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Many people I’ve talked to complain about the bitterness of green tea. Green tea is not bitter, though. If you have a bitter green tea, then it is entirely due to “user error!” Green tea is extremely delicate. Take a little bit more time when brewing green tea and you will reap the benefits! Pay close attention to water temperature and steep time! Take a look at the following info, courtesy of: http://www.o-cha.com/brew.htm
Hope you have a great green tea experience!
How to Brew Great Green Tea…without the Bitterness
Water quality…
Good quality water is essential for making a good cup of green tea. Make sure you’re using good water.
Water temperature…
This is where most mistakes are made. Brew your green tea too hot, and your tea will become bitter. The correct temperature does vary depending on the green tea, but for most it is around 165-170 degrees F (73-76 C.)
Proportion of green tea to water…
Most of our green teas are brewed at 1 heaping teaspoon (5 grams) per 8 ounces of water, but this can vary depending on the tea.
Brew time…
Generally, two minutes is all it takes Any longer, and the taste may becomes too bitter. Also, it’s very important to NOT stir, shake, or mix the tea.
Allowing the tea room to expand…
This is rather important. Japanese green tea is compact – it needs room to expand. Tea balls do not work well at all. You’ll be much better off using a Japanese teapot that was designed with green tea in mind. It is a one time investment of between $30-$100, and will make your life so much easier.
Take a good look at the inside of this green tea teapot to the left, made in Japan. The infuser screen goes all the way around the inside of the teapot, allowing the tea leaves to expand fully. This is the best kind to use. These teapots are rather small, about the size of a grapefruit, and usually hold 8-13 ounces or so.
Step-By-Step Instructions To Brew Green Tea
Here is a time proven method. The first time you do it, you’ll have to think about it but it soon becomes an easy routine.
You will need:
- Teapot
- Teacups(s) – For our method, you will need one or two more empty teacups than what you actually plan to drink.
- A good green tea
- Teaspoon
Step 1.
Boil your water in a tea kettle, then remove from heat. At this stage, your water temperature will be close to 200 F (93 C)
Step 2.
Pour hot water into your empty (no tea leaves just yet) teapot, filling it. Water temperature drops to around 185 F (85 C). Added benefit – The teapot is pre-warmed at the same time.
Step 3.
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Wait about a minute, and then pour hot water from the teapot filling TWO of the three teacups. Teacup are now pre-warmed, plus the exact amount of water has been measured out. Drain remaining hot water from teapot.
Step 4.
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Add one teaspoon (6 grams) of loose leave green tea into the now warm, empty teapot.
Step 5.
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Pass hot water between the two teacups and the third empty teacup once or twice. The temperature will drop to around 165-175 F (70 C), perfect for sencha.
Step 6.
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Pour hot water from your teacups directly into your teapot, and brew for 2 minutes.At this point, before you actually take your first sip, take a look at the color. Smell the aroma. With experience, you will soon be able to the tell the good green tea from the mediocre green tea. You will see tiny bits of tea floating around that will settle to the bottom. This is normal, drink them up! One teaspoon can make 3 to 5 infusions
February 11th, 2013 at 12:17 pm
I have been unsuccessfully trying to make iced green tea for the past two days due to user error. Now, it is time to call in some expert advice.
1)Would I need to add more tea leaves since it will be iced?
2) How many days can I leave it in the fridge for?
3) I want to eventually mix in different flavors like ginger, lemon and peppermint, would I need to change the fashion I prepare the green tea? Also what other flavors do you know works well with green tea?
If you have answered any of the questions listed above, sorry. Nonetheless, thank you for your time and advice.