Different teas need different brew temperatures. It’s magic in the making. For the Western style of brewing here are some notes to begin your tea brewing ritual:

PUT THE KETTLE ON
Bring water to a boil, but don’t steep tea in boiling hot water. No tea leaf deserves to be scalded. Always use fresh water. Use the few minutes while the kettle is on to meditate and take a few long, deep breaths.

FIND YOUR MOOD
Pick a tea to match your mood, or the time of day. If you’re in need of a gentle boost, try White Peony. If you’re craving something sweet and robust, maybe go for the honeyed Jin Jun Mei.

PAUSE
Warm up your brewing vessel, and toss the water away. You might want to weigh your tea leaves according to the brew guide of each tea, and then place them into your brewing vessel. The general ratio is between 2.5g and 3g per 200ml water. Let the dry leaves curl in the warmth of the pot, as you take in its aroma.

STEEP
Finally, add water and watch as the leaves dance around. In moments, your magical elixir is ready.

White Tea: 75 - 90°C, 4 to 7 minutes
Green Tea: 60 - 80°C, 2 minutes
Oolong Tea: 95°C, 3 minutes
Black Tea: 95-98°C, 2 minutes if small leaves, 4 to 5 minutes if large leaves
Aged Tea: 98°C, 2-3 minutes

For the Gongfu style of brewing, we recommend following the parameters highlighted on your tea packaging, as the temperature and ratio would vary. As a guide, gongfu tea brewing steeps around 10-30 seconds for the first steep and the tea can withstand multiple steeps, with each subsequent brew having subtle differences in flavour.