Ideal temperature for drinking; ideal amount....

[Ethan Kurland]

Since I began preparing most of teas by combining all of the infusions into a server before drinking any, I have drunk much more tea that is not hot. I have found that the ideal range of temperature for me to drink is cooler than hot enough to require much care to avoid burning & warmer than room temperature. I am curious about other people's favorite drinking temperatures.

I have also found myself drinking more. Avoiding drinking very hot tea, I have found myself wanting more. I am comfortable keeping liquid in my mouth to swish it around & savor & appreciate....My tiny gaiwan is not getting used. I usually preparing 12 - 16 ounces of tea (350 - 450 ml) & drinking all or most of it fairly quickly. I am curious what amount of tea others drink.

Cheers

[chofmann]

In terms of temperature, I prefer to drink it around 100-120 degrees F (room temperature is about 70 for reference). I find that at this temperature it is still warm and soothing, but the flavor is much more accessible for some of the reasons you mentioned.

For tasting purposes, we often drink it really hot (freshly steeped), warm (my favorite), and at room temperature. Different flavors will be accentuated at each temperature, so it helps to get a better idea of the complexity of the flavor spectrum.

[Ethan Kurland]

For tasting purposes, we often drink it really hot (freshly steeped), warm (my favorite), and at room temperature. Different flavors will be accentuated at each temperature, so it helps to get a better idea of the complexity of the flavor spectrum.

That is smart & thorough. I will try to remember to do likewise.

[chofmann]

For tasting purposes, we often drink it really hot (freshly steeped), warm (my favorite), and at room temperature. Different flavors will be accentuated at each temperature, so it helps to get a better idea of the complexity of the flavor spectrum.

That is smart & thorough. I will try to remember to do likewise.

Not that smart! The trick is:
1. Be really impatient, drink tea when it is hot, burn mouth slightly.
2. Recover from burn, enjoy more tea.
3. Get distracted, come back and find tea still sitting there 2 hours later (Tea Surprise!). Enjoy again

[entropyembrace]

I think that the ideal temperature to drink tea is only slightly above body temperature. Tea should feel pleasantly warm but never painful. That's about 40°C (104°F). The mucosa in your mouth and throat is more delicate than your skin and it can be easily damaged by drinking things that are too hot increasing risk of mouth and throat cancer in the long term and ruining your sense of taste in the short term. Your sense of taste is also most sensitive close to body temperature and you lose the ability to distinguish flavours at very hot and cold temperatures so it makes sense if you want to get the most out of your tea to wait a bit after pouring for it to cool down close to body temperature before drinking.

[oeroe]

I drink my tea hot. I find tea more lively in the mouth when hot, I get more interesting mouth sensations and lingering after-flavours. Though I agree with people saying that the taste opens up more when tea is cooler. When drinking tea very hot, it's a good idea to take very small sips, and let yourself slurp naturally to avoid any burning sensations.

[chofmann]

When drinking tea very hot, it's a good idea to take very small sips, and let yourself slurp naturally to avoid any burning sensations.

This is true, and this act can actually help taste the tea as the slurping both aerates the tea better and "shoots" it into your mouth, causing it to coat your mouth better and touch more taste buds throughout.

[Bok]

When drinking tea very hot, it's a good idea to take very small sips, and let yourself slurp naturally to avoid any burning sensations.

This is true, and this act can actually help taste the tea as the slurping both aerates the tea better and "shoots" it into your mouth, causing it to coat your mouth better and touch more taste buds throughout.

Slurping! That’s how the professionals do it, especially when tasting new tea. Similar to wine tasting actually.

[debunix]

My phone ate my reply.

Temp depends on the tea (some are better hot, some degrade rapidly after infusing), my temperature (hot day/hot me > cold tea; cold day, cold me, hotter tea). I know the temp of water I pour into the brewing vessel from the kettle, but I rarely know how much it has cooled down as it was poured into the pot, steeped, and poured into a cup, and drunk.

To be sure I will need to spend a few days with the thermapen at my side as I infuse and drink. Right now it is several hundred miles away....

[tealifehk]

I drink most teas (that can take it) as hot as possible and I *always* slurp

[supernova]

Well, I have quite opposite thoughts on this one. Ideal temperature -- maybe 50 degrees. Higher tea temperatures block my nose completely/partially and I lose some smell and taste feeling.
Ideal amount -- 1.8g-2g of sheng pu erh tea for 130ml gaiwan. I do not know how people drink 6g, when tea hits you like a truck. I have tried to use 5g of tea for a month and I felt much better and started enjoying it after the first 2 weeks but at the end I went back to 2g.

[supernova]

Ah, forgot to add very important thing as well -- I have licked hot iron when I was 2 and for the rest of my life I have a very sensitive tounge on its front part. I can't even taste wheter tea/food is cold or not because even if I burn it for the smallest second, my tounge would be on fire for the whole day

[LeoFox]

Ah, forgot to add very important thing as well -- I have licked hot iron when I was 2 and for the rest of my life I have a very sensitive tounge on its front part. I can't even taste wheter tea/food is cold or not because even if I burn it for the smallest second, my tounge would be on fire for the whole day

Maybe interesting
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2404

[supernova]

Ah, forgot to add very important thing as well -- I have licked hot iron when I was 2 and for the rest of my life I have a very sensitive tounge on its front part. I can't even taste wheter tea/food is cold or not because even if I burn it for the smallest second, my tounge would be on fire for the whole day

Maybe interesting
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2404

According to that article I am hypo taster)
I very rarely drink coffee, but when I do drink it -- I like it strong. Also I have trained my receptors to alcohol in my mouth and I enjoy many soft whiskeys and cognacs as well as wines and beers.

[LeoFox]

Ah, forgot to add very important thing as well -- I have licked hot iron when I was 2 and for the rest of my life I have a very sensitive tounge on its front part. I can't even taste wheter tea/food is cold or not because even if I burn it for the smallest second, my tounge would be on fire for the whole day

Maybe interesting
viewtopic.php?f=36&t=2404

According to that article I am hypo taster)
I very rarely drink coffee, but when I do drink it -- I like it strong. Also I have trained my receptors to alcohol in my mouth and I enjoy many soft whiskeys and cognacs as well as wines and beers.

You might like this one

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=1984

Debunix also brews very lightly