How long do you let your tea steep?

It really depends on the Tea.
The amount of time that the tea steeps will determine it’s strength. I enjoy different teas at varying strengths. I would suggest that when you buy a new tea, as it is steeping, check the taste every minute with a spoon. This way you can blow on it so you won’t burn your tongue!

Let the first cup steep until it’s either too strong or you notice bitter elements that are unpleasant. Then take note of when the tea tastes best to you and write it on the package. Besides, who can tell you how you like your tea better than you!

General Guidlines
Tea Water Temperature Steep Time
Green Tea 160 degrees F 1 – 3 minutes
White Tea 180 degrees F 4 – 8 minutes
Oolong Tea 190 degrees F 1 – 8 minutes
Black Tea Rolling Boil 3 – 5 minutes
Herbal (tisanes) Rolling Boil 5 – 8 minutes

agreed @blueiiznh, depends entirely on the tea. My earl grey I steep for 3, but my fruit tea is ~8 minutes. And I guess a bag may make it take longer to steep? I only drink loose anymore.

I use loose Earl Grey when I can find it fresh and prepare the old-fashioned way.

I am careful to not overload the teaspoon I use for measuring and steep for 3–4 minutes/

Forever. When I drink tea, that is. I use two bags per cup (I don’t know how people can possibly do the one tea bag/multiple hot water refills thing) and let it steep to the point where I always have to reheat it before I drink it. I’m really a coffee person though. I almost never drink tea though I always mean to drink more of it and have a whole cupboard shelf full of the stuff. Aaargh! The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I pour the boiling water over my Red Rose black tea bag in a normal sized teapot, and after I have turned around to set the kettle down I take out the teabag. I could probably use the teabag 2–3 times!

Five minutes, and I often leave the bag in while I drink it. Most people don’t know the first thing about drinking tea and think that a color change means it’s ready. That’s fine, I guess, though it won’t help if they’re drinking certain teas for the health benefits.

@faye I don’t get that! Like I said, I’m really a coffee person but how can someone use a single tea bag 2–3 times! Weak! I need a hot beverage that can stand up on it’s own two feet, a hot beverage you can’t see through, one that doesn’t allow you to see the bottom of the cup. I need at least two bags per cup and a good long steeping time if I’m even going to be able to think of drinking it. I guess that’s why I’m not really a tea drinker.

@lillycoyote Have you tried Yerba Mate? I have not (yet, i have a bag in my cupboard), but it’s very similar to coffee. Supposed to be very thick and rich, and a high caffeine content if you like that. Don’t think it’s a re-steeping tea, but you may like it better then what you’re drinking now.

@lillycoyote I do see the bottom of my cup! But I taste deliciousness.

@BhacSsylan Yes, I’ve done the yerbe mate thing, a long time ago on the recommendation of an Argentinian friend. It’s got a very nice kick, much better than caffeine actually, but it’s tea. I guess maybe I just don’t like tea. I love my coffee, a nice french roast with sugar and half and half. I really like the yerbe mate and the effect but I just found that I had to make an effort to use it. I used to smoke pot and it never required any effort on my part to want to smoke it. I gave it up years ago, but with the yerbe mate, even though I liked the effect, it wasn’t so compelling that it didn’t require effort and will on my part to consume it. I think I am just a coffee drinker. I’m a coffee drinker and I am a cat person and I much prefer Coke to Pepsi, even though I hardly drink sodas at all. It’s just they way I’m built.

Tea bag- 3mins

Loose leaf in pot- 5mins at least.

@Arbornaut Disagree! 5 minutes will, at least, mess up green tea. Would probably leave a lot of blacks bitter, too.

@BhacSsylan : I drink many different kinds of tea and let them steep five minutes or longer.

@hawaii_jake and to be fair, your question didn’t ask how long one should, but how long you do, so i have no right to disagree :-p. I prefer mine much less strong, probably.

Oh, and again, i feel like bags may require more time. the water can’t exchange as readily. But I won’t pretend I’m sure about that.

I love my tea black and strong, so I like to leave 2 teabags in a half-pot of boiling water for up to 10 minutes. After steeping, I take a spoon, press the teabags against the sides of the teapot, and give it one stir. Then I drink it with a bit of milk and sugar.

@BhacSsylan : fair enough. :-)

@MRSHINYSHOES : Wow. That sounds strong.

@hawaii_jake I do love my tea strong, and my coffee too. I like black tea (my fav is Ceylon but I usually drink Orange Pekoe). When I visited Hong Kong a few years ago, I tried “Nai Cha”, which is very strong black tea sweetened with condensed milk. It was great. I’ve never been able to duplicate it or even find it at eateries here.

I hate really strong tea – tastes too bitter for my taste buds! If it’s a builders type tea bag (e.g. tetleys), then i’ll give it a couple of dunks, squeeze and remove!
I tend to drink lady grey most of the time (yes i’m strange), and since it’s pretty light tea ill leave it in for about 3 minutes before squeezing and removing. Then add milk (yes, very strange),

I steep it for about 5 minutes and then I leave the tea bag in while I drink it. I like my tea very strong.

Like my grandpa, I leave the teabag in the cup while I drink it. Then I attempt to reuse the same teabag as I refill for a second cup. Another lesson in conservation, from my grandpa that was raised during the Great Depression.