Bitter tea? Here’s how to make your tea taste great

Bitter teabag tea? Change it up. It is all about quality loose leaf tea and how you brew it. You don’t need to add sugar to mask bitter tea. Invest in high quality teas that taste naturally sweet and learn to brew them properly. Here at Fusion Teas, we are passionate about providing you with fantastic loose leaf teas.

It’s simple, three main points:  Type, temperature and time. 

First is the type of tea, then quality water and the right temperature, and lastly, the right brew time for your palate and the type of tea.

Use fresh, cool water to heat for tea. Poor quality water can make good tea undrinkable. Avoid distilled water because the lack of minerals may leave the tea tasting flat.

Tea Type

Black tea is often the easiest tea to brew. Most black teas are best brewed for three to five minutes with water that is just barely below boiling. If you prefer a bold flavor, try more leaf, or a just slightly longer brew. 

Select quality green tea and brew it properly. We’ve seen a change in water temps and steep times change people from green tea haters into green tea lovers in a matter of minutes. Experiment with it and find what you love!

Oolong tea takes careful practice. We recommend experimenting with different brewing times and temperatures to see what brings out the best in each brew for you. Oolongs are perfect for multiple steepings.

White tea is delicate. Water well below boiling is ideal. The tricky part is getting enough leaf in your brew. Often, the leaves are so fluffy that you can’t even fit a couple of them into a teaspoon! So, when in doubt, use more leaves. 

Herbals, hibiscus, and rooibos take boiling water and more time.

The wide variety of teas have different ideal brewing temperatures and brew times. Use this as a general guide:

Temperature and Time

White tea: 165-185 degrees for 3-6 minutes.

Black tea: 195-203 degrees for 2-5 minutes. Brew Darjeeling on the lower end of the spectrum.

Green tea: 175 degrees for 1-3 minutes. More delicate green teas, like Gyokuro, brew better in a lower temperature, while most flavored green teas can go a little hotter.

Oolong tea: 180-200 degrees, depending on tea and brewing method, for 1-5 minutes.

Hibiscus and most herbal teas: 200-212 degrees for 4-8 minutes.

Rooibos: 208 degrees for 5-8 minutes.

Yerba mate: 180 degrees for 3-5 minutes. (Usually, higher temperatures will yield a more bitter brew.)

Experiment

Guidelines are guidelines, but your tastes are your own! If you brew up your first cup and find that the flavor is too bitter or strong, try a shorter brew, slightly cooler water or less leaf next time.

Whether it’s a classic pure tea, a wild blend of herbs and spices, a bold black tea, a delicate white tea, or something in between that brings you delight, we have just the tea to stimulate your senses, bring you inner calm or be a bonus high point in your day.

Check out our Tea 101 page for lots more tips on how to avoid bitter tea!