Tea Brewing Ratio & Temperature Guide

Understanding the tea brewing ratio guide — concept and principle

Good tea depends on three things: how much leaf you use for the water, how hot the water is and how long you steep. This guide scales typical Western-style leaf amounts to any volume of water and shows the usual water temperature for black, green, oolong and herbal teas.

Scale the leaves to the water — 3 g for 300 mL — and match the temperature to the tea.

How it is calculated

Leaves (g) = water (mL) ÷ 250 × grams per 250 mL for the chosen tea:

Black: 2.5 g per 250 mL (range 2–3 g), 95–100 °C, 3–5 min.
Green: 2 g per 250 mL, 70–80 °C, 2–3 min.
Oolong: 3 g per 250 mL, 85–95 °C.
Herbal: 2.5 g per 250 mL (range 2–3 g), 100 °C, 5–7 min.

The temperature output is a text range, not a calculation.

The principle

Brewing is extraction: hot water dissolves caffeine, polyphenols (catechins and their oxidised forms such as theaflavins), amino acids and aroma compounds from the leaf. More leaf, higher temperature and longer time all increase extraction. Black tea is fully oxidised and robust, so near-boiling water brings out its body. Green tea is unoxidised and rich in catechins that taste bitter and astringent when extracted aggressively, so cooler water and shorter steeps keep it sweet and fresh. Oolong sits between them. Herbal infusions are not from the tea plant and usually need boiling water and longer steeping to release flavour.

Worked example

Defaults: 300 mL water, black tea.

Grams per 250 mL for black tea = 2.5 g.
Leaves = 300 ÷ 250 × 2.5 = 3 g.
Water temperature: 95–100 °C, steep about 3–5 minutes.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Water (mL)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Water (mL)	Leaves (g)
75	0.75
150	1.5
225	2.25
300	3
375	3.75
450	4.5
600	6

How to read the result

Use the leaf amount as a baseline and adjust by taste: add leaf for a stronger cup rather than steeping much longer, which tends to add bitterness. Large, open leaves take up more space per gram than broken or CTC teas, so weigh rather than spoon. Gongfu-style brewing uses far more leaf in small pots with many short infusions, so these numbers do not apply there. For reference, the ISO 3103 tasting method uses 2 g per 100 mL and 6 minutes, a deliberately strong standard for comparing teas.

Common mistakes

Pouring boiling water on delicate green teas.
Leaving leaves in the pot so the tea keeps over-steeping.
Measuring loose tea by teaspoon across very different leaf styles.

Keep in mind: These are general guidelines; producers often give specific instructions for their teas, and those should take priority.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get 80 °C water without a thermometer?

Let freshly boiled water stand a few minutes or pour it into a second vessel; a variable kettle is easiest.

Can I re-steep the leaves?

Oolong and many green teas take several infusions; increase time slightly each round.

Does a tea bag follow the same ratio?

A typical bag holds about 2 g, so one bag suits a cup of roughly 200–250 mL.

Sources: ISO 3103 — Tea: Preparation of liquor for use in sensory tests. · Harold McGee, On Food and Cooking (Scribner) — tea.

Checked 8 Nov 2026. Typical coverage rates and standard formulas. Always check the product label and local building rules; buy 5–10% extra for waste.

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