460710 Wed Nov 14 18:44:00 -0800 2007 10 31 Home Cooking 0 3126220 I love tea. depending on the mood, green, oolong, orange pekoe, darjeeling. i love trying different types of teas. where can i find directions on how long to brew the different teas and what should the water temps be ? i would like to print something out so i can use like a reference depending on my tea prep. Help please ! Wed Nov 14 18:44:00 -0800 2007 76259 foodwich 1 3126239 Here's a recent thread that may be helpful: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/445944 Wed Nov 14 18:53:05 -0800 2007 3126220 12124 TorontoJo 2 3126790 EXACTLY what i was thinking, TorontoJo! Thu Nov 15 05:52:46 -0800 2007 3126239 105717 alkapal 1 3126247 As a general rule, black teas should be brewed with boiling water, while greens require water that is just short of boiling. At least that's what I've heard. Wed Nov 14 18:55:19 -0800 2007 3126220 114415 LeslieB 1 3126636 This might help... http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teabrewing/a/teatemp.htm Thu Nov 15 00:06:16 -0800 2007 3126220 23132 dbug31 1 3129190 Honestly, brewing tea is like cooking. There are no hard and fast rules and it's all about personal preference. Some people like their tea thicker others lighter. Granted it makes sense to brew lighter to darker teas at lower to higher temps, I personally don't stick my thermometer in my kettle to make sure it's "just below boiling." I drink lots of different teas too and I always look at color and taste to know if it's just right for me :). You can always add water or steep for a little longer. Thu Nov 15 16:47:45 -0800 2007 3126220 116112 ptanu 2 3129237 thank you i do keep this in mind. always get stumped if i have an expensive tea that i dont want to ruin by boiling. hence the question. Thu Nov 15 17:05:09 -0800 2007 3129190 76259 foodwich 2 3131941 I don't know that I agree with this so much. Sure, there is no one thing you absolutely have to do, but there surely are methods that are better than others, and that's no different in tea than in cooking. For example, you mention "just below boiling," which is, as many tea shops/drinkers will tell you, can simply mean that you turn the water off and prep your leaves before adding this slightly cooled, now "just below boiling," water. The worry here is also quite legitimate in that you don't want to burn the tea leaves, much in the same way you don't want to burn the coffee being brewed - that can result in a flavour profile that isn't true to the tea; after all, if you're drinking a white tea and brew it too dark/too long/with too hot of water/whatever, you'll lose all the subtly that in inherent in something like that. Now, I'm not advocating pulling out thermometers or any such thing, but it isn't just a matter of doing whatever you want and hoping things turn out right. I mean, when you're spending money on expensive teas, you want the do the ingredients (yes, that means tea leaves & water) justice. Fri Nov 16 13:25:57 -0800 2007 3129190 17410 Ali 1 3131232 Try: www.uptontea.com Bob Fri Nov 16 10:27:04 -0800 2007 3126220 107452 SonyBob 2 3132205 thank you did check it out. its useful info. Fri Nov 16 14:34:53 -0800 2007 3131232 76259 foodwich 1 3132596 This could be helpful too... http://coffeetea.about.com/od/teaware/gr/utilitea.htm Fri Nov 16 16:47:49 -0800 2007 3126220 23132 dbug31