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The exact tea-to-water ratio for cold brewing green, black, oolong, white, and herbal teas. Double the leaf, colder the water, longer the steep.
Quick answer
The standard cold brew tea ratio is 2 teaspoons (4-5g) of loose tea per 8oz (240ml) of cold water. This is double the hot-brew dose because cold water extracts less from the leaves. Steep green tea 4-8 hours, black tea 8-12 hours, and herbal teas 12+ hours in the refrigerator.
| Tea type | Tea per 8oz | Steep time | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 2 tsp (5g) | 4-8 hours | Sweet, vegetal, delicate |
| Black | 2 tsp (5g) | 8-12 hours | Smooth, malty, full-bodied |
| Oolong | 2 tsp (4g) | 6-10 hours | Floral, complex, layered |
| White | 2 tsp (4g) | 6-10 hours | Light, sweet, honeyed |
| Herbal / Fruit | 2-3 tsp (5-7g) | 12-24 hours | Fruity, vibrant, caffeine-free |
Hot water blasts open tea leaves and extracts everything fast — catechins, tannins, caffeine, and flavor compounds all dissolve within minutes. The result is intense, complex, and sometimes astringent. Cold water is gentler. It extracts the sweet amino acids (especially L-theanine) and delicate flavor compounds first, while leaving most of the bitter tannins and harsh catechins behind.
This selective extraction is why cold brew tea tastes smoother and sweeter than the same tea brewed hot and then chilled over ice. Iced tea made from hot brew carries all the bitterness and astringency of hot extraction — cold brew never develops those compounds in the first place. The trade-off is time: what takes 3 minutes hot takes 6-12 hours cold.
Green tea benefits most from cold brewing. Hot-brewed green tea is notoriously easy to ruin — 10 seconds of over-steeping or 5°F too much heat and it turns bitter. Cold-brewed green tea is almost impossible to mess up within the recommended window. The result is a naturally sweet, vegetal, zero-bitterness cup that converts people who think they don't like green tea.
Use a pitcher with a strainer. A standard water pitcher with a built-in infuser basket makes cold brew tea effortless — drop the leaves in the basket, fill with cold water, refrigerate, and lift out the basket when the steep is done. Without a basket, straining loose leaves through a fine mesh sieve works but is messier.
Don't over-steep green tea. Green tea left beyond 10-12 hours develops a grassy bitterness even in cold water. Black and herbal teas are far more forgiving — 24 hours won't ruin them. If you're making overnight cold brew and aren't sure when you'll drink it, choose black or herbal to be safe.
Filtered water matters. Cold brew tea is very low-extraction compared to hot tea. Any off-flavors in your water — chlorine, minerals, pipe taste — come through more prominently because there's less tea flavor to mask them. Filtered or spring water makes a noticeable difference.
Have a specific question? “How much coffee for my 34oz Bodum?” or “Why does my cold brew taste weak?”
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Use 2 teaspoons (4-5 grams) of loose tea per 8oz (240ml) of cold water. This is roughly double the amount you'd use for hot tea because cold water extracts less efficiently. For tea bags, use 2 bags per 8oz. Steep in the refrigerator for the recommended time based on tea type.