Loose leaf
Black
Vahdam Imperial Earl Grey Loose Leaf
Bergamot deep enough to fill the room. The kind of note that lingers.
Timer / Black
Boiling water. Three minutes.Don't blink.
Black tea takes the full boil and a short, exact window. The timer below holds the window for you, by style.
Black tea timer
Style
Steep 1
3:00
Ready.
- Water
- 212°F / 100°C
- Leaf
- 1 tsp / 8oz
The muscatel lives in the first three minutes. Past that it goes tannic.
Keep it by the kettle: add this page to your home screen and it opens like an app, offline.
The schedule
Black steep times, by style.
Darjeeling
212°F / 100°C · 1 tsp / 8oz
The muscatel lives in the first three minutes. Past that it goes tannic.
| Steep 1 | 3 min |
Assam & breakfast
212°F / 100°C · 1 tsp / 8oz
The malty, milk-ready leaf. Four minutes builds the body.
| Steep 1 | 4 min |
Earl Grey
212°F / 100°C · 1 tsp / 8oz
Three to four minutes. The bergamot fades before the leaf does.
| Steep 1 | 3 min 30 sec |
Keemun, Yunnan, Lapsang
212°F / 100°C · 1 tsp / 8oz
The Chinese blacks take the full five. The cocoa and stone fruit wait until then.
| Steep 1 | 5 min |
Pyramid bag
212°F / 100°C · 1 bag / 8oz
The leaf is already broken. Three minutes flat, then lift the bag.
| Steep 1 | 3 min |
Worth timing
Black we've reviewed.
Pyramid bags
Black
Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice (50 Sachets)
No sugar in the tin. Tastes like there is. People hoard it.
Paper bags
Black
Twinings Lady Grey Black Tea (100 ct)
Earl Grey, softened. Easier to live with.
FAQ
Black timing, answered.
How long do you steep black tea?+
Three to five minutes at a full boil (212°F). Darjeeling wants three, Assam and breakfast blends four, Earl Grey three to four, and Keemun or Yunnan four to five. Pyramid bags take three minutes flat.
What happens if you steep black tea too long?+
Past five minutes black tea pulls more tannin and turns bitter and drying. Strain the leaf completely when the timer ends; leaving it in the cup keeps it brewing.
Can you re-steep black tea?+
Western-brewed black tea gives one or two re-steeps at most, and the second cup is noticeably lighter. Drain the pot fully between steeps so the leaf is not sitting in cooling water.
Other leaves