Tea Temperature

There are telltale signs when a cup of black tea is served at below-optimum temperature: The liquid will look clear, and there will be a brown ring around the bottom of the cup.

Near-boiling water is required to extract the most flavor from black tea. After 3 minutes of steeping, the tea should be about 185 degrees, he says.

For white or green tea, cooler temperatures are required, around 165 to 185 degrees.