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The more crucial factor than water temperature is actually the amount of tea leaves used.
Many beginners worry that using too little tea leaves will make the brew taste bland, so they dump a handful of leaves into the gaiwan, resulting in an overly concentrated tea that tastes bitter and astringent.
The amount of tea leaves used for black tea actually matters. It is generally recommended to maintain a tea-to-water ratio of about 1:30, meaning around 5 grams of tea leaves for a 150-milliliter gaiwan. Beginners can start with 3 grams.
Excessive tea leaves can lead to an overextraction of compounds like tea polyphenols and caffeine, resulting in a sour and astringent taste even with precise temperature control.
If unsure about the tea amount, start with a smaller quantity and adjust by adding more if the taste seems weak—it's much safer than putting too much at once.
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