# Tea Brewing Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/food/tea-brewing/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The tea brewing calculator tells you how much tea to use, the right water temperature and the steeping time for white, green, yellow, oolong, black, pu-erh, matcha, rooibos, herbal and chai – for any number of cups and your preferred strength – plus the caffeine per cup.

## Inputs

- Tea type
- Number of cups
- Cup size (ml, cups, fl oz, L, tbsp)
- Strength
- Temperature unit

## Results

- Tea leaves
- Teaspoons of loose tea (approx.)
- Tea bags (about 2 g each)
- Water temperature
- Steep for at least
- And at most
- Caffeine per cup (approx.)

## Formula

```
Leaf (g) = cups × cup size ÷ 250 ml × grams per 250 ml × strength
Water temperature and time by tea type (e.g. green 75–80 °C for 1–3 min; black 95 °C for 3–5 min)
Teaspoons ≈ grams ÷ 2.5 (varies with leaf size)
```

## Explanation

Delicate green and white teas turn bitter in boiling water, while black teas, pu-erh and herbal infusions need water at or near the boil. For loose leaf tea, weigh it if you can – a teaspoon of large, fluffy leaves weighs much less than one of small, rolled leaves.

### How to use the Tea Brewing Calculator

- **Tea type**
- **Number of cups**
- **Cup size**
- **Strength**
- **Temperature unit**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Choose the tea, the number of cups and their size, and how strong you like it.

### Tips

- Weigh coffee beans rather than using scoops – roast level and grind change how much a scoop holds.
- Grind just before brewing and match the grind size to the method (fine for espresso, coarse for French press and cold brew).
- Use filtered water just off the boil (90–96 °C / 195–205 °F) for hot coffee.
- Adjust the ratio to taste in small steps – one change at a time.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Using boiling water on green or white tea, which turns it bitter.
- Forgetting that caffeine content varies widely between drinks and brands.
- Comparing ratios written different ways (1:16 coffee:water vs 60 g per litre).

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterTea typeChoose one: White tea, Green tea (Japanese), Green tea (Chinese), Yellow tea …Number of cupsA numberCup sizeUnits: ml, cups, fl oz, L, tbspStrengthChoose one: Light, Regular, StrongTemperature unitChoose one: °C, °F

### What each result means

- **Teaspoons of loose tea (approx.)** = [Tea leaves]÷2.5
- **Tea bags (about 2 g each)** = [Tea leaves]÷2

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Number of cups** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Number of cupsTea leaves (g)12.51.53.8252.56.337.5410

## Worked example

Inputs — Tea type: Black tea; Number of cups: 2; Cup size: 250 ml; Strength: Regular; Temperature unit: °C.

Results — **Tea leaves = 5 g**; Teaspoons of loose tea (approx.) = 2; Tea bags (about 2 g each) = 2.5; Water temperature = 95; Steep for at least = 3 min; And at most = 5 min; Caffeine per cup (approx.) = 47 mg.

## FAQ

**What temperature should water be for green tea?**
About 75–80 °C (167–176 °F) – not boiling.

**How long should I steep black tea?**
3–5 minutes in water at 95–100 °C.

**How much loose tea per cup?**
About 2–3 g (1 heaped teaspoon) per 250 ml cup.


## Sources

- [UK Tea & Infusions Association – How to brew](https://www.tea.co.uk/)