Frequently Asked Questions

Less than coffee, and it varies more with how you brew than with the tea type. The US FDA lists 37 mg of caffeine for a 12 fl oz (355 ml) green tea and 71 mg for a 12 fl oz black tea, against 113 to 247 mg for 12 fl oz of regular brewed coffee. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects in healthy adults.

Matcha is higher per cup because you drink the whole powdered leaf. More leaf, hotter water and longer steeps all pull more caffeine. Herbal infusions such as rooibos, chamomile and peppermint contain no caffeine.

Details are in our glossary entry on caffeine.

• Green tea: 70 to 80 °C (158 to 176 °F); Japanese greens such as sencha and gyokuro sit at the low end.
• White tea: 80 to 90 °C (176 to 194 °F).
• Oolong: 85 to 95 °C (185 to 203 °F) for green, rolled oolongs, close to boiling for dark roasted ones.
• Black tea: 90 to 100 °C (194 to 212 °F).
• Pu-erh and other dark teas: 95 to 100 °C (203 to 212 °F).
• Herbal infusions: boiling.

Water that is too hot for a green tea makes it bitter and astringent. Steep times and leaf amounts for each type are on the steeping chart.

Tea does not spoil if it stays dry, but it loses aroma. Green tea and matcha fade fastest: drink them within about 6 months of opening, and an opened tin of matcha within a few weeks. Black tea and rolled oolong hold their flavor for 1 to 2 years. Pu-erh and compressed white tea are made to be aged and change over years.

Store all of it in an airtight, opaque container away from heat, light, moisture and strong smells such as spices or coffee. Keep green tea and matcha in the fridge only if the container is sealed, and let it reach room temperature before opening so moisture does not condense on the leaf.

We list tea-first venues: tea rooms and afternoon tea services, Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese and Korean tea houses, loose-leaf shops with a tasting bar or seating, tea-first matcha bars and chai houses. Coffee shops that only sell tea, online-only vendors and boba chains are left out of the main guide; bubble tea has its own Boba & Iced Tea page per city.

Before a venue goes in, we check its own website or a current listing to confirm the name, the address and that it is open. If we cannot confirm it, it is not listed. Venues cannot pay to be listed, featured or ranked.

Tea Brands lists companies that sell tea under their own name, from single-estate importers to large blenders. Each entry links to the brand’s own shop, and the teas we describe are ones the brand actually sells. A listing is not an endorsement of every tea a brand sells, and brands cannot pay for placement.

Not at the moment. My Tea Explorer currently runs no ads and no affiliate program, so links to tea brands and teaware earn us nothing. If that changes, we will update the Privacy Policy and Terms before the first ad or affiliate link goes live.

City guides change when we add a city, re-check venues or receive a correction. Brand listings and brewing guides are revised as we add teas and methods. Each city guide shows the date it was last updated.

Use the contact form for any of these:

• a listing has the wrong address, name or hours;
• a tea room has closed;
• your tea room, tea house or shop should be in a city guide;
• you want your venue removed from the site.

Include the city and the venue’s website so we can check it.