How long should you steep black tea?

3 to 5 minutes. Three minutes gives a brisk, lighter cup for drinking plain; 4–5 minutes gives a fuller cup that stands up to milk. Past 5 minutes most black teas turn bitter.

What temperature should water be for black tea?

203–212°F (95–100°C), water at or just off a full boil. Black tea is fully oxidized and sturdy, and cooler water leaves it thin and flat.

How much black tea should I use per cup?

One teaspoon (about 2–3 g) of loose leaf or one bag per 8 oz (240 ml) cup. If you want it stronger, add leaf rather than steeping longer, which only adds bitterness.

How much caffeine is in black tea?

Usually about 40–70 mg per 8 oz cup, roughly half to two-thirds of a cup of coffee. Longer steeps, hotter water, and broken-leaf tea all pull out more.

Is it bad to leave the tea bag in?

It won't hurt you, but the tea keeps extracting tannins and turns bitter and drying. Take the bag out when the time is up, and don't squeeze it.

Can you cold brew black tea?

Yes. Use about twice the usual amount of leaf and steep it in the fridge for 8–12 hours. Cold brewing pulls out less tannin, so the tea is smoother and sweeter, and it doesn't go cloudy.

How to Brew Black Tea

Steep time: 3m – 5m
Water temperature: 95°C – 100°C

About Black Tea

Black tea is fully oxidized: after picking, the leaves are withered, rolled, and left to oxidize until they turn a dark copper-brown, then dried. Oxidation develops the malty, rich flavors and deep color most people picture when they think of a cup of tea. Major producers include India (Assam, Darjeeling, Nilgiri), Sri Lanka (Ceylon), China (Keemun, Dian Hong), and Kenya. Black tea is also the base of most blends, such as English Breakfast and Earl Grey.

What it tastes like

Flavors range from malty and brisk (Assam) to bright and citrusy (Ceylon) to cocoa-like or smoky (Chinese black teas). Black tea has more body than green or white tea and stands up well to milk and sugar.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Black Tea leaves per 8 oz cup.
Heat the water Bring fresh water to 95°C – 100°C. Water that is too hot will scorch the leaves.
Steep Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 3m – 5m. Start at the shorter time and taste as you go.
Strain and serve Remove the leaves as soon as the steep is done so the tea does not turn bitter.

Brewing tips

Malty Assams and breakfast blends take milk best; brighter teas like Ceylon are usually better plain or with lemon.
Add milk after pouring rather than before, so you can see how strong the tea is.
Try a single-origin black tea alongside a breakfast blend to taste what each region brings to the mix.

Timer

Black Tea steeps for 3m – 5m — start the clock as you pour.

Black Tea

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Other ways to brew Black Tea

In a mug, with an infuser or a bag

Use one teaspoon (2–3 g) of loose black tea or one bag per 8 oz (240 ml) cup and pour water straight off the boil. Steep 3 minutes if you drink it plain, 4–5 minutes if you take milk. Then lift the infuser or bag out. Don't squeeze the bag; it presses out the most bitter, tannic liquid.

In a teapot

Warm the pot first with a splash of hot water. Add one teaspoon per cup, fill with boiling water, cover, and steep 4 minutes. If you want the pot to last, pour the tea off the leaves into a second pot or a thermos once the time is up, or use a pot with a removable infuser basket.

Iced black tea

Brew double strength, two teaspoons or two bags per 8 oz (240 ml) of boiling water for 4–5 minutes, then pour over a full glass of ice. Hot tea poured over ice can turn cloudy; it's harmless, and cooling the tea for a few minutes first helps. For a pitcher, brew a strong concentrate and dilute it with cold water.

Cold brew

Use about two teaspoons (5 g) per 8 oz (240 ml) of cold water and refrigerate for 8–12 hours, then strain. Cold-brewed black tea is smooth and naturally sweeter, with very little bitterness, and it stays clear. It keeps two to three days in the fridge.

Can you re-steep Black Tea?

Whole-leaf black tea will usually give a second good cup. Steep it a minute or so longer than the first, around 5 minutes, with fresh boiling water. Broken-leaf tea and tea bags give up almost everything the first time, so a second steep tastes thin. Chinese black teas such as Dian Hong are the exception: brewed with more leaf and short steeps in a small pot, they'll go four or five rounds.

If your Black Tea doesn't taste right

Bitter or drying? The steep ran long or you used too much leaf. Cut back to 3 minutes and taste. Breakfast blends made from small, broken leaf extract fast and turn bitter sooner than whole-leaf teas.
Weak or flat? Black tea needs water at a full boil, so check the kettle actually got there. Then add more leaf rather than more time. Stale tea and re-boiled water also taste flat.
Cloudy? Strong black tea often clouds as it cools, especially with hard water. It's tea cream, a harmless haze of tannins and caffeine, and it doesn't change the taste.
Scum or film on top? That comes from minerals in hard water binding with compounds in the tea. Filtered water fixes it, and a squeeze of lemon reduces it.

Ways to drink Black Tea

With milk and sugar

Strong, malty teas like Assam and breakfast blends take milk best. Steep for the full 4–5 minutes so the tea isn't lost under the milk, and add milk after brewing so you can judge the color.

With lemon

Brighter teas like Ceylon and Darjeeling are better with lemon than with milk. Never add both, because the lemon curdles the milk.

Masala chai

Simmer one to two teaspoons of strong black tea per cup with crushed cardamom, a cinnamon stick, sliced ginger, and a few cloves or peppercorns for 3–5 minutes. Add milk and sugar, bring it back to a simmer, and strain. Because the tea simmers, chai is the one place black tea is cooked rather than steeped.

Sweet tea

For a Southern-style pitcher, steep about six bags in 4 cups (1 l) of boiling water for 5 minutes, remove them, stir in sugar while it's hot, then top up with 4 cups of cold water and chill.