Measuring loose leaf tea with a wooden spoon over a glass teapot

The Best Way to Make Tea with Loose Tea: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Written by: Camille Liu

April 15, 2025

Time to read 5 min

Introduction

Drinking loose-leaf tea is one of the most rewarding ways to enjoy a truly flavorful and aromatic cup. But for those new to it, questions like how to make loose-leaf tea or how to brew loose-leaf green tea often come up. Unlike tea bags, which are convenient but less nuanced, loose tea offers higher quality and fuller taste — if you know how to brew it right.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you the best way to make loose-leaf tea, covering tools, temperatures, steeping methods, and even how to make tea with a strainer or teapot. Whether you’re making loose-leaf green tea, black tea, or English tea with loose leaves, this post will walk you through everything you need to know.

🌿 Why Choose Loose Leaf Tea?

Before diving into how to make tea with loose tea, let’s talk about why loose tea is superior:

Better flavor: Loose tea contains whole leaves, not broken dust.
More variety: From oolong to jasmine green to English breakfast, the options are endless.
Sustainability: Less packaging means more eco-conscious sipping.

Making tea with loose tea leaves allows you to control every aspect of your brew — temperature, steep time, tea-to-water ratio — resulting in a richer experience.

Loose leaf tea steeping in a French press with tea leaves at the bottom, surrounded by fresh herbs and wooden utensils”

What You Need Before Making Loose Leaf Tea

To master how to brew loose-leaf tea, you’ll need a few simple tools:

Loose-leaf tea
Freshwater (filtered is best)
Teapot, infuser, or strainer
Kettle with temperature control (optional but ideal)
Timer (your phone works fine)

If you’re wondering how to make tea with tea leaves and strainer or how to make loose tea in a pot, don’t worry — we’ll walk you through each method.

Glass teapot with steam rising and loose leaf tea steeping inside, surrounded by dry tea leaves on a wooden surface

Loose leaf green tea in a ceramic pot with a timer beside it, prepared for brewing on a wooden tray

How to Make Loose Leaf Tea: Step-by-Ste

Here’s the basic, foolproof method for making tea with loose tea leaves, adaptable to any type of tea.

1. Measure Your Tea

Use about 1 teaspoon of loose tea per 8-ounce cup of water. For fluffier teas like white or flower teas, use a heaping spoon. If you’re brewing in a pot, just scale the amount (e.g., 3 teaspoons for a 3-cup teapot).

2. Heat the Water

Different teas require different temperatures:

Green tea : 160–180°F (not boiling!)
Black tea / English tea: 200–212°F
White tea: 170–185°F
Oolong tea: 180–200°F
Herbal tea: 212°F

Using the right temperature is key to learning how to brew loose-leaf green tea properly without bitterness.

3. Place Tea in an Infuser, Strainer, or Teapot

This is where personal preference comes in. You can choose:

A tea ball or basket infuser
A French press
A fine mesh strainer
A traditional teapot with a built-in filter
A gaiwan (for advanced brewers)

If you’re wondering how to make tea in a teapot with loose tea, just place the tea directly in the pot or use an infuser basket inside the teapot.

Glass cup of brewed loose leaf tea on a saucer surrounded by dry tea leaves and petals

Glass cup of jasmine green tea with floating flowers and tea leaves, surrounded by fresh jasmine blossoms

4. Pour and Steep

Now comes the steeping. Pour the hot water over the tea leaves and let it steep:

Green tea: 1–3 minutes
Black tea: 3–5 minutes
Oolong tea: 3–5 minutes
White tea: 4–5 minutes
Herbal tea: 5–7 minutes

This is the best way to steep loose-leaf tea to extract the right flavor without over-brewing. Steeping too long can make your tea bitter.

5. Strain and Enjoy

If you didn’t use an infuser, use a fine mesh strainer to pour the tea into your cup. And that’s it — you’ve just learned how to make tea with loose leaves like a pro.

Best Ways to Brew Loose Leaf Tea (With Tools)

Different people prefer different tools — here’s how to make loose tea using common gear:

🫖 How to Make a Pot of Tea with Loose Tea

Add 1 tsp of tea per cup directly into your teapot
Add hot water (per temperature guidelines above)
Steep, then pour through a strainer into cups
Works well for English tea with loose leaves

Traditional Chinese teapot pouring loose leaf tea into a porcelain teacup with blue floral design on a bamboo tray

Rustic ceramic mug of brewed loose leaf tea with a metal tea strainer and scattered dry tea leaves beside it

☕ How to Make Tea with Tea Leaves and Strainer

Place tea directly in your mug
Pour in hot water and steep
Use a mesh strainer over another mug to catch the leaves
Great for minimalist brewing

🌱 Best Way to Brew Loose Leaf Green Tea

Use lower temperature water (160–175°F)
Steep for only 1–2 minutes
Use a gaiwan or glass infuser for a more elegant experience

Avoid boiling water to preserve delicate flavor

Re-steeping Loose Leaf Tea

Loose tea can often be reused multiple times — especially oolong, green, or pu-erh. This makes making loose-leaf tea both cost-effective and environmentally friendly.

Each steeping reveals new layers of flavor. Just increase the steep time by 30 seconds for each additional brew.

🧊 Can I Make Iced Tea with Loose Leaves?

Absolutely! Here’s how to prepare loose leaf tea for iced tea:

Use double the tea leaves (since you’ll dilute with ice)
Steep as usual, then let cool
Pour over ice and enjoy
Or cold brew: steep in cold water for 6–12 hours in the fridge

This is one of the best ways to make loose tea refreshing and versatile.

Cup of English tea made with loose leaves, served with milk and a biscuit on a vintage saucer

🇬🇧 How to Make English Tea with Loose Leaves

If you love traditional British tea time, here’s how to make English tea with loose leaves:

Use black loose tea like Assam or English Breakfast
Brew in a ceramic teapot with boiling water (212°F)
Steep for 4–5 minutes
Serve with milk and sugar (optional)
Enjoy with biscuits or scones for the full experience

This is also one of the most iconic and cozy ways of making tea with loose tea leaves.

Cup of English milk tea with loose leaf black tea and butter biscuits on a vintage floral saucer

🔥 Tips for Making the Perfect Cup Every Time

Use fresh filtered water — it makes a big difference
Pre-warm your teapot or cup to keep tea hot longer
Experiment with steep times and ratios to find your perfect taste
Store your tea properly — in an airtight container away from light and moisture
Write down your preferences as you experiment

Whether you're learning how to make a pot of tea with loose tea or how to prepare loose leaf tea for daily use, refining your ritual brings joy to the process.

Cup of freshly brewed loose leaf tea with a tea thermometer and scattered herbs on a rustic wooden table

🫖 Final Thoughts: The Best Way to Make Loose Leaf Tea

Mastering the best way to make loose leaf tea is part art, part science — and fully worth the effort. With just a few tools and some practice, you’ll never want to go back to tea bags again.

Here’s a recap of key takeaways:

Know your water temperature and steeping time
Use the right tools: teapot, infuser, or strainer
Mind the tea-to-water ratio
Customize based on tea type and taste
Explore, re-steep, and enjoy the full range of flavor

Whether you’re learning how to make loose tea in a pot, how to brew loose tea in a strainer, or how to make tea with loose leaves British-style, this guide has you covered.

🍃 Discover Premium Loose Teas at Red Rock Tea House

At Red Rock Tea House, we offer a curated selection of high-quality loose-leaf teas sourced directly from the mountains of China and beyond. From delicate green teas to floral jasmine and robust black teas, we make it easy for you to enjoy your best cup ever.