FOOD NEWS
How To Steep Tea, According To Science
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
According to scientists at the University of Northumbria's School of Life Sciences, the secret to a killer cup of tea is to let it stand for two minutes after steeping.
Then, remove the leaves and let it sit for another six minutes. Resting and cooling the tea to 140 degrees F creates the best conditions for the tea leaves to release their flavor.
Different types of tea require different temperatures. Just below boiling is ideal for herbal and green teas, while black teas fare better at a full boil.
Specifically, the best range is 200 to 212 degrees F for black teas, 150 to 180 F for green teas, 180 to 200 F for oolong teas, 212 F for herbal teas, and 160 F for white teas.
It depends on preference and desired strength, but generally, herbal teas should steep for four minutes, black teas for two to four minutes, and green teas for three minutes.