Boil or brew: The ideal way to prepare tea is…

Hot water temperatures will vary depending on the tea used to get the best out of it.

By: Lifestyle Desk
New Delhi | January 22, 2025 06:00 AM IST

3 min read

Do you boil your tea too much? (Source: Pixabay)

Nutritionist Suman Agarwal left social media in a shock when she claimed that instead of boiled tea one should opt for brewed tea. “Tea, which all Indians love, the masala chai, not only has high levels of tannin, it also leaches out very harmful elements in your chai. One of them is acrylamide. Repeated use of that kind of tea over a long period can be so harmful that it is known to be carcinogenic. Boiled chai is called masala chai which we should try to avoid as far as possible as tea is not to be boiled, it is supposed to be brewed. You put it in hot water where it leaves its taste, flavour and aroma in three minutes, and then you are supposed to have it. That’s the normal way of having tea,” Agarwal said in a conversation with Traya.Health.

Is there any truth to this statement?

Nutritionist Apeksha Chandurkar, founder, Balanced Bite, said indeed, brewed, not boiled, is a “gentle approach to tea preparation to maintain its delicate flavours and health benefits”. “Brewing tea means soaking the leaves in water at the appropriate temperature and not boiling as the process turns it bitter and destroys some of its more delicate chemical compounds,” said Chandurkar, adding that Indian masala chai, if boiled at high temperatures, can indeed be harmful in the long term.

Brew tea and let it steep (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Hot water temperatures will vary depending on the tea used to get the best out of it.

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Chandurkar noted that the temperature for black tea is about 200-212°F (93-100°C), while that for green tea would be about 160-180°F (71-82°C) to prevent bitter flavours. “For herbal teas, depending on the kind, boiling water might be essential; even then, properly timing the steep is crucial to avoid overpowering flavour while maximising taste,” said Chandurkar.

For tea, one should generally infuse for as long as is advised, usually 3 to 5 minutes before sipping. “In this way, one can develop depth of flavour and astringency without a bad bite. It can be mixed with milk, sugar, and lemon, though these additions will certainly mask much of what the leaf might contribute to the overall experience,” mentioned Chandurkar.

DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.

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