What water temperature should I use for green tea?

Chinese pan-fired greens such as Longjing take 80 °C / 176 °F in Mei Leaf’s chart. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture puts high-grade sencha at 70 °C and everyday sencha at 90 °C. Boiling water pulls bitterness out of green leaf fast; a Turkish green tea study scored 85 °C for 3 minutes highest and long, hot brews lowest.

How much tea do I use per cup?

Western style, published guides range from about 0.5 g per 100 ml (Mei Leaf, longer steeps) to 2 g per 100 ml (ISO 3103 tasting standard). Rishi’s house rule of 4–5 g per 8 oz lands at about 1.7–2.1 g per 100 ml. Gongfu uses 3–6.5 g per 100 ml with steeps measured in seconds.

How many times can I re-steep loose leaf tea?

Brewed western style, most leaf gives 2 to 6 infusions. Brewed gongfu, white and green give about 5, oolong about 9, sheng pu-erh about 15 and shou pu-erh about 20 in Mei Leaf’s averages. Matcha and most herbals are a single brew.

Why do different vendors give different temperatures for the same tea?

Because they brew for different cups. Mei Leaf brews rolled oolong at 99 °C; Harney & Sons drops lighter oolongs to about 82 °C. Hotter water extracts faster and gives more body and more bitterness. Start at the chart value, then move 5 °C in either direction by taste.

Is the ISO 3103 method the right way to brew tea?

No. ISO 3103 (2 g per 100 ml, boiling water, 6 minutes for black tea) exists so tasters can compare batches side by side under identical conditions. The standard itself says it is not a recipe for everyday drinking.

Tea Steeping Chart

Temperature, leaf weight, steep time and number of infusions for 11 tea types, western and gongfu. Leaf is in grams per 100 ml of water, so it scales to any cup or gaiwan. Every row names the vendor or agency it came from.

Steeping parameters by tea type
Tea	Water	Western leaf / 100 ml	Western steep	Gongfu leaf / 100 ml	Gongfu steep	Infusions (western / gongfu)
Green, Chinese pan-firedLongjing, Biluochun, Huangshan Maofeng	80 °C / 176 °F	0.5 g	2 min, +1 min	3–3.5 g	15 s, +3 s	2 / 5
Green, Japanese steamedSencha, fukamushi sencha	70–90 °C / 158–194 °F	2–3 g	90 s (fukamushi 30 s)	Not used	—	2: second pour hotter, about half the time
WhiteBai Hao Yinzhen, Bai Mudan, Shou Mei	85 °C / 185 °F	0.6 g	3 min, +1 min	3.5–4 g	20 s, +10 s	2 / 5
YellowJunshan Yinzhen, Huoshan Huangya	85 °C / 185 °F	0.6 g	2 min, +1 min	3.5–4 g	15 s, +5 s	2 / 5
Oolong, rolled (lighter styles)Tieguanyin, Taiwanese high-mountain	99 °C / 210 °F	1 g	2 min, +30 s	6–6.5 g	25 s, +5 s	5 / 9
Oolong, twisted strip (darker, roasted)Wuyi rock tea (Da Hong Pao), Dancong	99 °C / 210 °F	0.8 g	2 min, +30 s	4.5–5 g	20 s, +5 s	4 / 9
BlackKeemun, Dian Hong, Assam, Darjeeling second flush	90–95 °C / 194–203 °F	0.7–0.8 g	2 min, +1 min	4–4.5 g	10–15 s, +5 s	4 / 8
Sheng (raw) pu-erhYoung and aged Yunnan cakes	95 °C / 203 °F	0.9 g	2 min, +30 s	5 g	rinse, 10 s, +3 s	6 / 15
Shou (ripe) pu-erhMenghai 7572, ripe mini tuo	99 °C / 210 °F	0.9 g	2 min, +30 s	5 g	rinse, 10 s, +5 s	6 / 20
Matcha (whisked usucha)Ceremonial-grade matcha	80 °C / 176 °F	2 g in 60 ml (3.3 g per 100 ml)	whisk 15 s	Not used	—	1
Herbal and rooibosRooibos, honeybush, chamomile, peppermint	90–100 °C / 194–212 °F	1 teaspoon per cup	5–7 min	Not used	—	1

“+30 s” means add 30 seconds to each following infusion. Gongfu means a 100–150 ml gaiwan or clay pot, lots of leaf, and short steeps poured off completely.

Where each row comes from

Green, Chinese pan-fired: Mei Leaf, London.
Green, Japanese steamed: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan, Ippodo Tea, Kyoto. 70 °C for high-grade sencha, 90 °C for everyday grades (MAFF). Ippodo’s house recipe is 10 g in 210 ml at 80 °C for 60 s. Brewed in a kyusu, not a gaiwan.
White: Mei Leaf, London.
Yellow: Mei Leaf, London.
Oolong, rolled (lighter styles): Mei Leaf, London, Harney & Sons. Harney & Sons brews lighter oolongs cooler, around 180 °F (82 °C). Drop toward that if a green, floral oolong turns sharp.
Oolong, twisted strip (darker, roasted): Mei Leaf, London, Harney & Sons.
Black: Mei Leaf, London, Harney & Sons. Small-leaf blacks at 90 °C, large-leaf at 95 °C (Mei Leaf). Harney & Sons and ISO 3103 both use boiling water for a stronger single mug.
Sheng (raw) pu-erh: Mei Leaf, London, white2tea. white2tea goes heavier: 1 g per 15 ml (6–7 g per 100 ml), boiling water, at least 8–12 steeps.
Shou (ripe) pu-erh: Mei Leaf, London, Yunnan Sourcing. Yunnan Sourcing rinses ripe pu-erh twice and lists 10–20 infusions.
Matcha (whisked usucha): Ippodo Tea, Kyoto. The powder is drunk, not steeped, so there is no second infusion.
Herbal and rooibos: Rooibos.Africa, Harney & Sons. Rooibos does not turn bitter with boiling water or a long steep. Harney & Sons brews all herbals at 212 °F for 5 minutes.

Water temperature at a glance

Water temperature by tea type. A single mark is a single published value; a wider bar is a published range.

Western or gongfu?

Western: little leaf, a mug or teapot, minutes per steep. Mei Leaf’s western column uses 0.5–1 g per 100 ml; Rishi and ISO 3103 use about 2 g. Use the low end for a long, gentle cup and the high end for a strong one.
Gongfu: 5–10 times more leaf, a small vessel, seconds per steep, many rounds. The same 5 g of oolong gives about nine short cups instead of one long one.
Taste first: bitter or drying means cooler water or a shorter steep; thin means more leaf, not more time. The troubleshooting table goes symptom by symptom.

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Kettles and gaiwans for these temperatures

Common questions

What water temperature should I use for green tea?: Chinese pan-fired greens such as Longjing take 80 °C / 176 °F in Mei Leaf’s chart. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture puts high-grade sencha at 70 °C and everyday sencha at 90 °C. Boiling water pulls bitterness out of green leaf fast; a Turkish green tea study scored 85 °C for 3 minutes highest and long, hot brews lowest.
How much tea do I use per cup?: Western style, published guides range from about 0.5 g per 100 ml (Mei Leaf, longer steeps) to 2 g per 100 ml (ISO 3103 tasting standard). Rishi’s house rule of 4–5 g per 8 oz lands at about 1.7–2.1 g per 100 ml. Gongfu uses 3–6.5 g per 100 ml with steeps measured in seconds.
How many times can I re-steep loose leaf tea?: Brewed western style, most leaf gives 2 to 6 infusions. Brewed gongfu, white and green give about 5, oolong about 9, sheng pu-erh about 15 and shou pu-erh about 20 in Mei Leaf’s averages. Matcha and most herbals are a single brew.
Why do different vendors give different temperatures for the same tea?: Because they brew for different cups. Mei Leaf brews rolled oolong at 99 °C; Harney & Sons drops lighter oolongs to about 82 °C. Hotter water extracts faster and gives more body and more bitterness. Start at the chart value, then move 5 °C in either direction by taste.
Is the ISO 3103 method the right way to brew tea?: No. ISO 3103 (2 g per 100 ml, boiling water, 6 minutes for black tea) exists so tasters can compare batches side by side under identical conditions. The standard itself says it is not a recipe for everyday drinking.

Sources

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

Mei Leaf Tea Brewing Guide (PDF) — Mei Leaf, London. Gongfu and western grams per 100 ml, water temperature, first infusion, increments and average infusions for white, green, yellow, oolong, black and pu-erh
The proper way to brew Nihoncha (PDF) — Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan. Sencha 2–3 g per 100 ml, 70 °C (high grade) to 90 °C (middle grade), 90 s; second infusion hotter and about 45 s; soft water of 30–80 mg/L hardness
Basic Sencha — Ippodo Tea, Kyoto. 10 g leaf, 210 ml water at 80 °C, 60 s
Usucha (Classic Matcha) Recipe — Ippodo Tea, Kyoto. 2 g matcha, 60 ml water at 80 °C, whisk 15 s
Tea Temperature Chart: Steep Times & Temps — Harney & Sons. White 175 °F 3 min; green 175 °F 1–3 min; oolong 180–212 °F 1–5 min; black 212 °F 5 min; herbals 212 °F 5 min
Oolong Tea: Types, Flavor, and Brewing — Harney & Sons. Lighter oolongs around 180 °F, darker oolongs up to 212 °F
How to Brew Puer Tea: A Complete Guide — white2tea. 1 g leaf per 15 ml vessel, boiling water, sheng 8–12 steeps, shou 8–10 or more
Brewing Guide for Green, Black, Oolong and Pu-erh Teas — Yunnan Sourcing. Raw and ripe pu-erh about 6 g per 100 ml, 10–20 infusions
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
ISO 3103:2019 — Tea — Preparation of liquor for use in sensory tests — International Organization for Standardization. 2 g leaf per 100 ml freshly boiled water, 6 minutes, for tasting comparisons