If you enjoy drinking a healthy cup of tea — or iced tea — it’s important to know the common mistakes to avoid. First of all, you need to know that there are six different kinds of teas: white tea, green tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, black tea, and pu-erh tea. Each type of tea requires a specific water temperature to bring out the full flavor. Here is a diagram prepared by Sian Butcher:
Kate Woollard, a tea expert at Whittard, explains why you never want to use boiling water to brew any of the basic teas:
You don’t want to burn the leaf.
For white tea, once you see the first bit of steam come out of the kettle, and the kettle begins to vibrate, then you should pour, … that’s roundabout 65–75°C. When it comes to the black teas, you end up getting used to your own kettle, but generally the moment it really starts to vibrate and bubble, then you can turn it off.
But if you are brewing an infusion tea made from a herb (like mint) or a fruit (like raspberry), then using boiling water is best:
You want to make sure you get the best amount of flavour out of an infusion. It’s almost like a jam. You’re rehydrating the fruit.
In addition to the temperature of the water, the quality of the water is also important! Read on …