Tea It is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and for good reason. Not only is it a hot caffeinated drink that can give you an extra boost of energy, but it’s also packed with other benefits such as supporting a healthy metabolism, reducing inflammation, and promoting weight loss.
While you’ll be able to reap these benefits no matter how you brew your cup, if you want to get the most out of this beneficial elixir, it’s important that you do it the right way. Unfortunately, many of us are doing something very common. Error when making tea: using water that is too hot.
We spoke with david segal, co-founder and CEO of belly of fire tea—a specialty tea brand with a line of pure teas and all-natural tea blends—and namesake of DAVIDsTEA (which he also co-founded) to understand why you shouldn’t use water that’s too hot to brew tea. Read on and for more information on how to eat healthy, don’t miss The #1 Best Juice for Everyday Drive, Science Says.
Why is it bad to use boiling water to make a cup of tea?
“While you can use hotter water for some teas, you never want to use freshly boiled water when making tea,” says Segal.
If it’s too hot to drink, it’s too hot for tea leaves. Tea leaves are delicate and using extremely hot water can make its brittle compounds taste bitter and less sweet.
“In addition to providing flavor and functional benefits, the process of steeping the tea extracts the tannins from the tea leaves. Tannins are the polyphenols that supply the beneficial antioxidants typically associated with tea, but if too many are extracted:[which can happen when the water is too hot]—are also associated with an astringent aftertaste that many people may find bitter,” he says.
Flavor isn’t the only thing that can go wrong when you use water that’s too hot. Studies show that hot water can also destroy delicate health-promoting compounds in tea, such as catechins.
What temperature should you use for the perfect cup of tea?
Depending on the type of tea you’re drinking, your water needs to be at different temperatures to extract the optimal flavor from the leaves.
Segal provides the following guidance:
- black teas: 190-195 Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius)
- Oo Long: 185 Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius)
- Green Tea: 170-175 Fahrenheit (70-75 degrees Celsius)
“You want to use colder water with green tea because the leaves are more delicate. Because green tea leaves have not been cooked like with black teas, the tannins are extracted much faster and easier as a result,” Sega says.
READ MORE: The best green tea to drink, according to experts
If you only have a kettle or crockpot, how can you tell when the water has cooled enough?
No thermometer? No problem.
“I think it’s fair to say that for most people who are occasional tea drinkers, or just dipping their toes into the world of tea, I’m a big proponent of swap your 2pm coffee for a cup of tea! — does not have kettles with temperature control. Fortunately, there are a couple of other visual cues to look out for to get the temperature right,” says Segal.
“It’s absolutely fine to bring water to a boil, just don’t use it when it’s that freshly boiled. Once the water boils well, go ahead and take the lid off the kettle. If you’re using a pot you don’t need to cover it, just take it out of the pot.” the stove and let it cool down a bit, what you want is for the steam to settle”, he explains.
“Once no more steam rises from the surface of the water, the water should be hot enough to steep, but it will no longer scald to the point of affecting the flavor of the tea.,” he recommends.
The right amount of time to steep each type of tea
Temperature isn’t the only thing that influences the flavor of your tea; the amount of soaking time also matters.
Segal recommends the following:
- Black and oolong teas: 3-5 minutes.
- herbal teas: 4-6 minutes. “You can let it sit a little longer because there are usually no tannin or caffeine considerations,” says Segal.
- green teas: 2-3 minutes. “Green teas are more delicate because they are not as processed as, say, black tea, so the tannins are extracted much easier and faster. If you let them steep for too long or the water is too hot, you’ll end up with a bitter, overcaffeinated cup,” says Segal.
Looking for more flavor? Do not extend your soak time. “It might be a natural thought to want to rest longer [for more flavor], but that’s actually counterintuitive. Instead of steeping longer, it’s much better to add more tea leaves to amplify the flavor,” says Segal.
Now that you know how to brew the perfect cup, try your new skills with one of our favorite green teas! Read more: We tried 10 brands of green tea and this is the best!
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