Until recently, it never occurred to me to use anything other than the “standard” amount of tea when brewing a cup.
But of course, there’s nothing stopping you from adjusting that amount to suit your taste.
As I recall reading some time ago, a common guideline is about 2.25 grams of tea per six ounces of water.
Is this enough?
What the “Standards” Say
When I went looking for confirmation, I came across references to ISO 3103—the International Organization for Standardization’s method for brewing tea.
According to that standard, about 2 grams per 100 ml (roughly 3.4 ounces) is recommended.
To me, that actually sounds like quite a lot—but what do I know?
The Royal Society of Chemistry has also weighed in, suggesting “one rounded teaspoon per cup,” while also mentioning roughly two grams—without clearly defining the size of a “cup.”
Real-World Brewing
In practice, I’ve realized my own method isn’t especially precise.
I don’t weigh my tea leaves. Instead, I rely on a measuring spoon designed to approximate the “correct” amount.
Even that isn’t perfect.
A fine black tea with small leaves behaves very differently from a large-leaf green, white, or oolong.
Still, it seems to work well enough for my purposes—and has for quite some time.
When More Isn’t Always Better
This all came back to mind when I read about a tea retailer reportedly serving samples brewed with as much as three times the usual amount of tea.
If true, it’s not necessarily a company-wide practice—but it does raise an interesting point.
For newcomers to tea, subtle flavors can sometimes feel… underwhelming compared to stronger beverages.
Using more tea can create a bolder, more immediately impressive cup.
Of course, whether that’s helpful or misleading is open to debate.
Final Thoughts
In the end, this reinforces one simple idea:
There’s no single “right” way to make tea.
Standards and guidelines are useful starting points—but personal preference matters just as much.
Just remember—however you make your tea—there’s no need to be sneaky about it.
See more of William I. Lengeman’s articles
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