Top 10 Tea Beginner Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Starting your tea journey can be exciting, but beginners often stumble on a few common mistakes. Here's a rundown and tips to avoid them: 

1. Using Boiling Water for Every Tea

• Mistake: Brewing all types of tea with boiling water.
• Why it’s wrong: Different teas have specific temperature requirements. Boiling water can scorch delicate teas like green or white tea, making them bitter.
• How to Fix: Use water at these approximate temperatures:
  • Green Tea: 75-80°C (167-176°F)
  • White Tea: 80-85°C (176-185°F)
  • Oolong Tea: 85-90°C (185-194°F)
  • Black Tea: 90-95°C (194-203°F)
  • Herbal Tea: 95-100°C (203-212°F)

2. Oversteeping the Tea

• Mistake: Leaving the tea leaves or bag in the water for too long.
• Why it’s wrong: Oversteeping extracts too many tannins, leading to astringency and bitterness.
• How to Fix: Follow recommended steeping times:
  • Green Tea: 2-3 minutes
  • White Tea: 4-5 minutes
  • Oolong Tea: 3-5 minutes
  • Black Tea: 3-5 minutes
  • Herbal Tea: 5-7 minutes

3. Not Measuring the Tea

• Mistake: Using too much or too little tea.
• Why it’s wrong: The flavour can become overly strong or too weak.
• How to Fix: Use 1 teaspoon (2-3 grams) of loose tea per 8-ounce cup, adjusting slightly for personal taste.

4. Neglecting Water Quality

• Mistake: Using heavily chlorinated or hard tap water.
• Why it’s wrong: Poor-quality water affects the taste of the tea.
• How to Fix: Use filtered or spring water for the best flavour.

5. Skipping the Pre-Warm Step

• Mistake: Pouring tea into a cold cup or teapot.
• Why it’s wrong: A cold vessel cools the tea quickly, affecting steeping and taste.
• How to Fix: Pre-warm your cup or teapot with hot water before brewing.

6. Not Experimenting with Tea Types

• Mistake: Sticking only to one type of tea (e.g., bagged black tea).
• Why it’s wrong: You miss out on a wide variety of flavours and experiences.
• How to Fix: Try different teas, including loose-leaf teas, and explore white, green, oolong, black, and herbal varieties.

7. Relying Only on Tea Bags

• Mistake: Believing tea bags are the only option.
• Why it’s wrong: Most tea bags use lower-grade tea dust, which lacks complexity.
• How to Fix: Explore loose-leaf teas for richer, fuller flavours.

8. Ignoring Proper Storage

• Mistake: Storing tea in damp, hot, or light-exposed areas.
• Why it’s wrong: Tea absorbs odours and loses freshness quickly when not stored properly.
• How to Fix: Keep tea in an airtight container, away from heat, light, and moisture.

9. Judging Tea Without Understanding Its Nature

• Mistake: Assuming bitterness means the tea is bad.
• Why it’s wrong: Sometimes the brewing method, not the tea itself, causes bitterness.
• How to Fix: Adjust steeping time, water temperature, or the amount of tea used.

10. Skipping Steps in the Brewing Process

• Mistake: Rushing the preparation or skipping rinsing steps for some teas (like pu-erh or oolong).
• Why it’s wrong: This can affect the flavour and proper unfolding of the tea leaves.
• How to Fix: Follow proper brewing techniques for each tea type, and enjoy the ritual.

By avoiding these pitfalls, you’ll enjoy a more flavourful and satisfying tea experience!