What temperature should water be for tea?
Quick answer
Match heat to how delicate the tea is. Green and white teas want cooler water (75–85 °C / 167–185 °F) or they turn bitter and grassy. Oolong sits in the middle (90–95 °C). Black tea, puerh, and herbal tisanes want near-boiling water (95–100 °C) to open up fully. When unsure, brew cooler and steep a little longer.
Temperature chart
| Celsius | Fahrenheit | |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 75–80 °C | 167–176 °F |
| White | 80–85 °C | 176–185 °F |
| Oolong | 90–95 °C | 194–203 °F |
| Black | 95–100 °C | 203–212 °F |
| Shu puerh | 95–100 °C | 203–212 °F |
| Herbal | 100 °C | 212 °F |
How to hit the temperature without a thermometer
You don't need a fancy kettle. Boil the water, then let it sit: roughly one minute off the boil lands near 90 °C, and about three minutes near 80 °C in a normal mug or kettle. Or top up boiling water with a splash of cool water for delicate greens.
Common questions
Does water temperature really change the taste that much? Yes — it's one of the three big levers alongside leaf amount and steep time. The same green tea can taste sweet at 80 °C and bitter at 100 °C.
Is a variable-temperature kettle worth it? Convenient, not essential. The boil-and-wait method gets you close enough for everyday brewing.
Get the rest right too: how much leaf to use, how long to steep, and the water itself.