Use fresh water. Use freshly-drawn cold water as water that has been reheated gives tea a flat taste. If you're unhappy with the taste of your tea, you may, in fact, dislike the taste of your water. Try making a cup of tea with water from a purifier or bottled water and taste the difference.


Heat the water to the right temperature. Bring it to a rapid boil for black or herb tea (preferably in an electric kettle) to extract the full flavor. For green tea, the water should be hot, just to the point of boiling. Water temperature will drop rapidly, so bring your pot or cup to the stove and pour as quickly as possible.

Cover your cup. Whenever possible, if brewing tea by the cup, use the saucer to cover the cup and retain the heat. Some tea mugs on the market are designed with a built-in lid for added convenience and practicality.

Watch the clock, not the color. Never brew tea by color if you want the perfect cup. Some teas brew light, others dark. Always brew by the clock -- three to five minutes for green and black teas, four to six minutes for herb teas and six minutes for wellness teas.

General Guidelines :

Tea	Water Temperature	Steep Time
Green Tea	160 ° F / 80 ° C	1 - 3 minutes
White Tea	180 ° F / 90 ° C	4 - 8 minutes
Oolong Tea	190 ° F / 95 ° C	1 - 8 minutes
Black Tea	Rolling Boil	3 - 5 minutes
Herbal (tisanes)	Rolling Boil	5 - 8 minutes