No matter what I do my green tea is bitter. I've tried expensive Japanese green teas, Chinese Dragon Well, different brands — always bitter.
I use a kettle that just boils to 100°C. Could that be the issue? Also I steep for about 3 minutes. Is that too long?
Honestly getting frustrated because everyone talks about how light and delicious green tea is but mine tastes like vegetable water that burns.
6 :plural
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GreenLeafMaria
100°C is definitely the issue. Green tea should never touch boiling water.
For Chinese green teas (Dragon Well, Bi Luo Chun, Mao Feng): 75-80°C
For Japanese green teas (Sencha, Gyokuro): 60-75°C
Boiling water burns the delicate amino acids (L-theanine, EGCG) and activates tannins — which is exactly what creates bitter flavor. Get a temperature-controlled kettle if you can, or just let boiled water sit for 4-5 minutes.
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PuerHead
3 minutes is also too long for most green teas. I do 1-1.5 minutes for Chinese greens, and some Japanese greens only need 45 seconds.
The combination of 100°C + 3 min = extremely bitter tea. Fix the temperature first, then reduce steep time. Start with 80°C and 90 seconds and adjust from there.
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ChaiNomad
Also check your leaf ratio. How much tea per 200ml? The standard is about 2-3g. Too many leaves amplifies bitterness even at correct temperature.
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BrewMaster_K
Update: got a thermometer and tested — my kettle at full boil is 99°C, and I was indeed steeping 3 min. Dropped to 78°C and 80 seconds. Same Dragon Well I was cursing... it's actually sweet and grassy now. Completely different tea. Temperature is everything.
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OolongFan
This should be pinned as a PSA. Temperature kills green tea and half the people who say they 'don't like green tea' just never brewed it correctly.
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WhitePeony
Gyokuro specifically needs 50-60°C and that sounds absurdly low but it's real — at that temperature you unlock the umami sweetness that makes it so special. Try it cold-steeped (room temp, 8-10 minutes) if you don't have temperature control.
