The Best Methods for Brewing Black and Pu’er TeaBlack Tea and Pu’er Tea Brewing Guide

Black Tea: Water temperature should be close to 90°C (192°F). Use 5-6 grams of black tea per 100 milliliters of water. Rinse for just 3 seconds… After 8 infusions, you can steep for 10 or 15 seconds before pouring. However, I prefer gradually drawing out the subtle flavors.

Pu’er Tea: When pouring into a teapot or cup, aim for water as hot as possible (95°C to 100°C). If using Yaozhou ware (or any porous clay), I dedicate one pot for ripe Pu’er and another for raw.

For raw Pu’er, I typically rinse the leaves once, about 5 seconds. For ripe Pu’er, I usually rinse the leaves once, about 3 seconds each. The third and fourth infusions don’t need much time at all (5 seconds is sufficient).

Pay attention to the tea’s flavor and the brew liquid from successive infusions, as the leaves “give up” their essence. You’ll want to extend steeping times to extract more flavor. Most Pu’er teas can be brewed anywhere from 10 to 20 times.

When breaking tea leaves from a cake or brick, try to remove them layer by layer to avoid excessive breakage. Broken leaves tend to become bitter during brewing.

Another factor affecting brewing is how much tea you use. While many measure by weight (tea) and volume (water), I prefer an intuitive approach: fill your teapot or gaiwan one-quarter full with leaves.

If you prefer a weight-to-water ratio, I recommend 6 grams per 100 milliliters of water. The water should be 100°C (boiling hot)! Note that compressed Pu’er tea expands significantly more during steeping compared to less tightly compressed varieties. Observe the gradual unfurling of the leaves and the aroma they release.

Experimenting with the variables I’ve mentioned and noting the results is part of the joy of discovering Pu’er!