How long should you steep cold brew tea? There are many factors that affect cold brew tea. The tea variety, season, production method, amount of leaves, and even water temperature will all influence the speed and extent at which the compounds in the tea leaves are extracted. So there isn’t really a single standard answer. However, if you want something convenient and economical, an 8-hour cold brew is a great choice.
How long to steep cold brew tea? We recommend 8 hours
Start by cold brewing with room temperature water, then place it in the refrigerator to chill for 8 hours. With this method, you can wake up in the morning to delicious cold brew tea—it’s both time-saving and convenient. Below, we’ve provided an 8-hour guide along with tea-to-water ratios so you can easily master steeping times and leaf amounts.
| Tea Type | Leaf Shape | Tea-to-Water Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Wenshan Baozhong Tea | Strip | 1:80 |
| High Mountain Oolong Tea | Ball | 1:100 |
| Dongding Oolong Tea | Ball | 1:110 |
| Tieguanyin | Ball | 1:120 |
| Red Oolong | Ball | 1:120 |
| Black Tea | Strip | 1:130 |
＊Taking High Mountain Oolong Tea as an example, add 10 grams of tea leaves to 1000 ml of water. This is the ideal ratio for an 8-hour cold brew. This ratio yields a rich flavor without wasting leaves, and fits right in with a modern work routine—we think it’s a fantastic sweet spot!
Taiwan Tea Experiment Station - Optimal Cold Brew Tea Times
If you’re aiming for an even higher quality cold brew, the Taiwan Tea Experiment Station has researched the optimal conditions for cold brew tea and recommends steeping times for different tea categories. These studies were conducted at a cold brew water temperature of 4°C, resulting in tea with the highest sweetness while keeping caffeine and tannin concentrations below 3/4 of hot-brewed tea. For tea lovers pursuing the ultimate flavor, this is the premier way to cold brew.
| Tea Type | Leaf Shape | Tea-to-Water Ratio | Steeping Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Tea | Strip | 1:50 | 4 hours |
| Wenshan Baozhong Tea | Strip | 1:50 | 6 hours |
| High Mountain Tea | Ball | 1:50 | 8 hours |
| Dongding Oolong Tea | Ball | 1:50 | 6 hours |
| Tieguanyin | Ball | 1:50 | 6 hours |
| Red Oolong | Ball | 1:50 | 10 hours |
| Black Tea | Strip | 1:50 | 10 hours |
There is no fixed standard for cold-brewing tea time, as many variables affect the quality, such as tea variety, amount of tea leaves used, season, production technique, water temperature, and even personal taste preferences. Therefore, the best way to find the optimal cold-brewing time is to experiment a few times and adjust gradually until you find the flavor that suits you best.