We don’t like these hard-set rules. If we tell people, ‘This tea is best at 85C’, first of all, how do we know what ‘best’ means - for us and for them? Also, people nod happily when told this but how do they know what 85C means? Will they then be nervous making it and suspect they got it ‘wrong’ and that the tea they made could be better? Yes, we agree, that generally lighter teas (greens, whites) do better at relatively lower temperatures and shorter steeping times than darker ones (red, puerh). Especially Japanese teas - the subtle shades of greens come out much better at lower temperature than when forced out with too-hot water. There is some general truth to this, certainly! And there is an art to making the finest cup of tea you can; water temperature is one of those factors which shall influence this! At the same time, precise answers are impossible to give, only guidelines.

Although in Asia it’s common to fill teapots with leaves (all Westerners think, ‘Oh dear! Such a waste of tea!’), we like to suggest: start with fewer leaves, feel it out and work your way up if needed. Fine teas are more readily available in Asia than here in Europe; maybe they feel they can afford to use more there! There are times to add more leaves for a more powerful experience. For example, if you have 10g of a 1970s aged super-powerful tea. It’s not the time to brew five mild servings with 2gr at a time, just to save it. Use 5 or even all 10g for one or two more memorable, longer sessions. On the other hand, as a way to lessen our being hooked on overly-strong teas, it’s good to prepare with just a leaf or two sometimes!