Depending on cup size and desired tea strength, 1 or 2 full teaspoons of loose tea is usually adequate to brew a 10-12 ounce cup of tea. Always place loose tea in cup first before pouring in the hot water. Tea should steep for about 5 minutes for full flavor. Then immediately transfer brewed tea only, no leaves, to another cup for your drinking pleasure. If you find tea strength too strong or weak, adjust brewing time accordingly. Longer times could result in bitter taste.
If using one cup for both brewing and drinking, cover cup while steeping for best flavor. Depending on tea quality, strength and desired taste, some loose teas can be reused several times. Just add more hot water and repeat brewing for about 5 minutes for each 10-12 ounce serving.
How Do I Decaffeinate Tea In the Cup?
Caffeine is highly soluble and is one of the first constituents of the tea leaf to be extracted in steeping.
Usually 80 % of the tea’s caffeine content is released within the first 20 to 30 seconds of steeping. You can enjoy virtually caffeine-free tea with small sacrifice of flavor by discarding the water after the first 30 to 60 seconds of steeping and adding fresh hot water to the now decaffeinated leaf.
Remember too that tea has constituents which act to soothe and relax the body.
These polyphenols only begin to dissolve after the third minute of steeping and will be pretty fully extracted after 5 minutes. This long-steeped tea could be the secret of bedtime tea as an aid to sleep.