Cold Brew Tea Ratios

Grams of leaf per litre of cold water and how long to leave it, by tea type. Enter your batch size and every row scales.

1 litre ≈ 34 fl oz. A 2 qt pitcher is about 1.9 L.

Cold-brew tea ratios and steep times by tea type
TeaLeaf per litreLeaf for your batchSteepSource
Green and whiteStrain and drink as is8.5–10.6 g8.5–10.6 g6–8 hours in the fridgeRishi Tea & Botanicals
Black and oolongStrain and drink as is8.5–10.6 g8.5–10.6 g8–10 hours in the fridgeRishi Tea & Botanicals
Herbal and botanical blendsStrain and drink as is8.5–10.6 g8.5–10.6 g10–12 hours in the fridgeRishi Tea & Botanicals
RooibosRatio from Rishi; steep time from Rooibos.Africa8.5–10.6 g8.5–10.6 gAt least 12 hours in the fridgeRooibos.Africa
Taiwanese oolong (Eco-Cha)A lighter, larger batch7 g7 g2–3 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridgeEco-Cha Teas, Taiwan
Sencha (Ippodo)Small glasses; a concentrated, sweet cup48 g48 g15 minutes in chilled water, undisturbedIppodo Tea, Kyoto

Rishi’s rows convert its 1 tablespoon per 16 oz using the 4–5 g per tablespoon in its own FAQ. Use filtered water, a covered jar, and strain the leaf out at the end of the steep. For grams in a single glass or a hot-brewed cup, use the tea ratio calculator.

Plain Amazon links. We earn nothing if you buy.

Prices shown elsewhere on this page are the tea brands' own listed prices — Amazon's price may differ.

Cold-brew bottles and pitchers

Common questions

How much tea for cold brew?
Rishi uses 1 tablespoon of leaf per 16 oz of cold water, which its FAQ puts at 4–5 g: about 8.5–10.6 g per litre. Eco-Cha brews Taiwanese oolong lighter, at 7 g per litre.
How long should tea cold brew in the fridge?
Rishi steeps green and white tea 6–8 hours, black and oolong 8–10 hours, and herbal blends 10–12 hours. Rooibos.Africa gives rooibos at least 12 hours. Ippodo’s cold-brew sencha is the exception: 10 g in 210 ml of chilled water for 15 minutes.
Why cold brew instead of chilling hot tea?
Hot-brewed black tea forms “tea cream” as it cools, which turns iced tea cloudy; stronger brews and calcium make it worse. Brewing cold skips the hot step entirely.

Boba and iced tea by city

Sources

Every figure on this page was checked against the linked source on October 1, 2026.

  1. How to Make Iced Tea — Rishi Tea & Botanicals. Cold brew 1 tablespoon per 16 oz; green and white 6–8 h, black and oolong 8–10 h, herbal 10–12 h
  2. FAQ — Rishi Tea & Botanicals. 1 tablespoon (4–5 g) per 8 oz water; 250 g bag ≈ 50–60 servings
  3. How to Brew the Perfect Cup of Rooibos Tea — Rooibos.Africa. 90–100 °C water, 1 teaspoon per cup, 5–7 minutes; cold brew at least 12 hours in the fridge
  4. Complete Guide to Brewing Loose Leaf Oolong Tea — Eco-Cha Teas, Taiwan. Grandpa style about 1:40 (9 g per 350 ml); cold brew about 7 g per 1,000 ml, overnight in the fridge
  5. Cold Brew Sencha — Ippodo Tea, Kyoto. 10 g leaf, 210 ml chilled water, 15 minutes
  6. Creaming in black tea — Jöbstl et al., Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53(20), 2005. Stronger tea creams sooner; theaflavin and calcium promote creaming

Go deeper