Another reason a green tea might turn bitter is it may have been steeped too long.
Basically steep the tea until it tastes good to you. Here are some very general guidelines (and there are lots of exceptions to this).
| Tea Type | Recommended Steeping Time |
|---|---|
| Black Tea | 4–6 minutes |
|
Dark Tea (and Puer) |
10 seconds–10 minutes Steeping times vary considerably. See our Puer tea preparation guide for detailed recommendations. |
| Oolong Tea | 2–4 minutes |
|
Green Tea (and Yellow) |
1–3 minutes |
| White Tea | 1–4 minutes |
| Herbal Tea | 4–10 minutes |
One observation: typically the smaller the tea particles (like Classic Iced Tea) the quicker the tea will infuse and steep. And the larger the leaf particles (like Ceylon Lumbini OPA used in our Ceylon Seafarer) the longer the tea will need to steep and infuse.
Also, be sure to visit us on Facebook for a chance to win a year of free tea!
