Tea Steeping Ratio Calculator

How it is calculated

The tool uses a base of 1 g of loose-leaf tea per 100 ml of water and scales it by the strength you pick: leaf (g) = water (ml) ÷ 100 × factor, with factor 0.75 for Light, 1.0 for Standard and 1.5 for Strong. The teaspoon figure assumes about 2 g of tea per teaspoon: teaspoons = leaf ÷ 2. Both are rounded to one decimal. Water must be above zero; a strength that is missing or unrecognised is treated as Standard. The tool does not adjust for tea type, leaf size, water temperature or steeping time, so treat the result as a starting point and tune it to taste. Fluffy, large-leaf teas take up more room than 2 g per teaspoon, and dense or finely cut teas less.

Common mistakes

• Entering the water in cups or fluid ounces. The field is in millilitres, so a 2-cup pot of about 480 ml should be typed as 480.
• Using the teaspoon figure for every tea. It assumes roughly 2 g per teaspoon, which is only right for ordinary leaf. Light, bulky teas such as some whites and large-leaf greens fill a spoon with much less than 2 g, so weigh them if you can.
• Entering the volume of finished tea in the cup. Enter the water you pour into the pot, not the brewed volume.
• Expecting the ratio to change with the type of tea. Only the strength selector changes the amount, so a delicate green tea may need the Light setting rather than Standard.
• Making a stronger cup by steeping much longer. Extra time pulls out more bitterness, so use the Strong setting with the usual steep time instead.