1. White Tea : white tea is made entirely or mostly from the 'buds' (or immature, unopened tealeaves) of the tea plant
Most people agree that white tea should be brewed with water that is well below boiling and that higher temperatures will scald the tea. I generally use water around about 75 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Fahrenheit), when tiny bubbles (about 3 mm each) form on the bottom of a pot of water on the stove.
2. Green Tea : most green and black teas are made from mature tealeave.
Most green teas are best when brewed well below boiling temp (212 degrees Fahrenheit), at somewhere between about 65 to 80 degrees Celsius ( 150 and 180 degrees Fahrenheit). If you're warming water in a pot, this means it will have either tiny bubbles forming in the bottom of the pot or tiny bubbles (about 3 mm) rapidly rising to the surface of the pot.
Japanese green teas tend to require lower temperatures than other green teas. Some scented or shaped green teas (like Jasmine Pearls) may be brewed at slightly higher temperatures. Yellow tea should be brewed much like green tea.
3. Oolong Tea : After the tealeaves are picked, they are rolled and allowed to oxidize.
The best temperature for brewing oolong tea depends on how you're preparing it. Gong fu brewing usually requires higher brew temperatures (as well as more leaves and very short brew times) compared to Western-style brewing.
For Western-style brewing, oolong tea is generally best when brewed between 88 to 93 degrees Celsius (190 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit). If you're looking at a pot of water in this temperature range, it will have bubbles that are about 5 mm in size and a moderate amount of steam.
4. Black Tea : Black tea is the most popular type of tea in the West. Many believe that this is due to black teas' bold flavors and relatively long shelf lives of black teas. In the East, black tea consumption is less common, and in China, black tea is known as "hong cha" or red tea due to the reddish color of its liquor (or infusion).
Some delicate black teas (like First Flush Darjeelings) require lower brewing temperatures of around 80 to 93 degrees Celsius (180 to 190 degree Fahrenheit). However, most black teas can be brewed between 88 to 100 degrees Celsius (200 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit). I usually use 100 degrees Celsius which is a full boil.
5. How to Brew Herbal Teas / Tisanes
Tisanes (a.k.a. 'herbal teas') come from many different plants, so their brewing instructions vary widely. Most of them should be boiled to release their full flavor. (Actually boiling teas or tisanes creates a decoction rather than an infusion.) However, generally speaking, water at a full boil (100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit ) will work.
If you're not drinking tea yet, read up on these 10 ways tea does your body good and then see if you're ready to change your coffee habit!
