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How Long To Steep Green Tea?

Green tea is a popular drink that’s been around for thousands of years and is consumed en masse to the sum of over 3.6 billion gallons every year in the U.S. alone. Despite it’s popularity, the perfect method to brewing tea eludes some people, leading them to wonder how long to steep green tea.

Different teas have different infusion times and can tolerate being steeped for longer before losing their flavor; however, as a general rule, green tea should be steeped for about three minutes.

The three-minute rule applies across the board with many different teas, and green tea gets particularly bitter when it’s over-steeped. The rest of this article will walk you through how long to steep your green tea for the best flavor.

The Best Way to Steep Green Tea

Striking the perfect balance of steeping time and water temperature is the key to a perfect cup of green tea. Green tea releases all of its natural flavor—catechins, caffeine, amino acids, and tannins—by steeping.

The longer you steep the tea, the more of its flavor will be released, but if you steep it for too long, then the tea will take on a yellow-brown color and taste bitter, detracting from the experience.

To make the best green tea, you’ll want to bring spring-fresh or fresh filtered water to 185 Fahrenheit, and pour 8-10 ounces of boiling water into your teacup. Let the tea steep for about three minutes and then enjoy!

Some teas vary in how long they can be steeped, but three minutes is the golden spot for getting a flavorful brew without it tasting too bitter.

Tea Bags

Tea bags are a lot more versatile in how long you can get away with steeping them for before they lose their flavor, but their attributes are not as potent as loose-leaf tea. Compared to their fresh counterparts, tea bags are usually blander and paler in color.

Loose-Leaf Green Tea

Arguably the best option for enjoying green tea, loose-leaf such as green, black, white, or Oolang, generally have a more pleasant odor, and taste better than tea bags.  Loose-leaf green tea, being fresher, also offers much more benefit to the body than tea bags do.

Green tea is full of antioxidants, which can prevent aging and prevent the buildup of harmful free radicals in the body. Additionally, green tea has been shown to aid digestion by soothing the stomach. Green tea is also linked to increase brain function, increases metabolism, and wards off the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease.

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