Loose leaf
White
Vahdam Silver Needle White Tea
Hand-plucked buds. Almost no caffeine. Under-brew it on purpose.
Timer / White
The lightest leaf.The longer wait.
White tea brews twice as long as green and never turns bitter for it. Five minutes is the standard cup. Let the clock hold it.
White tea timer
Style
Steep 1
5:00
Ready.
- Water
- 170°F / 77°C
- Leaf
- 2 tsp / 8oz
Five minutes, then a full minute more on each re-steep.
Keep it by the kettle: add this page to your home screen and it opens like an app, offline.
The schedule
White steep times, by style.
Silver needle
170°F / 77°C · 2 tsp / 8oz
Five minutes, then a full minute more on each re-steep.
| Steep 1 | 5 min |
| Steep 2 | 6 min |
| Steep 3 | 7 min |
White peony
180°F / 82°C · 2 tsp / 8oz
Three to four minutes. The open leaf gives faster than the buds.
| Steep 1 | 3 min 30 sec |
| Steep 2 | 4 min 30 sec |
| Steep 3 | 5 min 30 sec |
Jasmine silver needle
175°F / 79°C · 2 tsp / 8oz
Four minutes lets the scenting open without losing the bud.
| Steep 1 | 4 min |
| Steep 2 | 5 min |
| Steep 3 | 6 min |
Worth timing
White we've reviewed.
Loose leaf
White
Vahdam Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) Loose Leaf
Fuller-bodied than Silver Needle. Honey, melon, faint hay.
Loose leaf
White
Tealyra Premium White Peony (Bai Mu Dan) Loose Leaf
Honey-melon on the first steep. Mineral fade by the third. The daily white.
FAQ
White timing, answered.
How long do you steep white tea?+
Four to five minutes at about 175°F. Silver needle takes five minutes at 170°F, white peony three to four minutes at 180°F. Eight minutes is too far: the cup loses its floral note and goes woody.
Does white tea get bitter if you over-steep it?+
Less than any other tea. The risk on a long white steep is losing the floral character, not astringency.
Can you re-steep white tea?+
Yes, three to four times. Add a full minute to each re-steep: the second infusion is often the sweetest.
Other leaves