9 Tea Brewing Mistakes Beginners Make

The list

Each of these shows up in almost every beginner's routine.

• Using a tea ball too small for the leaf to expand — switch to a wide basket.
• Boiling water on green and white tea — rest the kettle three minutes, or check the tea water temperature guide for exact targets per tea type.
• Leaving leaves in the cup — lift them out or decant.
• Under-leafing and compensating with a long steep — weigh 2 g per cup instead.
• Throwing leaves away after one brew — most loose leaf re-steeps twice.
• Storing tea in a clear jar on a sunny shelf — light and air are the enemy.
• Keeping tea next to coffee or spices — leaf absorbs odors.
• Brewing with hard or heavily chlorinated tap water — filter it.
• Judging a tea by the first cup you ever made from it — give it three tries.

How to troubleshoot a bad cup

Bitter and drying means too hot or too long. Thin and watery means too little leaf or water that was too cool. Flat and dull usually means stale tea or hard water.

Change exactly one thing and brew again. Two changes at once and you have learned nothing.