Tea Brewing Calculator — Steep Time, Temperature & Leaf Amount
Find the ideal steep time, water temperature and tea quantity for any type of tea — loose leaf or bags — scaled to your number of cups.
Tea type
cups
Leaf form
3–5 min (180–300 sec)
- 1
Steep range (table lookup for this tea type)
180–300 sFixed recommendation for Black tea from standard brewing guidelines. - 2
Minimum steep time (÷ 60)
180 ÷ 60 = 3
How does this calculator work?
Per 240 mL cup: black tea — 93–100 °C, 3–5 min, 2.5 g; green — 70–80 °C, 1–3 min, 2 g; white — 75–85 °C, 2–5 min, 2.5 g; oolong — 85–95 °C, 2–4 min, 3 g; herbal — 100 °C, 5–7 min, 3 g. Use 240 mL water per cup; scale up leaf/bags proportionally.
Formula
How this is calculated
Different teas come from the same plant (Camellia sinensis) but processed differently, making them sensitive to temperature in distinct ways. Green and white teas are lightly oxidised and burn easily — they need water well below boiling (70–85 °C) and shorter steeps (1–5 min), otherwise they turn bitter. Black and pu-erh teas are fully oxidised and robust, benefiting from near-boiling water (93–100 °C) and 3–5 minute steeps. Oolong sits between the two at 85–95 °C. Herbal tisanes (chamomile, peppermint, rooibos) are not true teas and can handle a full boil with longer steeps (5–7 min).
Leaf quantity follows a rough guideline of about 2–3 g of loose leaf per 240 mL (8 fl oz) cup, with lighter teas (green) at the lower end and denser teas (oolong, chai, herbal) at the upper end. Tea bags contain about 2 g each, so the bag count shown is the ceiling of your leaf requirement in bags. The beaker shows the water volume for your selected cup count, with colour intensity representing the approximate leaf concentration.
These are widely accepted starting guidelines, not absolute rules. Steeping time adjustments of ±30–60 seconds can shift the flavour significantly — shorter steeps are lighter and less bitter; longer steeps are fuller and more tannic. Water quality (soft vs hard, filtered vs tap) also affects the final cup.
Frequently asked questions
Green tea leaves contain more catechins (antioxidant polyphenols) and amino acids (especially L-theanine) that are more soluble at moderate temperatures. Boiling water releases excessive tannins and catechins rapidly, producing astringency and bitterness. Brewing at 70–80 °C preserves the sweet, grassy character and keeps steeping time short (1–3 min).
Yes — high-quality loose leaf teas (especially oolong, pu-erh and green) can be steeped 2–5 or more times. Each subsequent steep releases slightly different flavour compounds. Add 30–60 seconds to each subsequent steep. Tea bags, being finely broken leaves, generally yield satisfying results only once.
A typical commercial tea bag contains about 2 g of fannings or broken-leaf tea. Specialty "pyramid" or "whole leaf" bags can contain 3–4 g. This calculator uses 2 g per bag as the default — adjust by rounding up an extra bag if you prefer a stronger brew.
Also known as
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. (2026). Tea Brewing Calculator — Steep Time, Temperature & Leaf Amount [Online calculator]. TG we-Calculate. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tea-brewing-calculator
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team. "Tea Brewing Calculator — Steep Time, Temperature & Leaf Amount." TG we-Calculate. 2026. https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tea-brewing-calculator.
TG we-Calculate Editorial Team, "Tea Brewing Calculator — Steep Time, Temperature & Leaf Amount," TG we-Calculate, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tea-brewing-calculator
@misc{wecalculate_tea_brewing_calculator, title = {Tea Brewing Calculator — Steep Time, Temperature & Leaf Amount}, author = {{TG we-Calculate Editorial Team}}, howpublished = {\url{https://we-calculate.com/calculator/tea-brewing-calculator}}, year = {2026}, note = {TG we-Calculate} }
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