Tea Steeping Timer
Pick your tea variety for the right steep time and water temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit, adjust strength without touching the temperature, and get re-steep guidance.
Built by the AbraCalc team
How to play
- Choose your tea variety from the chips — each one loads its own steep time and water temperature.
- Check the water temp readout in both Celsius and Fahrenheit before you pour.
- Use the strength stepper to go lighter or stronger — it only changes the steep time, never the temperature.
- Tap Start Steeping for a fullscreen countdown with a darkening teacup, then pull the leaves when the chime sounds.
Every tea variety wants its own water temperature and steep time, and getting either wrong is the difference between a bright, balanced cup and something scorched or watery. Green and white teas prefer cooler water around 80°C to avoid bitterness, black tea wants near-boiling water for a fuller extraction, and herbal blends can take a full boil and a longer steep since there's no delicate tea leaf to scorch. This timer loads sane defaults for six varieties, lets you nudge the strength up or down without touching the temperature guidance, and darkens a teacup icon as it steeps so you can see progress before the chime tells you to pull the leaves.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does green tea use cooler water than black tea?
- Green and white teas are minimally oxidized and packed with delicate compounds that turn bitter and astringent when steeped in water that's too hot. Around 80°C extracts their flavor without scorching the leaf, while black tea's fully oxidized leaves can handle near-boiling water and actually need it for a fuller-bodied cup.
- Does making tea stronger mean I should use hotter water?
- No — strength and temperature are separate variables. Using water hotter than a variety's guidance tends to pull out bitter compounds rather than more flavor. This timer's strength stepper only extends the steep time, which is the correct way to brew a bolder cup without scorching the leaves.
- Can I reuse the same tea leaves for a second cup?
- It depends on the variety. Green, white, and oolong teas are typically whole or lightly broken leaves that still have flavor left after one steep, so a second or third infusion (often extending the time by 30-60 seconds each round) works well. Black tea and herbal blends are usually fully spent after one steep, since they're often cut finer or extract more completely the first time.