How to brew Rooibos and honeybush
Red or green rooibos, honeybush.
Very forgiving: boiling water and long steeps rarely turn it bitter, so it starts long.
Starting recipe
| Setting | Western (mug or teapot) | Gongfu (small pot or gaiwan) |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 203–212°F (95–100°C) | 203–212°F (95–100°C) |
| Leaf | 1–2.5 g per 100 ml | 2.5–4 g per 100 ml |
| Steepdial starts at | 212°F (100°C) · 3 g · 250 ml | 212°F (100°C) · 4 g · 120 ml |
| First steep | 4:00–12:00 | 0:30–3:00 |
| A whole session | 6:00 · 8:00 | 1:00 · 1:30 · 2:00 · 3:00 |
The details
Rinse
Not needed. Start with the first steep.
Drinking window
Keeps well: at its best for about 18 months once opened.
Caffeine
Naturally caffeine-free.
Iced and cold brew
Cold brew: 1.5 g per 100 ml of cold water, in the fridge for about 10 hours. Keep it cold and drink it within a day or two. For iced tea now, brew a concentrated hot cup (the same leaf in half the water) and pour it over an equal weight of ice; Steepdial accounts for the ice in the total water.
How Steepdial adjusts
After a session you tap what you'd change: more flavor, less bitter, less drying. Steepdial changes one thing at a time, staying near the ranges above, and remembers what worked for that tea.
More herbal / tisane
The whole guide →Flowers
Chamomile, lavender, rose, linden
199–212°F (93–100°C) · 0.6–2 g per 100 ml→Herbal / tisaneLeaves and mints
Peppermint, spearmint, lemon verbena, nettle
199–212°F (93–100°C) · 0.6–2 g per 100 ml→Herbal / tisaneHibiscus and fruit
Hibiscus, rosehip, dried fruit blends
203–212°F (95–100°C) · 1–2.5 g per 100 ml→Herbal / tisaneRoots and barks
Ginger, cinnamon, licorice, turmeric
203–212°F (95–100°C) · 1–4 g per 100 ml→Herbal / tisaneYerba mate
Yerba mate from Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay (it has caffeine)
149–180°F (65–82°C) · 1.5–3 g per 100 ml→Herbal / tisaneGuayusa and yaupon
Guayusa from Ecuador, yaupon holly from the southeastern US (they have caffeine)
176–212°F (80–100°C) · 1.5–3 g per 100 ml→