How Long to Steep Tea
Steep time is often the difference between a flat cup and a bitter one — and the right duration varies more than most people expect, depending on the tea type and leaf grade.
CTC Tea: 2-3 Minutes
CTC's small granules extract quickly due to their large surface area. Steeping beyond 3 minutes usually pushes the tea into bitter, over-extracted territory.
Orthodox Black Tea: 3-5 Minutes
Whole and long-broken leaves release flavour more gradually, so they need a bit longer to fully open up and extract. Taste at the 3-minute mark and adjust from there based on your preference.
Green Tea: 2-3 Minutes
Green tea is quick to steep but very sensitive to over-steeping, which brings out excessive bitterness fast. Set a timer rather than guessing, especially with a new batch.
General Rule
When in doubt, under-steep rather than over-steep — you can always steep a bit longer, but you can't undo a bitter, over-extracted cup.
Use this guide with our CTC, Orthodox, and Green Tea ranges for a consistently good cup.