# Why Does Tea Taste Bitter? And the Rules for Brewing It Right > Tea turns bitter for two reasons that work together: **water that is too hot** and **steeping for longer than it needs** — both draw out **tannins**, the source of bitterness and astringency. Black tea wants **95°C and 3–4 minutes**, and green tea **75–80°C and two minutes** at most. **4 min read** Tea is the simplest drink in the world and the one most often made wrong. The bitterness many people accept as normal is really a brewing mistake. ## Tannins: where the bitterness comes from Tea leaves contain compounds called **polyphenols** — among them tannins, which are responsible for the astringent, bitter taste. Tannins **are released slowly** compared with the aromatic compounds and caffeine. **In other words:** the first two minutes bring out the flavour and aroma, and the minutes after that bring out the tannins and the bitterness. **And the hotter the water, the faster the tannins are extracted.** That is the rule that explains everything. ## Temperature and time chart - **Black tea:** 95°C · 3–4 minutes. - **Green tea:** 75–80°C · 1.5–2 minutes. - **White tea:** 75°C · 2–3 minutes. - **Oolong:** 85–90°C · 3 minutes. - **Herbal teas (hibiscus, chamomile, mint):** 100°C · 5–7 minutes (they have no tea tannins, so they don’t turn bitter). **How to hit 95°C without a thermometer:** boil the water, turn off the heat and wait **30 seconds**. For green tea, wait **3–4 minutes**, or add a quarter of a cup of cold water. ## Mistake one: boiling water on green tea This is the most common mistake of all. Green tea leaves are unoxidised and delicate, and boiling water **literally scorches them** — the result is an unpleasantly bitter, astringent taste. Plenty of people say ‘I don’t like green tea’ when in fact they have never had green tea brewed properly. ## Mistake two: steeping too long Leaving the tea in the cup ‘so it gets strong’ gives you **bitterness**, not strength. **If you want it strong:** use **more leaf**, not a longer steep. **The rule:** take out the bag or infuser once the time is up — don’t leave it in the cup. ## Mistake three: boiling tea on the hob Boiling tea with the water on the hob extracts all of the tannins — that is what gives the dark colour and astringent taste. In Saidi tea from Upper Egypt this is actually deliberate (more on that below), but it is **not the right method** for ordinary tea. ## Koshari tea vs Saidi tea These are two completely different Egyptian schools: **Koshari tea:** the water is boiled, the tea goes into the cup or teapot, and the water is poured over it and left for **3–5 minutes**. It tastes gentler and is lighter in colour. This is the method closest to correct. **Saidi, or Upper Egyptian, tea (dammas):** the tea is boiled with the water on the hob for **3–5 minutes**. It is very strong and astringent, very dark, and has far more caffeine. Saidi tea is a deep-rooted tradition with its own devotees — but the bitterness in it is intentional, not a flaw. ## Water quality A cup of tea is **99% water**, so its quality really matters. - **Filtered water** is better than chlorinated tap water. - **Fresh water** — water that has been boiled before has lost its oxygen, and the tea comes out flat. - **Not distilled water** — minerals are needed to extract the flavour. ## Amount and ratio **2–3 g of tea** (a teaspoon) per **200 ml of water**. Loose tea is better than bags — the leaf in bags is finely broken, so it releases tannins faster and turns bitter more easily. If you use bags, **cut the time** by 30 seconds. ## Why milk changes the taste The casein protein in milk **binds to tannins** and softens the sense of astringency and bitterness. That is why tea with milk tastes smoother — and also why milk goes into strong tea in particular. **The milk-first or tea-first debate** does have a real basis: putting the milk in first stops its protein curdling from the heat shock, so the taste is smoother. ## Storing tea - **An airtight, opaque tin** — light and air oxidise the leaves. - **Away from strong smells** — tea absorbs them astonishingly fast. - **Not in the fridge** — the moisture ruins it. - **Shelf life:** two years for black, and **one year** for green (it loses its flavour faster). ## Caffeine: the numbers - **Black tea (200 ml):** 40–70 mg. - **Green tea:** 25–45 mg. - **White tea:** 15–30 mg. - **Filter coffee (200 ml):** 95–140 mg. **Longer steeping means more caffeine** — so a light tea brewed briefly has less caffeine for a reason, not by chance. **Theanine** in tea moderates the effect of caffeine, which is why tea gives a calmer lift than coffee. ## Mint and herbal teas Herbs don’t have tea’s tannins, so they **don’t turn bitter** however long they steep — and that changes the rules. **Chamomile, hibiscus, aniseed and cinnamon** can all take boiling water and a steep of **5–7 minutes** or more. **Fresh mint** is the exception: its leaves are delicate, and boiling water blackens them and draws out a bitter, grassy taste. Add it at the end, after you take the water off the heat. **Moroccan mint tea** is made differently — gunpowder green tea with mint and plenty of sugar, poured from a height to make a froth. ## After brewing: settling and storage Brewed tea changes quickly once it cools — oxidation gives it a metallic taste and a dark, cloudy colour. If you are making **iced tea**, make it as **a cold-brewed concentrate**: tea leaves in cold water in the fridge for **6 to 12 hours**. This method extracts the flavour with almost no tannins, and the result is a sweet, smooth tea with no bitterness at all. ## Summary Black tea at 95°C for 3–4 minutes, green at 80°C for two minutes. Take the leaves out when the time is up, add more leaf rather than more time if you want it strong, and use fresh, filtered water. Bitterness isn’t strength — it is excess tannin. ## FAQ ### Why does green tea taste bitter? Because you are pouring boiling water on it. The leaves are unoxidised and delicate, and boiling water scorches them. The right way is 75–80°C for two minutes at most — wait 3–4 minutes after the water boils, or add a little cold water. ### Should I steep tea for longer to make it stronger? No — that gives you bitterness, not strength. The tannins responsible for bitterness are released slowly after the first two minutes. If you want it strong, use more leaf, not more steeping time. ### What is the difference between koshari tea and Saidi tea? Koshari: the water is poured over the tea and left for 3–5 minutes — a gentler taste and a lighter colour. Saidi: the tea is boiled with the water on the hob — a strong, astringent taste, a dark colour and more caffeine. ### Milk first or tea first? Milk first has a real basis — it stops the milk protein curdling from the heat shock, so the taste is smoother. And the casein protein binds to tannins, reducing astringency and bitterness. --- Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/article/why-does-tea-taste-bitter Edited by: Marwa Mohamed Last updated: 2026-10-23