How to Make Green Tea – A Guide to Brewing

Want to get into green tea? We'll teach you how to brew it up like an expert each and every time. But first, a little bit of history. 

Green tea is synonymous with Chinese culture, so you likely know it has its origins thousands of years ago in China. As legend has it, the Chinese Emperor Shennong mistakenly drank water that had a dead tea leaf boiled in it. Basically, he fell in love with the flavor and the drink we know and love called green tea was created. 

Now, you don't have to be an emperor or royalty to enjoy this delicious, healthy beverage. Maybe you're turning to green tea for an energy boost ––it's much healthier than coffee, but you can still get a similar energy jolt, for the flavor, or the health factors –– think lowering LDL (the "bad') cholesterol, helping keep your brain function sharp, and more –– brewing a delicious mug every time is easy. 

How Much Green Tea Per Cup? 

To brew a single serving mug of green tea, just scoop 1.5 teaspoons of tea per 8-ounces of water. If you're making a pot to share, you'll want to adjust the amount of tea to ensure everyone gets that beautiful umami flavor we all love in green tea. 

In our 16-ounce Brewmaster, you can easily brew up a mug for you and one to share. Simply add 3 teaspoons of your green tea of choice, add 16 ounces of water at 175° F for 1-3 minutes. A pro tip is to make sure you set a timer –- green tea can very easily get over-steeped (it's so easy to think, "it's only been a minute" when it's closer to five), which no one wants. Then, when that timer dings, grab your mugs and let the Brewmaster's gravity straining do the work. 

How to Make Iced Green Tea

Iced green tea is the quintessential relaxing drink to sip on during a hot summer day. Add a splash of milk, honey, or drink it plain, and we bet you've found your new go-to drink. Bonus? Making iced green tea with loose leaf tea not only tastes better than the bottled stuff, but it's also super simple to whip up. 

Step One: Measure Your Tea

Since you'll be diluting the tea with ice, always double the amount of loose leaf you add. For a single-serving glass of iced green tea, you'll scoop in 3 teaspoons of the blend of your choice. 

Step Two: Pour in Hot Water

Whatever tea accessory you're using to make your iced tea –– a Brewmaster, Brewbasket, tea filter, or tea ball, make sure you're using 175° F temperature anytime you brew green tea. If you use water that is too hot, you'll scald your leaves. If the water is not hot enough, the full flavor of the green tea leaves won't infuse, and you'll end up with a weak glass of iced tea, and you deserve better.

Step Three: Steep Your Blend

When brewing your tea, we recommend setting a timer so you don't forget about the tea. Trust us –– we've all been there. It's so easy to lose track of time and come back to scalded tea. Just set the timer. Remember, if you let tea over steep, you'll have bitter tea, and no one wants that. 

Choose your favorite green tea blend and steep it in hot water for 1-3 minutes. The longer the steep time, the stronger the brew –– so choose the time and strength that works best for you. 

Step Four: Strain, Ice, Enjoy!

As soon as your 1-3 minutes are up, strain your tea immediately. The simplest method is to use a Brewmaster that pours your brew directly over your cup filled with ice, but any accessory will work. Doctor up your tea to your liking –– maybe that means garnishing with a lemon wedge, a dollop of honey, a splash of milk or cream, or plain –– it's your tea, we won't tell you how to drink it. What we will say is, cheers to Living Loose!

How to Make Green Tea Taste Better?

At Tiesta Tea, we've worked really hard to make tea accessible to tea experts and tea newbies. That means we have a range of blends from the very traditional Chinese Jasmine or Chinese Gunpowder to the fruity, exotic Lean Green Machine or Pineapple Blues and just about everything in between. Whatever blend you choose, you can brew them up and enjoy them plain, or you can stir in some add-ins to make it more to your liking. 

Just like with coffee, some people prefer to drink green tea plain, some soften or sweeten the flavor a bit –– or a lot –– so do what works best for you. The way you doctor up your green tea will depend on your tastebuds and the tea blend you choose, but some ideas include: 

- Sugar (or your favorite sugar substitute) 

- Milk 

- Honey

- A squeeze of lemon 

- Half and half

- Creamer 

- Vanilla 

How to Make Cold Brew Green Tea

If you're a fan of iced tea, you may be ready to try cold brew tea. And to that, we say, cheers! It's worth noting that while both are served cold, their preparation differs, and so, too, do their health benefits. 

For starters, cold brew means it has been, well, cold-brewed. That means it has never been exposed to heat. We've all over-steeped our tea leaves by now, right? Well, then we know how bitter tea can get when it's overexposed to heat. Cold brewing completely avoids that astringent taste, resulting in a smoother, sweeter beverage. 

Rather than brewing your tea hot for 1-3 minutes and then rapidly cooling it with ice, the cold brew method means it's slow and cold. The cold water used extracts more flavors from the tea leaves over time, resulting in a crisp, clean taste. Plus, the cold temperature means you avoid the risk of burning out all the good stuff that's packed in the green tea leaves. 

With loose leaf tea, you can easily brew your own cold brew green tea right at home. In just a few steps, you'll have a pitcher of your favorite cold brew green tea at the ready. The hardest part? Waiting patiently 'til the cold steeping is complete. 

Here's how it's done: 

- Combine loose leaf tea in your accessory of choice with cold water in a pitcher

- Let the tea infuse the water for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator 

- Strain and enjoy your cold brew

- Cold-brew green tea will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge –– if you don't drink it all first, that is 

Ready to Try Some Green Tea? 

At Tiesta Tea, we travel around the globe to source the best quality ingredients to produce the best cup of tea. We believe in making loose leaf tea that's accessible and affordable without sacrificing quality. Ready to brew up some green tea? Check out our green tea offerings here. And whether you're brewing up a mug of traditional Chinese green tea or a pitcher of tropical pineapple green tea, cheers to Living Loose! 

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