How to stop over-brewing green tea

A short, practical guide to four numbers — and why each one keeps the bitterness out of your cup.

Overhead view of a gaiwan pouring green tea

Most people brew green tea with water straight off the boil, then wonder why the cup turns bitter and astringent. Boiling water scorches delicate green leaves and drags out the harsh tannins along with everything you actually want. The fix is not a special kettle or a rare leaf — it is four numbers, applied patiently. Here they are.

The four-step method

Water at 75°C

Green leaves scorch above 80°C. At 75°C you draw out the sweetness and amino acids and leave most of the harsh tannins behind.

3g per 150ml

A ratio that gives the leaf room to open without crowding. More leaf against less water lets you brew shorter — and steep the same leaves again afterward.

First steep, 45 seconds

Long enough to draw out flavour, short enough to leave the bitter compounds in the leaf for later. Pour the whole cup off — do not let it sit on the leaves.

Steep again, add 15 seconds

Good green tea has three or four steeps in it. Each round asks a little more time — add roughly 15 seconds to match the tiring leaf.

The most common mistake

Re-boiling water that has already been boiled

Water that has boiled twice has lost most of its dissolved oxygen. The result tastes flat and dull, no matter how careful you are with temperature and time. Start each brew with fresh, cold water and heat it only once.

A leaf to practise on

Spring Anji Bai Cha

Bright and clean, with a note of fresh peas and sweet chestnut. Its bitterness stays low even if you overshoot the temperature by a few degrees — a forgiving leaf while your hand learns the four numbers.

Shop Anji Bai Cha

Loose leaf, this spring's picking. Free shipping over €50.

Keep learning

Every method, one library

Temperatures, ratios and steep times for oolong, white, pu-erh and black tea — the same patient approach applied to every leaf we sell.

Open the full brewing library →

Yield & Leaf

Single-garden tea, brewed properly.

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