How to Make Green Tea Taste Better

If you’ve looked into drinking green tea, you’ve probably come across a few people who think it’s bitter. Green tea is one of the least processed teas, meaning it retains a lot of its earthy and natural flavors and compounds. These natural ingredients can be sensitive to temperature and other factors. When brewed improperly, it can mean a bitter or sour flavor that is off-putting.

Know Detail about How green tea is prepared. All is takes is a little practice and a few adjustments for people to enjoy green tea. The flavors of this beverage can range from earthy and rich to airy and grassy. By following a few rules and tips, you can brew the perfect cup of green tea without any astringent flavors. Here are a few basic techniques you can use to make green tea taste better.

How to make green tea without tea bag

A lot of new tea drinkers start off by buying green tea bags. We get it. Tea bags are easy to use and they’re convenient on the go. They offer quick brewing times and easy cleanup. However, what they don’t offer is true flavor. The problem with tea bags is that they don’t contain high quality tea leaves. Green tea bags contain dust and broken tea leaves that don’t offer all the healthy components or the flavor of a high quality tea. Tea bags are also too small to allow the leaves to fully expand and infuse flavor. This results in teas that are bitter or lack the full flavor profile.

You wouldn't use low quality meat for a barbecue, so why use low quality tea bags for brewing tea? Instead, opt for teas made up of loose leaves from a reputable seller. Loose leaf teas contain all the healthy and flavorful compounds of the leaves for better taste.

The truth is that green tea flavor starts with the quality of tea leaves. Tea can taste different depending on where the tea was grown, nutrition content of the soil, climate, and so on. This concept is known in the tea and wine industries as terroir — basically the environment something is grown in affects that way it tastes.

Steep Briefly

This is the part where most people get themselves into trouble. You brew a cup of hot water, toss in a tea bag and get distracted by your morning routine. The next thing you know, you’re tea has been steeping for 5 or 10 minutes. The result is a bitter brew that is not pleasant to drink.

Just like cooking, brewing green tea means that you have to pay attention. Green tea leaves are delicate and can burn just like foods do. Green tea should not be steeped for more than 2 minutes. Start by brewing a new green tea blend for 1 minute. Taste after every 30 seconds to find a flavor that works for you. Tea becomes increasingly bitter the longer it is steeped. If you prefer light flavor, steep the tea for shorter amounts of time.

Be Mindful Of Water Temperature

When you cook a meal, you usually set the stovetop or oven to a certain temperature. Tea brewing is exactly the same. Green tea should generally be brewed at temperatures between 150F and 180F. Japanese green teas should be brewed at lower temperatures — typically 150 to 170 F. Chinese green teas are hardier and should be brewed between 170 and 180 F.

The best way to control water temperature is to use a tea kettle with built-in temperature controls. If you don’t have one, simply boil water in a pot on the stove. Remove the boiling water from heat and let it sit for 1 or 2 minutes.

Alternatively, 150 F is reached when small bubbles start forming on the bottom of the pot. 170 F is when midsize bubbles start rising to the surface. These guidelines are for sea level and can change at different altitudes. You can always toss in a regular baking thermometer to check temperature if you’re heating the water on the stove top.

Flavoring Add-Ins

For some people, the earthy or grassy flavor of green tea alone isn’t a treat. Luckily, you can add in a few subtle flavorings to make this tea taste better. You can add a dash of fresh lemon juice or lemon slices to counteract any bitter flavors if you’ve steeped the tea for too long. Alternatively, adding a bit of honey, raw sugar, or a stevia leaf can help add a little sweetness to this earthy tea.

You can spice up the flavor of green tea with herbs and spices as well. Green tea blends well with fresh ginger and results in tea with a spicy note. For refreshing flavors, add in a few fresh mint leaves instead. Other popular additives include cinnamon sticks and nutmeg.

Make An Herbal Infusion

You can make your own blends at home by adding a few fresh or dried flower blossoms to your green tea leaves. You can also find many flavored green teas at your grocery store or favorite tea shop.

Other popular alternatives include green teas that are infused with fruit. These fruit teas tend to have a sweeter, more vibrant flavor than standard green teas. Fruit infused green teas can be brewed as iced tea or hot tea. Iced green tea generally tastes a bit milder than hot green teas and can be a great starting point if you’re getting used to the flavors of green tea.

Want to grab the best tasting green teas today? Check out our collection of the tastiest green tea right here.