What temperature should water be for green tea?

167–185°F (75–85°C), well below boiling. Japanese greens like sencha are best around 160–175°F (70–80°C). Without a thermometer, boil the water and let it rest three to five minutes.

How long should you steep green tea?

1 to 3 minutes. Start around 2 minutes and taste. Japanese greens often need only about a minute; Chinese pan-fired greens can go to 3.

Why is my green tea bitter?

Usually water that's too hot or a steep that's too long. Green tea is unoxidized and delicate, and boiling water pulls out its bitter compounds quickly. Cooler water and a shorter steep fix most bitter cups.

Can you use boiling water for green tea?

It's best not to. Boiling water scorches green tea and turns it harsh. If you only have boiling water, pour it into an empty cup first, then onto the leaves; each pour drops it several degrees.

How much caffeine is in green tea?

Usually about 20–45 mg per 8 oz cup, less than black tea and roughly a quarter to half a cup of coffee. Shaded teas like gyokuro and matcha contain more.

Can you cold brew green tea?

Yes, and it's one of the best ways to drink it. Use about twice the usual leaf and steep it in the fridge for 4–8 hours. Cold water extracts very little bitterness.

How to Brew Green Tea

Steep time: 1m – 3m
Water temperature: 75°C – 85°C

About Green Tea

Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves that are heated soon after picking, by pan-firing in China or steaming in Japan, to stop oxidation. That quick heat keeps the leaves green and preserves the fresh character that sets green tea apart from oolong and black tea. China and Japan produce most of the world's green tea, from flat, toasty Dragon Well (Longjing) to bright, grassy sencha.

What it tastes like

Expect fresh, vegetal flavors: cut grass, snap peas, spinach, or a hint of seaweed in Japanese styles, and toasted chestnut or sweet corn in pan-fired Chinese ones. A well-brewed cup is smooth and slightly sweet, with only a light astringency.

Step by step

Measure your tea Use about one teaspoon of Green Tea leaves per 8 oz cup.
Heat the water Bring fresh water to 75°C – 85°C. Water that is too hot will scorch the leaves.
Steep Pour the water over the leaves and steep for 1m – 3m. 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

Look at the dry leaf before you buy: bright, even color and whole leaves point to fresher tea than dull, dusty, or brownish pieces.
Try it plain first. Milk mutes its fresh, vegetal flavors, and a little honey is usually all it needs.
Pair it with lighter food, like rice, fish, steamed vegetables, or a plain cookie. Strong spices and rich sauces drown it out.

Timer

Green Tea steeps for 1m – 3m — start the clock as you pour.

Green Tea

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Other ways to brew Green Tea

In a mug or teapot

Use one teaspoon (2–3 g) per 8 oz (240 ml) cup. Heat water to 167–185°F (75–85°C), or boil it and let it rest with the lid off for three to five minutes, then steep 1–3 minutes. Japanese steamed greens like sencha want the cooler water and shorter time; pan-fired Chinese greens like Dragon Well can take a little more of both. Take the leaves out as soon as it's done.

In a glass, Chinese style

In China, green tea is often brewed straight in a tall glass. Put a teaspoon of leaf in the glass, add a little water around 175°F (80°C) to wet the leaves, then fill it up. Drink it as the leaves sink, and top it up with hot water when it's a third full. It works best with flat or needle-shaped teas like Dragon Well.

In a kyusu or small pot

For Japanese greens, use about 5 g of leaf in a 6–8 oz (180–240 ml) side-handled pot with water around 160–175°F (70–80°C). Steep about a minute, then pour out every last drop, since that's where much of the flavor is. Re-steep straight away for 15–30 seconds.

Iced green tea

Brew double strength, about 5 g in 8 oz (240 ml) of 175°F (80°C) water for 2 minutes, then pour over ice. Iced green tea goes bitter quickly if over-steeped, so keep the time short.

Cold brew

Green tea may be the best tea of all for cold brewing. Use about 5 g per 8 oz (240 ml) of cold water and refrigerate for 4–8 hours, less time than black tea needs. It comes out sweet, smooth, and savory, with almost no bitterness. Drink it within two days.

Can you re-steep Green Tea?

Yes. Good loose green tea gives two or three steeps. Pour the first infusion off completely, then steep the second for about the same time or a little less; the leaves are already open, so they give up flavor fast. Add 30 seconds or so for the third. Tea bags and broken leaf usually give one good cup.

If your Green Tea doesn't taste right

Bitter or grassy? Almost always water that's too hot. Boiling water scorches green tea. Let the kettle rest off the boil, or use a variable-temperature kettle set to 175°F (80°C), and keep the steep to 1–2 minutes.
Weak and watery? Use a little more leaf, or water a few degrees warmer. Don't make up for it by steeping much longer, which pulls out bitterness faster than flavor.
Brownish or dull? Fresh green tea brews pale green to light gold. A brown cup usually means old leaf, too-hot water, or tea left standing. Buy small amounts and use them within a few months.
Tastes fishy or like seaweed? A savory, oceanic note is normal in Japanese greens, especially shaded ones. If you'd rather avoid it, try a pan-fired Chinese green, which is nuttier and toastier.

Ways to drink Green Tea

With honey or lemon

Good green tea rarely needs anything, but a little honey softens it and a squeeze of lemon brightens it. Skip milk, which mutes the fresh, vegetal flavors.

Flavored greens

Jasmine green tea, mint green tea, and genmaicha (green tea with toasted rice) are all brewed like plain green tea. Genmaicha can take slightly hotter water.

Green tea latte

Most green tea lattes are made with matcha, not steeped leaf, because steeped green tea is too light to carry milk.