Brewing
Guide to Brewing Loose Leaf Tea
Gaiwan | Yixing Teapot | Western Brew | Cold Brew
There are several ways to brew loose leaf tea, each with its own benefits. Here’s a breakdown of some common methods:
Gong Fu Brewing
Gong Fu Cha (功夫茶) is a traditional Chinese tea brewing method focused on precision and skill. It uses small teapots or a gaiwan to steep a higher leaf-to-water ratio in multiple short infusions. This approach allows the tea’s full character to unfold gradually, revealing subtle layers of aroma and flavour with each steep. Gong Fu brewing is commonly used for oolongs, pu-erh, and black teas, and emphasizes mindfulness and appreciation of the tea-making process. It’s not just about taste, it’s a ritual that invites focus, patience, and connection with the tea and those you share it with.
How to Brew Tea with a Gaiwan
A gaiwan (蓋碗) is a traditional Chinese lidded bowl used for brewing loose-leaf tea. Made mostly of porcelain, it’s ideal for green, white, and lightly oxidized oolong teas. A gaiwan allows you to observe the leaves as they unfurl and can be used for both brewing and sipping directly.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Weigh Your Tea
Use 4–8 grams of loose-leaf tea, depending on the tea type. A scale can help ensure consistency, especially with different leaf shapes.
2. Preheat Your Teaware
Rinse the gaiwan, pitcher (fair cup), and teacups with hot water - the same temperature you will use to brew your selected tea. This helps stabilize the brewing temperature. Discard the rinse water.
3. Add Tea Leaves
Place the tea into the warmed gaiwan. The heat helps release the leaves’ aroma.
4. Add Hot Water
Pour hot water around the rim of the gaiwan to evenly wet the leaves.Use the temperature of water as directed for your tea type 85-100°C(185 - 212°F)
(Optional: do a quick rinse for rolled oolongs before the first steep.)
5. (Optional) Stir the Leaves
Use the lid to gently swirl or stir the tea, ensuring even contact with water.
6. Steep the Tea
Steep for 20–45 seconds, depending on the tea. Rolled leaves usually need a bit longer.
7. Prepare to Pour
Tilt the lid slightly to create a small opening. Hold the gaiwan securely—thumb on one side, middle and ring fingers on the other, with your index finger on the lid.
8. Decant the Tea
Pour the brewed tea into a fair cup. Make sure to pour out all liquid to avoid over-steeping. Use a fine strainer if desired.
9. Serve and Enjoy
Pour the tea into individual cups and enjoy the first infusion.
10. Re-Steep
Add more water for additional brews. Increase the steep time slightly with each infusion. Most quality teas can be steeped multiple times, revealing new flavours with each round.
How to Brew Tea in a Yixing Teapot
A Yixing teapot (宜兴壶) is a traditional Chinese clay teapot made from porous Zisha clay. These teapots are prized for their ability to absorb and enhance the flavour of tea over time. It’s best to dedicate one Yixing teapot to a single type or style of tea, as the clay retains the tea’s aroma and essence.
Yixing clay is ideal for darker or more oxidized teas, including: Aged or roasted oolong (Tie Guan Yin, Dong Ding), Wuyi rock oolong (Yancha), Phoneix Oolong, Sheng Puerh (Raw), Shou Puerh (Ripe) and Black teas. As a general note, avoid using green or delicate teas, as the heat retention and porous clay can overpower their subtle flavours.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Weigh Your Tea
Use 4–10 grams of tea, depending on the teapot size and leaf type. A scale ensures consistency.
2. Rinse and Preheat the Teaware
Pour boiling water (95–100°C / 203–212°F) into the teapot, pitcher (fair cup), and cups. This warms the clay and ensures an even brew. Discard the rinse water.
3. Add Tea Leaves
Place your dry tea into the warmed Yixing teapot. The heat activates the leaves’ aroma – take a moment to smell it.
4. Add Hot Water
Pour hot water directly onto the leaves.
Use the temperature of water as directed for your tea type 85-100°C(185 - 212°F)(Optional: Quickly rinse the tea leaves and discard the first steep to "awaken" the leaves, common for rolled oolongs and puerh.)
5. Let the Tea Steep
Steep the first infusion for 15–45 seconds, depending on the tea. Tightly rolled leaves or compressed puerh may need longer. Shorter steeps help preserve flavour over multiple infusions.
6. Pour into a Fair Cup or directly into your Teacups
Hold the lid in place, pour the tea into your fair cup, and ensure all liquid is drained to prevent bitterness. Use a strainer if needed.
Or for a hotter tea, pour the tea for the yixing teapot directly into small cups and enjoy. Yixing teaware is often used for gongfu cha – brewing in small amounts with many short infusions.
7. Re-Steep Many Times
Yixing teapots are perfect for multiple infusions. Add more water, increasing the steep time slightly with each round. Good tea can yield 5 to 10 steeps or more, evolving with each brew.
How to Brew Tea in Western ("Grandpa") Style
Also known as Grandpa Style, this is an easy, no-fuss method ideal for daily drinking. Tea leaves are steeped directly in a mug or pitcher – no teapot needed.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Measure Your Tea
Use 2–3 grams of tea per 250 ml (about 1 cup) of water.
2. Add Leaves to a Pitcher or Your Mug
Place loose leaves directly in your mug
3. Add Hot Water
Pour hot water over the leaves. Use the appropriate temperature for the tea type
(e.g., ~85°C/185°F for green tea, ~95°C/203°F for oolong or black).
4. Sip as It Steeps or Pour it out the tea when it gets to the ideal Taste and Colour
Drink slowly. The tea will gradually get stronger as it sits. Sip around the leaves, or gently blow them aside if floating. You can use a strainer or reusable cotton tea bag if you do not want to have loose leaves at the bottom of your mug.
5. Refill with Water
Top up with more hot water when the brew becomes too strong or the mug is low. Repeat until the leaves lose flavour.
How to Make Cold Brew Tea
Cold brew is a slow, gentle method that uses cold or room-temperature water to extract flavour. It produces a smooth, refreshing tea with less caffeine and virtually no bitterness.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Measure Your Tea
Use 6–10 grams of tea per 1 liter (4 cups) of water. Adjust based on your taste and tea type.
2. Add Tea to a Jar or Pitcher
Place loose-leaf tea directly into a clean pitcher or glass jar.
3. Add Cold or Room-Temperature Water
Fill the container with cold or room-temp water.
4. Steep Slowly
Let the tea steep for 8–12 hours at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge (up to 24 hours).
5. Strain and Serve
Strain out the leaves and pour into a glass. Serve chilled—no sweetener needed.
Try Each Brewing Method
Explore different tea brewing methods – Gaiwan, Yixing teapot, Grandpa style, or Cold Brew – to discover what suits your taste and lifestyle. Each method brings out unique flavours and experiences. Adjust tea amount, water temperature, and steeping time to your preference. Enjoy the journey – tea is meant to be savoured!