---
title: 'Brewing basics'
url: 'https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics'
markdown: 'https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics.md'
lang: en
date: '2026-11-03'
description: 'What shapes the liquor in any brewing method: how much leaf and how long, leaf size, which water, warming the teaware and rinsing, and storing tea.'
---

# Brewing basics

Whatever the method, the same things shape the liquor: how much leaf, which water and how long. What happens before brewing counts too: warming the teaware and storing the dry leaf.

 ![A scale, a white gaiwan and a bamboo scoop with dry tea](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-f4bcd0d2.webp) Illustration 

[Leaf dose and time](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-ratio) work together: more leaf means a shorter infusion. Small, broken [leaf](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-grades) releases flavor faster than whole leaf, so it needs a shorter steep. [Water](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/water) makes up more than 99% of the liquor, so its minerals and temperature noticeably change the flavor.

[Warming the teaware](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/preheating-and-rinsing) raises the temperature of the first infusion by a few degrees, and a rinse opens up tightly rolled leaf. How you [store](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/storage) tea decides what you start with: dry leaf picks up moisture and stray odors, and loses aroma in light and warmth.

In this section

- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-b5f87fbb.webp) Leaf dose and time 投茶量 How much tea to use and how long to steep it: ISO and GB/T standards, gongfu and Western ratios, why a spoon is a poor measure, and how infusions change. ](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-ratio)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-0ffebc5c.webp) Water for tea 水 Which water suits tea: hardness and dissolved solids, tap, bottled and filtered water, temperature by tea type, the reboiling myth, Lu Yu's three boils. ](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/water)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-f4a15266.webp) Warming and rinsing 温壶烫杯 Why to warm the pot, gaiwan and cups with boiling water, and which teas need a rinse. Measured temperatures, rinse seconds, and where tea masters disagree. ](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/preheating-and-rinsing)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-185b96bd.webp) Storage 存茶 How to store tea at home: green tea cold and airless, oolong by roast level, white tea and pu-erh for aging. Limits from the Chinese standard. ](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/storage)
- [![](https://howtotea.me/images/c/o/v/e/r/cover-fc12a471.webp) Leaf size Whole leaf, broken leaf, fannings and dust: what OP, BOP and CTC mean, how particle size changes how fast tea steeps, and why matcha is ground to microns. ](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-grades)

---

## Navigation

- Parent: [Brewing tea](https://howtotea.me/brewing.md)
- Previous: [Brewing methods](https://howtotea.me/brewing/methods.md)
- Children:
  - [How much tea, how long](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-ratio.md)
  - [Water for tea](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/water.md)
  - [Warming the teaware and rinsing the leaf](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/preheating-and-rinsing.md)
  - [Storing tea](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/storage.md)
  - [Leaf size and leaf grades](https://howtotea.me/brewing/basics/leaf-grades.md)