95°C / 194–203°F | 10–20 s | 3–4 min |
| Ripe (shou) pu-erh | 100°C / 212°F | 10–20 s | 3–5 min |
| Herbal (rooibos, chrysanthemum, ginger) | 100°C / 212°F | not usual | 5–7 min |
Gongfu times are for roughly 5–7 g of leaf per 100 ml of water; add a few seconds to each later steep. Western times are for about 2–3 g of leaf per 250 ml mug.
How to read the chart
- The more delicate and green the leaf, the cooler the water. Tender, unoxidized leaves release bitter compounds quickly in very hot water.
- Rolled and roasted leaves want more heat. Tightly rolled oolongs and dark teas need near-boiling water to open up.
- Bitter? Go cooler or shorter. Flat or thin? Go hotter or longer. Change one thing at a time.
- At high altitude water boils below 100°C, so the hottest teas may taste a little weaker. A longer steep makes up for it.
No temperature-control kettle? Three easy workarounds
- Let it rest. Take the kettle off the boil and leave the lid open for a few minutes before pouring for green or white tea. How fast it cools depends on the kettle, so check once with a kitchen thermometer and remember the time.
- Pour it twice. Pouring boiled water into a cup or pitcher first, then onto the leaves, drops the temperature noticeably. Many gongfu brewers use a fairness pitcher this way.
- Add a splash of cold water to the boiled water before it meets the leaves.
When a variable-temperature kettle is worth it
If you drink green, white or light oolong most days, a kettle with set temperatures takes the guessing away and keeps water hot between steeps. Our researched pick for exact control is the Fellow Stagg EKG Pro, and the COSORI Gooseneck covers the common tea temperatures for much less. If you mostly brew pu-erh, dark oolong or herbal tea like S.Y., a plain kettle that boils fast is enough; S.Y. uses a SMEG kettle and a BUYDEEM health kettle daily.
Kettles from this guide
Fellow Stagg EKG Pro: set the exact degree for greens and whites.
COSORI Gooseneck 0.8L: budget pick with 5 temperature presets.
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The short version
Start green and white teas cool (70–85°C), light oolong warm (85–95°C), and dark oolong, black tea, pu-erh and herbal teas near or at a full boil. Then trust your taste: if a cup is bitter, cool the water or shorten the steep.
About the reviewer: S.Y. is the tea drinker behind Lab Brewer, brewing daily for years with an always-hot boiler, a SMEG kettle, a BUYDEEM health kettle and an IKEA RIKLIG teapot, mostly pu-erh, dark oolong and herbal remedies. Hands-on reviews cover gear S.Y. owns; everything else is clearly marked as researched. More about Lab Brewer.