Tips for Brewing Green Tea

After hearing about all the great benefits of green tea on our earlier post, you might be fully on board. Or maybe there might be one tiny detail holding you back…that bitter flavor you get every time you brew green tea. The first thing you should know is that this is not how green tea is supposed to taste; in fact, it is one of the more mild and refreshing teas. The bitterness or aftertaste you might have experienced could be due to a number of reasons. Here are a few issues that lead to bad tasting tea:

The Water: Brewing tea with the wrong water is a disaster waiting to happen. Make sure you are using water that lacks a funky taste (even RO and distilled water fall into this category). At Passport, we advise customers to use bottled water for the best effect. More importantly, the temperature of the water can ruin a fresh pot of brewed tea. Water that is too hot causes the tea leaves to release bitterness. Brewing at a lower temperature reduces the level of bitterness. A temperature around 170 degrees F for most green tea should do the trick. At home, just wait a few minutes after turning off the burner when a pot of water comes to a boil; three minutes in the microwave should have the same effect.

Timing: When it comes to tea, timing is essential. Brewing for too long adds bitterness and a bad aftertaste. Brewing for too short of a time leaves you with flavorless hot water. Remember to let your tea brew for about 2-3 minutes, and remove your leaves when the proper amount of time has passed. See our definitive brewing guide to make sure you know how much time is necessary to steep the tea leaves.

Ratios: Using the right amount of tea can make or break the amount of flavor you taste after brewing. Green tea is typically weaker in terms of flavor; it doesn’t have the sweetness of a fruit tea, or the strength of a black tea.

Why Temperature is Important

Temperature plays a critical role in brewing green tea because the leaves are delicate and minimally processed. Unlike black tea, green tea retains high levels of amino acids, catechins, and chlorophyll, which are highly sensitive to heat. Water that is too hot extracts these compounds too quickly, overwhelming the cup with bitterness and astringency while muting the tea’s natural sweetness and fresh vegetal or floral notes.

Using lower water temperatures allows the tea to extract more slowly and evenly. This gentler extraction highlights the amino acids responsible for sweetness and umami, preserves aromatic compounds, and keeps harsh tannins in check. The result is a smoother, brighter cup with a clean finish and greater depth of flavor—qualities that define a well-brewed green tea.

For best results, green tea should be brewed below boiling. Japanese green teas such gyokuro typically shine at lower temperatures, around 150–165°F , while many green teas perform well between 160–180°F . When in doubt, bringing water to a boil and allowing it to cool briefly before pouring over the leaves is a simple way to protect the tea’s balance and character.