Tea 101: The Perfect Teapot Infusion

What makes a great infusion? Well everyone has there own personal preferences, so it is important to judge your own infusion with the confidence that 'you know how you like it’. Here is a very simple guide to help you move towards brewing your perfect teapot infusion every time. Don’t forget that though teapots are the most common and practical tools for brewing tea, experimenting with a Gaiwan, Gong Fu Cha or Senchado can often enhance your tasting experience even more.

White tea

• Dosage: 3g/250ml (2 tsp)
• Duration: 5 to 7 minutes
• Temperature: between 65 and 90 degrees Celsius. A lower temperature is recommended for teas with unmolded buds (Bai Hao Yin Zhen), and a higher temperature for buds with silver to black buds. (ex: Darjeeling Avongrove)
• Tips: try drinking white teas in a small volume of water, in a Gaiwan for example, to appreciate all the subtleties.

Yellow teas

• Dosage: 3g/250ml (1.5 tsp)
• Duration: 4 to 5 minutes
• Temperature: between 75 and 85 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: Prepared in a Gaiwan, yellow tea will have the strength of a green tea, and in teapot, it will rather have the sweetness of a white tea.

Chinese green teas

• Dosage: 2.5-3g/250ml (1 tsp)
• Duration: 3 to 5 minutes
• Temperature: between 75 and 85 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: Try Chinese green teas in a Gaiwan!

Japanese green teas

• Dosage: 2.5g/250ml (1 tsp)
• Duration: 3 to 5 minutes
• Temperature: between 60 and 85 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: The senchado technique is recommended for the highest grades.

Wulong

• Dosage: 3g/250ml (1 tsp)
• Duration: 4 to 5 minutes
• Temperature: 95 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: It is suggested to rinse the leaves so they unfold more easily, and to use a brewer large enough for the same reason.

Black teas

• Dosage: 2.5g/250ml (1 tsp)
• Duration: 3 to 5 minutes
• Temperature: between 85 and 95 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: The more the leaves are broken or crushed, the lower the brewing time should be.

Pu Er

• Dosage: 2.5g/250ml (1 tsp)
• Duration: 3 to 6 minutes
• Temperature: between 90 and 95 degrees Celsius.
• Tips: It is suggested to rinse the leaves for at least 5 seconds.

Enjoy!