Should You Rinse Tea Before Brewing?

Rinsing tea refers to the process of quickly pouring hot water over the tea leaves and discarding the first infusion before formally brewing the tea. This step, which typically lasts only a few seconds, aims to "clean" the leaves and "awaken" their aroma. Hence, it is also known as "moistening the tea" or "waking up the tea."

1. Green Tea

   Green tea is unfermented and has relatively tender leaves. When rinsing green tea, it is important to control the water temperature and duration. Generally, the water temperature for rinsing should not exceed 80°C (176°F), and the process should be completed within 5 seconds to avoid damaging the beneficial compounds and fragrance of the leaves. For high-quality green teas from reputable sources with reliable production standards, rinsing is often unnecessary.

2. Oolong Tea

   Oolong tea is partially fermented, and its leaves are relatively thick. When rinsing oolong tea, slightly higher water temperature (around 90°C/194°F) can be used, and the process should take about 10 seconds. This helps remove surface impurities while effectively awakening the tea’s aroma.

3. Black Tea

   Black tea is fully fermented, and its internal components are stable. As a result, rinsing is generally less necessary. If you choose to rinse black tea, use water at around 90°C (194°F) and keep the duration between 5 to 10 seconds.

4. Pu-erh Tea

   Pu-erh tea is divided into raw (sheng) and ripe (shou) varieties. Raw Pu-erh tea leaves are tightly compressed, so rinsing requires a slightly longer time (around 10–15 seconds) with water temperature maintained at 90–95°C (194–203°F). Ripe Pu-erh, which undergoes post-fermentation, has more active internal compounds, so the rinsing time can be shortened to about 10 seconds.