Cooking & Kitchen
Tea Steeping Calculator
Pick a tea type for a sensible steep time, then scale the water to the number of cups you are making.
The result tells you how much water to use in total and how long to steep the tea for the cups entered.
Formula
Total water = cups x water per cup. Steep time depends on tea type.
How it works
Green and white teas are delicate and turn bitter if steeped too long or in boiling water. Black and herbal teas are sturdier and handle longer steeps.
These times are starting points. Taste after the suggested time and steep longer only if you want a stronger cup.
Worked example
For example, 4 cups at 250 ml of water per cup need 1000 ml of water in total, and green tea steeps for 3 minutes.
FAQs
Why does green tea steep for less time?
Its leaves are unoxidised and release flavour quickly. Over-steeping pulls out bitter compounds.
Can I reuse tea leaves?
Yes, many whole-leaf teas give a good second infusion — just add a minute to the steep time.
Does water temperature matter?
A lot. Green tea prefers around 80 °C, while black and herbal teas do well with fully boiling water.
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