How to Brew Loose Leaf Herbal Tea: A Simple Guide
Loose leaf herbal tea can look a little intimidating if you are used to tea bags. It needn't be. Once you know three things (how hot, how much and how long) you can brew a beautiful cup with nothing more than a mug and a strainer.
The quick answer
- Water temperature: 90°C, just off the boil
- Amount: one heaped teaspoon (2 to 3g) per 250ml cup
- Steeping time: 5 to 9 minutes, covered
Why 90°C and not boiling?
Boiling water can scorch delicate herbs and flowers, flattening their flavour and making minty or citrus notes taste harsh. Water at around 90°C draws out the flavour and aroma more gently. If you don't have a temperature-controlled kettle, simply boil the kettle and let it stand for a couple of minutes before pouring.
How much tea should I use?
One heaped teaspoon of loose leaf tea per 250ml is a good starting point. Herbal blends are light and airy, so a heaped teaspoon is usually right. Prefer a stronger cup? Add a little more tea rather than steeping for much longer.
How long should herbal tea steep?
Herbal teas generally need longer than black or green tea. Between 5 and 9 minutes is ideal: shorter for a lighter cup, longer for a deeper, more robust one. Unlike black tea, herbal blends rarely turn bitter, so there is no need to rush.
Whatever you do, cover your cup or pot while it steeps. Many of the most aromatic parts of a herb are carried in its essential oils, and a lid keeps them in your cup rather than letting them escape with the steam.
Three simple ways to brew at home
1. The steeper and a single cup
Spoon your tea into a steeper or infuser, place it in your mug, pour over the water and cover. When it's ready, lift the steeper out. This is the easiest everyday method, and it's why we include a tea steeper with first orders.
2. The glass teapot
Perfect for sharing or for a slower ritual. Add the leaves to a teapot, pour over the water, let it bloom, then strain into cups. Watching the colour develop through glass is half the pleasure.
3. Loose in the cup, strained into a fresh mug
No special equipment needed: steep the leaves loose in one mug, then pour through a fine strainer into a second.
You can see all three methods step by step in our Brew Guides.
Loose leaf or tea bags?
Loose leaf tea uses whole or larger pieces of herb, which have room to unfurl as they steep and can give a fuller flavour and aroma. Tea bags typically contain smaller pieces. That is why all three THEA blends are made as loose leaf, with organic herbs.
Make it a ritual
The steeping time is a natural pause. Rather than scrolling while you wait, try simply breathing in the aroma. Every THEA pouch comes with a QR code that unlocks a short guided meditation designed to last about as long as your tea takes to steep.
Find your blend
- Calm Tea No.01 — chamomile-led, for quiet evenings
- Focus Tea No.02 — peppermint and rosemary, bright and refreshing
- Women's Herbal Infusion No.03 — tulsi, ginger and rose, warm and comforting
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication, please check with your doctor before drinking herbal teas.
