Chinese tea brewing timer. The 6 traditional tea categories (green/black/oolong/white/dark/yellow) with water temperature, leaf ratio, and steeping time per infusion. Live countdown + audio beep.
Chinese Tea Brewing Timer (中国茶冲泡计时器)
How to use
Choose your tea category
Six classical categories: green, white, yellow, oolong, black, dark/pu-erh. Each has its own water temperature and steeping schedule.
Heat water + weigh leaves
Use the displayed parameters: temperature (80-100°C) and leaf-to-water ratio (3-7g of leaf per 150ml of water).
Hit "Start timer"
Countdown beeps at the end. Pour out the tea into a sharing pitcher (or your cup) and prepare the next infusion.
Click "Next infusion"
Each subsequent infusion uses a longer time (as flavour weakens with each brew). Most teas yield 4-9 infusions.
The Six Tea Categories: China\'s Scientific Tea Classification
Chinese teas are scientifically classified into six categories based on degree of fermentation/oxidation — a system proposed by tea scientist Chen Chuan in 1979. All commercial Chinese teas fall into one of these six (or are reprocessed forms like scented or compressed teas).
The six categories at a glance
(1) Green tea (绿茶, 0% oxidation): Xihu Longjing, Biluochun, Xinyang Maojian. Low-temperature water (75-80°C) preserves the fresh, vegetal notes. (2) White tea (白茶, mild 5-10% oxidation): Silver Needle, White Peony, Shou Mei. Highly age-able. (3) Yellow tea (黄茶, light 10-20% oxidation): Junshan Yinzhen, Mengding Huangya. Rare and refined. (4) Oolong (乌龙, semi-oxidised 20-70%): Tieguanyin, Wuyi Yancha, Taiwan High Mountain. The classic gongfu tea. (5) Black tea (红茶, fully oxidised 80-95%): Lapsang Souchong, Keemun, Dianhong, English Breakfast (Western). (6) Dark / Pu-erh (黑茶 / 普洱, post-fermented 100%+): Ripe pu-erh, Anhua dark tea, Guangxi Liubao. Improves with age.
Gongfu Cha brewing method
This tool uses the gongfu (功夫) brewing method — a small pot (150ml) + multiple short infusions (20-90 sec each). Contrast with the Western "big pot + single long infusion" approach. Gongfu brewing lets one portion of tea express layers of flavour across 4-9 infusions.
Why water temperature matters so much
(1) Green, white, yellow teas are made from tender buds — water below 80°C avoids "cooking" the fresh leaf aromatics; (2) Oolong, black, dark teas have thicker, more oxidised leaves — they need 95-100°C to release their full aroma. This is 1,000+ years of accumulated tea wisdom from generations of Chinese tea masters.
This tool\'s parameters are based on Chen Chuan\'s "Theory and Practice of Tea Classification" and modern tea-master conventions. Specific varietals and harvest seasons may vary slightly; adjust to your taste preferences.
10 Facts about Chinese Tea
China is the birthplace of tea. The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) originated in the Yunnan/Sichuan region with 4,000+ years of cultivation. The legend of 神农 (Divine Farmer) tasting all plants tells the discovery story.
The world's word for tea comes from China — in two streams: Hokkien "te" → English "tea", Portuguese "chá"; Cantonese/Mandarin "chá" → Indian, Turkish, Russian "chai". Every "tea/chai" word globally is one of these two Chinese pronunciations.
Lu Yu's 《茶经》("Classic of Tea") (Tang Dynasty, ~760 CE) was the world's first tea treatise. Lu Yu (陆羽) is revered as the "Sage of Tea" — founder of tea ceremony and tea aesthetics.
Pu-erh tea appreciates with age. 1980s "aged pu-erh" reached RMB 300,000 per cake at auction (2019). Aging produces new compounds via post-fermentation, yielding deeper, richer flavour.
"Gongfu Cha" (功夫茶, "kungfu tea") originated in Chaozhou and southern Fujian. Emphasises small pot, many infusions, slow drinking. Most Chinese tea houses in Singapore, Malaysia, and Taiwan use this method.
The chemistry of water temperature: below 80°C extracts amino acids from tender buds (umami); above 95°C extracts polyphenols (astringency) and aromatic compounds. This is why green tea uses low temperature and oolong uses high temperature.
Taiwan high-mountain oolong (梨山, 阿里山, 玉山): higher altitude produces more refined aroma. Slow-grown leaves accumulate amino acids and lose astringency — the scientific reason Taiwan's "Dong Ding Oolong" is internationally renowned.
Singapore's kopitiam culture features both coffee and tea — but "Teh" (with milk) is not a traditional Chinese form; it's a British-colonial hybrid drink. This tool's traditional brewing differs from local kopi-style tea.
Mild vs strong brewing effects on health: tea contains caffeine, theanine, and polyphenols. Mild (short) infusions are low in caffeine — suitable for afternoon. Strong (long) infusions have high astringency and caffeine; drinking on empty stomach can cause discomfort.
Pairs with RT-CHN-001 (Bazi), RT-CHN-007 (Zodiac Compatibility), and RT-CHN-043 (I-Ching) — the complete traditional Chinese culture and lifestyle toolset.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes. Rough eyeballing: 3g ≈ 1 teaspoon, 5g ≈ 1.5-2 teaspoons, 7g ≈ 1 large pinch (thumb + index + middle finger). A cheap kitchen scale dramatically improves consistency.
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Visual stages: tiny bubbles ("crab eyes") ≈ 80°C; bead chains ("fish eyes") ≈ 85-90°C; "pine wind" hum (just-before-boil) ≈ 95°C; full rolling boil = 100°C. Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea" used this classification.
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Depends on the tea. For pu-erh, dark, compressed teas: rinse the first infusion briefly (5-10 sec) and discard — removes dust and compression residue. For green and white tea: no rinse needed; the first infusion is the best. For oolong and black tea: optional, per preference.
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Depends on pot pre-warming. A cold pot and cold cups drain heat from the tea. Recommended: pre-warm pot + cups with boiling water for 1 minute, then brew — temperature stays stable. This tool's times assume a pre-warmed pot.
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(1) Check browser audio permission: some browsers need a user click before playing audio. (2) Check system volume. (3) Visual cue: the timer shows "Done ✓" at end as backup.
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Yes. But keep the page in foreground — browsers pause background timers. For precision, leave the tab visible, or use your phone's native timer as backup.
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Depends on type. Green: 4 infusions. White/Yellow: 4-5. Oolong: 6-7 (tool default 7). Black: 5. Pu-erh / Dark tea: 8-10+ (tool default 9). Aged teas can go further.
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Try to keep gaps between infusions under 5 minutes (the leaves cool down, affecting the next brew). If gap is longer, add 5-10 seconds to the next infusion to compensate.
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Yixing zisha clay pot (120-150ml): traditional choice for oolong, black, and dark teas — the porous clay seasons over time. Gaiwan (lidded cup, 150ml): best for green, white, yellow tea — neutral porcelain. Glass tumbler (160ml): visual enjoyment of leaves unfurling — good for green and white tea.
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Don't leave leaves overnight — they oxidise and the flavour degrades. Within the same day, kept in a clean covered vessel, you can continue brewing with longer times. Pros finish all infusions within 2 hours.
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