What's the best way to brew black tea?
Quick answer
Black tea likes near-boiling water (95–100 °C) and is forgiving. For a mug, use about 3 g per 250 ml for 3–4 minutes. For gongfu, use 5 g per 100 ml and steep short — 8 seconds, then 12, 20, 30 — pouring off each round. The only real mistake is letting it sit too long in a big cup, which turns it harsh and tannic.
Step by step (mug)
- Boil the water — black tea wants it hot.
- Add ~3 g per 250 ml of leaf (a heaped teaspoon for most blends).
- Steep 3–4 minutes, then remove the leaves so it doesn't keep extracting.
- Adjust: milk for a brisk, tannic blend; nothing for a sweet, chocolatey one.
Common questions
Why is my black tea bitter? Usually too long in the cup. Pour it off the leaves on time; reach for shorter steeps before you cut the leaf.
Can you re-steep black tea? Yes — two or three western infusions, or several short gongfu rounds, each a little lighter.
Open the black tea timer preset, size your leaf with the grams calculator, or compare black vs green tea.