Easy and Quick Way to Brew Loose Leaf Tea

There are so many online communities discussing about how to brew loose leaf tea, and every tea vendor or tea blogger show their own ways to brew different teas, that sometimes are really confused people which should go with. Actually, brewing green tea is not as complicated as what you think it is, unlike the way brewing oolong tea in gongfu style. It can be easy as brewing a cup of coffee, unless you like to enjoy the all procedures of brewing detail, which is really fun to review and share with others on the table.

We are going to show the fastest and simplest way on how to brew green tea for the best result. Or learn to quick brew loose leaf black tea here.

How to brew loose leaf green tea

The grandpa style is recommended for green tea brewing which is easy and best. Forget about Gaiwan, Yixing Clay, strainer or teapot infuser whatever costly and useless equipment others recommended, instead we are going on most affordable and easiest way to make perfect green tea. The only con side for using this method is that you have to sip wisely after the tea is ready because not all the leaves are settled down to the bottom after steeped at the beginning, there are always some leaves floating on top. But I don’t think that is a big deal. This is also the best way to make a good cup of green tea. It tastes more aromatic than other way brewing. Because when you get close to glass, the fragrance of tea brewed in hot water come straight up to your nose. The delicious smell increases tasting. Before starting, you will need to understand what type of green tea you are going to brew. Basically, you will need to be aware of how tender and what shape the tea leaves you are going to brew, that decide what water temperature to use. Which is actually meaning what water temperature used is depending on the quality of the tea.

You will only need a tall glass of about 180ml capacity and a kettle you can heat and boil water. The clear glass would be best so that you can determine how the color of tea liquor changes as well as the leaves. It is called “to appreciate tea”. Others usually suggest using natural spring water to brew tea for best taste. It is seemed not realistic to Americans. Tap water is fine because we have pretty clean filtered tap water which you can drink directly from it without boiling. The following two major points, water temperature and ratio of leave and water which you need to understand clearly before started.

• Higher quality green teas (tenderer buds) are recommended to brew with lower water temperature as lower as 165-185°F. Moderate to lower class green teas can be brewed with hotter water up to 212°F.
• 1g:50ml of ratio for tea leaves and water is mostly common use for most varieties of teas except oolong and pu’er. This is the segment to adjust the thickness of your taste, not the brewing time. If you feel fishy from this proportion, add or reduce the amount of leaves to reach your par.

Heat a pot of water to boiling point in your kettle. Easily rinse the glass with boiling water. (Boiling water temperature is used be dropped down to 185°F approximately in 1 minute after off the heat.)

• Fill up glass with hot water at your desired temperature, and then gently insert tea leaves without covering lid. You are all set! To appreciate the tea by watching them blooming dramatically in the water.

For loose shaped tea (Bi Luo Chun, Lu’an Melon Seeds(Gua Pian), Huang Shan Mao Feng, Tai Ping Hou Kui, Longjing etc.)

• Insert tea leaves instantly after rinse glass. Pour hot water into, along the inner wall of glass up to 1/3 of glass, or at least have leaves fully covered by hot water. At this point, it is the best time to enjoy the fragrance of tea by rotating the glass will not only fully steep the leaves and also discharge the beautiful natural smell of tea. Until about 2 minutes later, fill it up with hot water along the inner wall of glass again. 

The best time to taste tea is after the temperature lower to 115-130°F in a few minutes whenever temperature is comfortable when you hold it with your bare hand. Don’t forget to remain 1/3 of tea liquor for next brew in order to balance next infusion. Second infusion is used to be the best of all and most aromatic while third infusion is getting mild and tasteless compare to previous.

Test it with different amount of tea leaves and different water temperature to reach your own preference for any type of green tea, especially those teas you are not satisfied with. You may find a pro side if you make good use of brewing variously.