Tea Brewing Calculator

Tea brewing parameters, water temperature, steep time, tea-to-water ratio, caffeine content, and acidity, come from published research on extraction kinetics, catechin release, and flavor profiles, and each tea type has its own established defaults for all four. Green, black, white, oolong, pu-erh, herbal, matcha, yellow, and rooibos each carry distinct research-backed brewing parameters.

Delicate teas like green and white extract optimally at lower temperatures, 70 to 85 degrees Celsius, while black and pu-erh teas need near-boiling water, 95 to 100 degrees Celsius, for full extraction. Steep time works against both directions of error: over-steeping increases bitterness from excess tannin release, while under-steeping yields a weak infusion with reduced antioxidant content. A standard cup is approximately 240 milliliters or 8 ounces, the reference most ratios are built around.

The standard tea-to-water ratio for Western-style brewing is approximately 1 gram per 80 milliliters (1:80). Gongfu-style brewing uses a higher ratio of roughly 1 gram per 15 to 20 milliliters. Many oolong and pu-erh teas improve across three to five infusions as different flavor compounds emerge at each stage, and each subsequent infusion needs 30 seconds more steep time than the last to compensate for the leaves' reduced extraction rate.

Water hardness affects extraction efficiency: hard water above 200 ppm can dull flavors and reduce catechin extraction, soft water (50 to 100 ppm) enhances delicate white and green teas, and moderately hard water (100 to 150 ppm) suits robust black teas. Honey, lemon, milk, or sugar can be added and tracked by amount and unit alongside the base tea, each contributing its own flavor and chemistry to the finished cup, and milk in particular can bind some of the catechins responsible for astringency, which is part of why a milky black tea reads as smoother than the same tea taken plain.

An oolong brewed with a 2-minute first infusion follows with 2:30, 3:00, 3:30, and 4:00 for the next four steeps, each one 30 seconds longer than the last to compensate for diminishing extraction.

Precise control over brewing variables produces consistent flavor, accurate caffeine intake tracking, and optimal antioxidant extraction from tea leaves.

• Daily Brewing: A repeatable morning routine comes from saving a preferred green tea ratio and temperature, restoring the same parameters each day without guessing water volume or steep duration.
• Caffeine Management: Caffeine intake per cup can be estimated from tea type and leaf weight: black tea at 3 grams yields roughly 60 to 90 mg of caffeine, while green tea at the same weight yields 30 to 50 mg, useful for precise daily intake planning.
• Gongfu Preparation: Multiple infusions for oolong or pu-erh sessions, where the same leaves steep five or more times, follow a schedule that adjusts steep duration per round to account for diminishing extraction rates.
• Recipe Development: Honey, lemon juice, ginger, or milk documented as ingredient rows build complete tea recipes worth revisiting when developing a menu or tea service offering.
• Water Quality Optimization: Water hardness settings show how mineral content affects extraction: soft water (50 to 100 ppm) enhances delicate white and green teas, while moderately hard water (100 to 150 ppm) suits robust black teas.
• Health and Wellness: Antioxidant extraction levels compared across tea types and brewing conditions show that green tea steeped at 70 to 80 degrees Celsius for 2 to 3 minutes maximizes catechin retention while minimizing astringency from tannin over-extraction.
• Education and Research: How temperature, time, and ratio interact to affect flavor chemistry becomes visible by adjusting one variable at a time and observing changes in estimated pH, caffeine, and antioxidant output.