More tips on water temperature

As we are fond of reminding our customers, hot water for brewing green tea should be slightly cooler than boiling. We don’t like to encourage people to obsess about water temperature, so instead of using a thermometer, simply let a kettle of water reach a boil, then turn off the heat and wait a few minutes before pouring.

But if you’re brewing tea by the cupful, the water can be a little hotter when it’s poured. That’s because a small, uncovered cup of water will lose heat more quickly than will a large, covered pot of tea. In other words, if the water poured into a cup containing a teaball or other type of strainer isn’t hot enough, it will quickly cool below the temperature required for a good infusion.

This is probably why most "purists" consider that tea is best brewed by the potful: the pot keeps the water at the right temperature while the tea is brewing, and afterwards keeps the brewed tea warmer longer. But if you like the convenience of brewing by the cupful, you can still enjoy the same full flavor and aroma of Mellow Monk tea by experimenting to find the "Goldilocks" temperature--not too hot, not too cold.

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