How to Brew Ceylon Green Tea Without Bitterness

How to Brew Ceylon Green Tea Without Bitterness

To brew Ceylon green tea without bitterness, use water at 75 to 80°C (not boiling), about one teaspoon of leaf per cup, and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Green tea is delicate. Boiling water and long steeping pull out bitter compounds before the sweet, fresh flavours have a chance to show.

This guide answers the most common questions about brewing green tea, in short sections you can read in any order.

Why does green tea taste bitter?

Green tea is not oxidised, so its leaves keep high levels of natural compounds called catechins. These give green tea its fresh character and antioxidants, but they also taste bitter and astringent when over-extracted.

Heat and time control how much of those compounds end up in the cup. The usual causes of bitterness are:

• Water that is too hot.
• Steeping too long.
• Too much leaf.
• Leaves left in the water after brewing.
• Old or stale tea.
• Hard water.

Fix these and most bitterness disappears.

What is the best water temperature for green tea?

Use 75 to 80°C. Boiling water scorches delicate green leaves and extracts bitterness quickly. Water that is too cool, on the other hand, gives a thin, grassy cup.

This is the opposite of black tea, which is fully oxidised and needs water at 95 to 100°C. Many people brew green tea too hot because they treat all tea the same way.

How do you get the right temperature without a thermometer?

You don't need special equipment. Try one of these:

• Wait after boiling. Let freshly boiled water rest for about 3 to 5 minutes before pouring.
• Add cold water. Mix a splash of cold water into the boiled water before pouring over the leaves.
• Pour into a cup first. Moving water from the kettle to a jug or cup before the teapot drops the temperature a little.
• Use a variable-temperature kettle. This takes the guesswork out entirely.

How much green tea should you use?

Start with one level teaspoon (about 2 g) per 250 ml cup.

• Gunpowder green tea: use about half to one teaspoon. The rolled pellets are dense and swell up when they steep.
• Looser, flatter leaf: use a level teaspoon.
• Want it stronger? Add a little more leaf rather than steeping longer. Extra time brings bitterness without adding body.

How long should you steep green tea?

Steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Start at the lower end, taste, and adjust.

Set a timer, and remove the leaves or lift the infuser as soon as it goes off. Leaves left in the cup keep extracting.

What is the best way to brew green tea, step by step?

1. Use fresh, cold water. Boil it, then let it cool to about 75 to 80°C.
2. Warm the teapot or cup with a little hot water, then pour it away.
3. Add about one teaspoon of leaf per cup.
4. Pour the water gently over the leaves.
5. Steep for 2 to 3 minutes, covered to hold in the aroma.
6. Strain completely so no leaf stays in the water.
7. Serve straight away.

Does the water you use matter?

Yes. Water makes up almost all of your cup. Hard water, which is high in minerals, can dull flavour and increase the sense of bitterness. Filtered or soft water lets the tea taste cleaner and sweeter.

Use fresh, cold water for each brew, and don't reboil water that has already been boiled. Reboiling reduces dissolved oxygen, which can make tea taste flat.

Can you fix green tea that has already turned bitter?

You can soften it:

• Dilute it. Add a splash of hot (not boiling) water.
• Add a little sweetness. A teaspoon of honey balances astringency.
• Add lemon. A slice of lemon brightens the flavour and offsets the bitterness.
• Chill it. Cold temperatures reduce how bitter a tea tastes.

Then change one thing next time, such as the temperature or the time, so you can find what caused the problem.

Can you re-steep green tea?

Yes. Good quality loose-leaf green tea can usually be infused two or three times. Use water at about 80°C for the second infusion and steep for 2 to 3 minutes. The second cup is often smoother and sweeter, because the first infusion carries away much of the bitterness. Gunpowder pellets open up further with each infusion.

Is cold-brewing green tea less bitter?

Yes. Cold water extracts bitter compounds much more slowly than hot water, so a cold brew tastes sweeter and smoother.

1. Add about one teaspoon of leaf per 250 ml of cold, filtered water.
2. Refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.
3. Strain and serve over ice.

Drink cold-brewed tea within a day or two and keep it refrigerated.

Does brewing affect the health benefits of green tea?

Yes. Proper brewing releases the natural antioxidants in the leaf, including catechins, along with its flavour. Brewing carefully at the right temperature and for the right time gets you the benefits without the harshness of over-extraction.

Green tea also contains caffeine, generally less than black tea, roughly in the range of 20 to 45 mg per cup depending on the leaf and brewing method. If you are sensitive to caffeine, check with a health professional about what suits you. The act of timing and waiting is also a small calming ritual in the day.

Which Ceylon green tea should you brew?

Start with one of our two loose-leaf styles:

• For a light, fresh cup: Pure Ceylon Green Tea, a delicate infusion made from tender, emerald-green leaves.
• For a bolder, rolled style: Pure Ceylon Gunpowder Green Tea, made from tightly rolled pellets that unfurl as they steep.

You can browse all of them in our Pure Ceylon Green Tea collection. To brew them well, pick up a teapot or mug and a few tea accessories such as an infuser. For a printable reference covering every type of tea, see our full tea brewing guide.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What temperature should I brew green tea at?
75 to 80°C, so let boiled water cool for 3 to 5 minutes first.

How long should I steep green tea?
2 to 3 minutes.

Why is my green tea bitter?
Usually the water was too hot, the steep was too long, or there was too much leaf.

How much green tea per cup?
About one level teaspoon per 250 ml, or half to one teaspoon for gunpowder.

Can I re-steep green tea?
Yes, two or three times, with water at about 80°C.

Is cold-brew green tea less bitter?
Yes. Steep it in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours.

Final thoughts

Bitter green tea is almost never a bad tea. It is nearly always a temperature or timing problem. Cool the water, measure the leaf, watch the clock and strain on time. Change one thing at a time, and you will find the cup that tastes best to you.