What temperature should Earl Grey be steeped at?

203–212°F (95–100°C), which is water at or just off a full boil. Most Earl Grey is a black tea, and black tea needs very hot water to open up. If yours is made with green tea, use about 175°F (80°C) instead.

How long should you steep Earl Grey?

3 to 5 minutes. Three minutes gives a lighter cup where the bergamot stands out; 4–5 minutes gives a fuller, stronger cup that holds up to milk. Past 5 minutes it starts to turn bitter.

Does Earl Grey have caffeine?

Yes. Earl Grey made with black tea usually has about 40–60 mg of caffeine per 8 oz cup, roughly half a cup of coffee, though the exact amount depends on the leaf and how long you steep it. Decaf Earl Grey and rooibos Earl Grey are the low- and no-caffeine options.

Can you put milk in Earl Grey?

Yes. Plenty of people take it with milk, and it's the base of a London Fog. Steep it toward the longer end of the range, 4–5 minutes, so the tea isn't lost under the milk, and add the milk after brewing.

Can you over-steep Earl Grey?

Yes. Leave it much past 5 minutes and the black tea keeps releasing tannins, which makes the cup bitter and drying. If you get distracted, the fix is to take the leaves or bag out on time, not to add more sugar.

How much Earl Grey should I use per cup?

One teaspoon (about 2–3 g) of loose leaf or one tea bag per 8 oz (240 ml) cup. For a stronger cup, add a little more leaf rather than steeping longer.

What goes well with Earl Grey?

Its citrus notes suit scones, shortbread, lemon cake, and dark chocolate. It's also a classic choice for afternoon tea alongside sandwiches.

How to Brew Earl Grey

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

About Earl Grey

Earl Grey is black tea flavored with oil of bergamot, a fragrant citrus grown mainly in Calabria in southern Italy. The blend is named after Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl Grey and British prime minister in the 1830s, though how it came by his name is more legend than record. There are many variations today, including Lady Grey and Earl Greys made with green tea or rooibos.

What it tastes like

Bright citrus and floral bergamot over a brisk black tea base. Quality depends on both the tea and the bergamot: the best taste of real citrus peel, while cheaper versions can taste perfumed.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Earl Grey 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

Bergamot fades faster than the tea itself. Buy Earl Grey in small amounts and keep it airtight so the citrus stays bright.
A slice of lemon instead of milk plays up the bergamot.
Earl Grey is good in baking. Steep it in the milk or cream for shortbread, custard, or ice cream.

Timer

Earl Grey steeps for 3m – 5m — start the clock as you pour.

Earl Grey

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Other ways to brew Earl Grey

In a mug, with an infuser or a bag

Use one teaspoon (2–3 g) of loose Earl Grey or one bag per 8 oz (240 ml) cup, and pour water straight off the boil. Steep 3 minutes for a lighter cup where the bergamot leads, or 4–5 minutes if you plan to add milk. Then take the infuser or bag out. The bergamot doesn't turn bitter, but the black tea underneath it does.

In a teapot

Warm the pot with a splash of hot water and pour it out. Add one teaspoon of leaf per cup, plus one more if you like it strong, fill with boiling water, and steep 4 minutes. Pour all of it off the leaves, into cups or a second pot, so the last cup isn't stewed.

Iced Earl Grey

Brew it double strength: two teaspoons per 8 oz (240 ml) of boiling water for 4 minutes. Strain it straight over a tall glass of ice, which melts and brings it back to normal strength. Cold Earl Grey is better with lemon than with milk.

Cold brew

Put about two teaspoons (5 g) of leaf in 8 oz (240 ml) of cold water and leave it in the fridge for 8–12 hours, then strain. Cold water draws out less tannin, so you get the bergamot and a soft, round black tea without the bite. It keeps for two to three days in the fridge.

Can you re-steep Earl Grey?

Bagged and broken-leaf Earl Grey gives one good cup. Whole-leaf Earl Grey will usually give a second: steep it about a minute longer than the first, around 5 minutes. Expect much less citrus the second time, since most of the bergamot oil comes out in the first steep. A third steep is rarely worth it.

If your Earl Grey doesn't taste right

Bitter or harsh? Shorten the steep to 3 minutes or use a little less leaf. The bitterness comes from the black tea base over-extracting, not from the bergamot.
Tastes like perfume or soap? That's usually heavy or synthetic bergamot flavoring rather than your brewing. A shorter steep tones it down; a blend made with natural bergamot oil, or a softer one like Lady Grey, fixes it for good.
Weak or watery? Check that the water was at a full boil, then add more leaf rather than more time. Earl Grey brewed with water that has cooled off tastes thin.
Milk curdled? Lemon and milk don't mix. The acid curdles the milk, so pick one or the other.
Cloudy as it cools? That's tea cream, a harmless haze of tannins and caffeine that forms in strong black tea as it cools, especially with hard water. It doesn't change the flavor.

Ways to drink Earl Grey

London Fog

Steep two teaspoons of Earl Grey in 4 oz (120 ml) of boiling water for 4–5 minutes, so it's strong enough to stand up to milk. Strain, stir in a teaspoon of vanilla syrup (or a few drops of vanilla extract and a little sugar), and top with about 4 oz of steamed, frothed milk. Oat milk works well.

With milk

Add milk after brewing, a splash at a time, so you can judge the strength. A full 5-minute steep holds up better under milk than a 3-minute one.

With lemon

A thin slice of lemon brightens the bergamot, since both are citrus. Add it after you've taken the leaves out.

Lady Grey, green, and rooibos versions

Lady Grey adds orange and lemon peel for a softer, fruitier cup and brews exactly like Earl Grey. Earl Grey made on a green tea base needs green tea brewing instead: 175°F (80°C) for 2–3 minutes. A rooibos Earl Grey is caffeine-free and wants a full boil for 5–6 minutes.