Tea type
Strength
Water: 95–100 °C
03:00
Steeping tea for the wrong amount of time is the most common reason a cup turns out bitter or weak. Over-steeping releases excessive tannins and polyphenols that create astringency; under-steeping leaves too much flavour and colour locked in the leaves. This free online tea timer sets the correct countdown for your tea type and preferred strength — light, regular or strong. Select your tea, press START when you pour the water, and step away.
| Tea | Temp | Light | Regular | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 95–100 °C | 2 min | 3 min | 5 min |
| Green | 70–80 °C | 1 min | 2 min | 3 min |
| White | 75–85 °C | 3 min | 4 min | 6 min |
| Oolong | 85–95 °C | 2 min | 3 min | 5 min |
| Herbal | 95–100 °C | 4 min | 6 min | 8 min |
| Chai | 95–100 °C | 3 min | 4 min | 6 min |
Water temperature is the most commonly overlooked variable in tea brewing. Black tea and herbal infusions can handle a full rolling boil (100 °C), but delicate green and white teas are easily scalded. Boiling water applied to green tea immediately extracts bitter catechins and tannins that dominate and obscure the tea's more subtle vegetal, grassy or floral notes.
The Tea Board of India and most professional tea associations recommend allowing boiled water to cool for 2–3 minutes before using it for green tea, and 1–2 minutes for white tea. If you have a variable temperature kettle, set it to the target temperature directly. Oolong sits between green and black — it benefits from water that is hot but not at a full rolling boil.
Black tea is fully oxidised, which gives it its dark colour and robust, malty flavour. It is the most forgiving tea to brew — it handles boiling water and a range of steeping times without becoming unpleasant. Popular varieties include Assam (strong and malty, ideal for breakfast tea with milk), Darjeeling (lighter, floral, often called the "champagne of teas"), and Ceylon (bright and brisk, good without milk). Steep for 3 minutes for a standard cup; push to 4–5 minutes for a stronger brew suited to adding milk.
Green tea is unoxidised, preserving a high concentration of antioxidants including EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which has been studied extensively for potential health benefits. The flavour profile ranges from grassy and vegetal (Japanese sencha and gyokuro) to toasty and nutty (hojicha) to creamy and umami-rich (matcha). Green tea is the most temperature-sensitive of all common tea types. Use water at 70–80 °C and do not exceed 3 minutes — bitterness escalates sharply with both higher temperature and longer steeping.
White tea is the least processed of all tea types — it is simply dried young tea buds and leaves, with minimal oxidation. This results in a delicate, subtly sweet flavour with floral and honey-like notes. Because of its delicacy, it requires lower water temperature (75–85 °C) and benefits from slightly longer steeping times than green tea. High-quality white tea like Bai Hao Yinzhen (Silver Needle) is excellent for multiple infusions — the second steep is often considered the best.
Oolong occupies the spectrum between green and black tea, with an oxidation level typically between 15% and 85% depending on the variety. Lightly oxidised oolongs (like Tie Guan Yin) are floral and green-tasting; heavily oxidised oolongs (like Da Hong Pao) are closer to black tea in character with roasted, caramel notes. Oolong is traditionally brewed in small quantities using the gongfu ceremony — multiple very short steeps of 30–60 seconds in a small teapot — but a standard 3-minute steep in a regular mug works well for everyday brewing.
Herbal teas are technically not tea at all — they contain no leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant and are caffeine-free. They are infusions of dried herbs, flowers, fruits, roots or spices. Common varieties include chamomile (calming, apple-floral), peppermint (refreshing, digestive), rooibos (sweet, earthy, high in antioxidants), hibiscus (tart, ruby-red, high in vitamin C), and ginger (warming, spicy). Herbal infusions generally benefit from a longer steep time of 5–8 minutes to fully extract flavour from dried plant material.
Masala chai is a spiced milk tea with origins in the Indian subcontinent. Traditional chai is made by simmering black tea with a blend of warming spices — typically cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and black pepper — in a mixture of water and milk. This timer's chai setting is calibrated for steeping a chai tea bag or loose-leaf blend in hot water before adding milk; if you are simmering chai on the hob, 8–10 minutes of simmering produces a richer result.
Remove the tea bag or strainer as soon as the timer goes off. This single step eliminates the most common cause of bitter tea. For loose-leaf tea, use a strainer rather than leaving the leaves in the cup. If you prefer a stronger brew, use more tea rather than extending the steeping time — this produces a fuller-flavoured cup without the bitter tannin overload that comes from over-steeping.
For loose-leaf tea, use approximately 2–3 grams (about 1 heaped teaspoon) per 200ml of water. Higher-quality loose-leaf teas — especially green, white and oolong — can be re-steeped 2–4 times; each subsequent infusion typically needs 30–60 extra seconds.
Almost always because the water was too hot, the steeping time was too long, or both. Green tea is very sensitive to temperature — water above 85 °C will make it bitter almost instantly. Use water at 70–80 °C and steep for no more than 2–3 minutes.
Yes, especially for higher-quality loose-leaf green, white and oolong teas. Add 30–60 seconds to the steeping time for each subsequent infusion. Many tea enthusiasts find the second or third steep to be the most nuanced and enjoyable. Tea bags are designed for a single steep and do not re-steep well.
It makes it more bitter and astringent, but not necessarily more flavourful in a pleasant way. For a stronger cup without extra bitterness, use more tea leaf rather than steeping longer. The relationship between steeping time and strength is non-linear — most of the desirable flavour compounds extract in the first few minutes, while unpleasant tannins continue extracting long after.
It can make a noticeable difference, particularly for delicate teas. Heavily chlorinated tap water can impart an off-flavour, and very hard water with high calcium content can affect the extraction of certain flavour compounds and leave a chalky residue. A simple jug filter is usually sufficient to improve water quality for everyday tea brewing.
Black tea contains the most caffeine — roughly 40–70mg per 240ml cup. Green tea contains 25–45mg. White tea is generally lower at 15–30mg, though young tea buds used in premium white teas can be relatively high. Oolong falls between green and black at 30–50mg. Herbal teas contain no caffeine, making them suitable for the evening.
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