Tea Steeping Timer

Bitterness in tea often results from excessive tannin extraction caused by water that is too hot or steeping times that are too long. Conversely, weak or flat tea indicates insufficient time or temperature to release the amino acids and volatile oils responsible for aroma. This tool manages these variables across different botanical profiles.

Precision is particularly critical for non-oxidized teas like Green or White tea, where cellular structures break down rapidly above 80°C. Fully oxidized teas, such as Black or Pu-erh, require near-boiling water to extract robust flavonoid compounds.

The calculator supports both Western Style brewing (low leaf-to-water ratio, long time) and Gong Fu Cha (high leaf-to-water ratio, short sequential steeps). The latter method allows for the separation of flavor layers over multiple infusions, requiring precise time increments (often starting at 10s and increasing by 5s per steep).

In Gong Fu brewing, the steeping time (t) typically increases with each subsequent infusion (n) to account for the slower extraction rate of the remaining compounds. A simplified linear model for extraction time is often used:

Where the Increment is typically 5s to 10s depending on leaf density. Western brewing treats extraction as a single event, aiming for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) saturation in one long steep.