Learn to Brew Better Loose-Leaf Tea at Home
Simple brewing guides, honest product recommendations, and tea education for beginners.
- Temperature
- 70–212°F (100°C)
- Steep
- 1–5 min
- Ratio
- 2g / 7 oz (200 ml)
Free Tea Brewing Cheat Sheet: Temps, Times & Ratios
One printable page with water temperatures, steep times and leaf-to-water ratios for 10 kinds of tea. Free when you join the weekly beginner brewing email.
Looking for a specific piece of gear?
Research-based picks for the questions beginners actually ask before buying.
Best tea infuser for an office mug
Fits a standard desk mug, drains without dripping, easy to rinse in a shared kitchen.
Best loose-leaf tea sampler for beginners
Small amounts of several teas so you can find what you like before buying 100 g.
Best gaiwan for beginners
The right size and material for your first gongfu sessions — without burnt fingers.
Best travel tea tumbler that won't oversteep
Tumblers that separate the leaves so your tea isn't bitter by the second hour.
Best tea storage tins for loose leaf
Airtight, opaque tins that keep leaf fresh far longer than the bag it arrived in.
Best kettle for green tea under $50
Temperature control at a beginner price, so green tea never gets boiling water.
Tea Brewing
The practical mechanics of a good cup: how hot the water should be, how long to steep, how much leaf to use, and how to fix a brew that tastes off.
Loose-Leaf Tea Water Temperature Guide
The single biggest cause of bitter tea is water that is too hot. Here are the temperatures we brew at, by tea type.
7 min read
Steeping Time Guide: How Long to Brew Each Tea
Timing charts for every major tea type, plus how to re-steep leaves so one scoop makes three good cups.
6 min read
Tea-to-Water Ratios That Actually Work
How much leaf per cup, why teaspoons lie, and the cheap scale habit that fixed our inconsistent brews.
5 min read
Cold Brew Tea: The Easiest Method for Beginners
Cold brewing is nearly impossible to get wrong, needs no kettle, and produces a sweeter, smoother cup.
5 min read
How to Brew Green Tea Without Bitterness
Green tea turns bitter for three predictable reasons. Fix those and it tastes sweet, grassy and smooth every time.
6 min read
Gongfu Brewing for Beginners
Lots of leaf, little water, very short steeps. Here is how to run a gongfu session with equipment you probably already own.
8 min read
Tea Comparisons
Honest side-by-side comparisons of teas we brew ourselves, answering the questions beginners actually ask before spending money or changing habits.
Loose Leaf vs Tea Bags: An Honest Comparison
Cost per cup, flavor, convenience and waste — where loose leaf genuinely wins and where tea bags are still fine.
8 min read
Green Tea vs Black Tea: What Actually Differs
Same plant, different processing. Here is how oxidation changes flavor, caffeine, brewing and which to start with.
6 min read
Matcha vs Regular Green Tea
One you drink, the other you eat. What that means for flavor, caffeine, cost and daily practicality.
6 min read
Electric Kettle vs Temperature-Controlled Kettle
Is a variable-temperature kettle worth the upgrade, or is a standard kettle plus a bit of patience enough?
6 min read
Oolong vs Black Tea: What's the Difference?
Same plant, different oxidation. Here is how they differ in taste, caffeine, brewing and price.
6 min read
White Tea vs Green Tea: Which Should You Drink?
Both are delicate and lightly processed, but they taste, brew and age very differently.
5 min read
Product Guides
Buying guides built around what beginners really need first. We favor fewer, better tools over a cabinet full of gadgets.
Best Beginner Tea Sets
What a starter set should include, what to skip, and how to build a better kit for less by buying pieces separately.
8 min read
Best Tea Infusers for Loose Leaf
Basket, ball, sock or filter? Why infuser size is the difference between a great cup and a disappointing one.
7 min read
Best Electric Kettles for Tea
Which kettle features actually change your cup, and which are marketing. Written for people who drink more than one type of tea.
9 min read
Best Tea Storage Containers
Light, air, heat, moisture and odour are the five enemies of loose leaf. Here is what to store tea in and where.
6 min read
Best Teapots for Beginners
Glass, cast iron or clay? What each material does to your tea, and which one to buy first.
7 min read
Best Travel Tea Tumblers That Won't Over-Steep
The problem with brewing on the move is over-steeping. These travel tea tumbler designs separate the leaf so your 3 pm cup is as good as your 9 am one.
6 min read
Tea Education
Tea types, origins, flavor vocabulary, storage and freshness — the background knowledge that makes every other decision easier.
The Six Types of Tea Explained
White, green, yellow, oolong, black and dark tea all come from one plant. Oxidation explains the rest.
7 min read
Tea Origins: How Region Shapes Flavor
China, Japan, India, Taiwan and Sri Lanka each produce a recognizable style. Knowing which helps you shop with confidence.
7 min read
Tea Flavor Profiles: Building Your Vocabulary
Words like brisk, malty, umami and astringent are useful, not pretentious. Here is what each actually describes.
6 min read
How to Store Loose-Leaf Tea Properly
The five things that degrade tea, and a simple storage routine that keeps leaf tasting close to new for months.
5 min read
Tea Freshness Guide: How Long Does Tea Last?
Realistic shelf lives by tea type, how to tell if leaf has gone flat, and what to do with tea past its best.
5 min read
What Is Oolong Tea?
The most varied category in tea, spanning floral green rolls to dark roasted rock teas.
6 min read
Recipes & Routines
Iced teas, milk teas, lattes and simple morning and evening rituals you can repeat without thinking about it.
Three Iced Tea Recipes Worth Making
Flash-chilled peach oolong, cold-brew jasmine, and a proper unsweetened house iced black tea.
6 min read
Milk Tea at Home: Simple, Reliable Recipes
Hong Kong style, masala chai and a quick everyday milk tea — with the leaf-to-milk ratios that stop it tasting weak.
7 min read
Tea Lattes You Can Make Without a Machine
Matcha, hojicha and London Fog lattes using a hand frother and a mug — no espresso machine required.
6 min read
A Morning Tea Routine That Takes Five Minutes
How to make good loose-leaf tea on a weekday morning without adding stress or washing up.
5 min read
An Evening Tea Routine to Wind Down
Low-caffeine teas and a slow, repeatable ritual for the last hour of the day.
5 min read
Masala Chai From Scratch
Whole spices, strong Assam and a simmer. A single stovetop recipe that beats every concentrate.
5 min readLatest from the blog
How Much Should You Spend on Loose-Leaf Tea?
A realistic price range for everyday loose-leaf tea, what you actually get as you spend more, and where the extra money stops mattering.
7 min read
Do You Need a Gooseneck Kettle for Tea?
Gooseneck kettles look precise and cost more. Here is when that narrow spout actually changes your tea, and when a normal kettle is fine.
6 min readTea Infuser Size Guide: How Big Should Yours Be?
Most weak loose-leaf tea comes from an infuser that is too small. Here is how to match basket size to your mug, teapot or tumbler.
6 min read