# Grandpa-style tea: leave the leaves in and top up

Put a little tea in a cup, add water and leave the leaves inside. Top up as you drink. This simple approach is often called grandpa style. A small dose is a useful starting point because the leaves keep infusing while you drink.

![Tea leaves steeping directly in a glass mug.](https://www.dao-cha.info/articles/glass-tea.jpg)

Tea leaves steeping directly in a glass mug. Photo: [Nicola Ye](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Glass_of_Chinese_Baicha.jpg) · [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

1. **Choose a comfortable cup and a tea.** Use a mug or heatproof glass that is comfortable to hold. Glass lets you watch the leaves, but is optional. Try Longjing, a large-leaf white tea or a familiar oolong. Whole leaves are usually easier to drink around than small fragments, though they will not necessarily sink straight away. A filter at the rim can keep them back; you can also lift floating leaves out with a spoon.
2. **Start with 1–2 g per 250 ml of water.** This is a gentle starting recipe, not a standard for every tea. Try 1 g for an unfamiliar or notably bitter tea and increase it next time if the result is weak. Leave space below the rim.

For Chinese green tea, try 75–85 °C; white tea, 85–90 °C; oolong or black tea, 90–95 °C. A particular tea may suit another temperature. Waiting 3–5 minutes after boiling cannot guarantee a target temperature: cooling varies with the vessel and water volume.
3. **Wait until it is comfortable to drink.** Do not rush to drink hot tea to keep it from getting stronger. If it turns bitter before cooling, use fewer leaves next time. You can dilute the current cup with drinking water.

Top up when roughly a third to half remains. The tea left in the cup mixes with the new water and helps carry the flavour through. This is a guide, not a rule; if you empty the cup, simply brew again. Check the temperature after adding hot water before taking another sip.
4. **Adjust as you go.** Too strong? Add water, or remove some leaves if needed. Too weak? Give it a little longer. If the flavour no longer returns, use fresh leaves. You can also try dancong, young sheng and rolled oolongs: start small and see whether you enjoy them this way.

A filter at the rim holds back leaves but does not stop extraction. To stop it, separate the tea from the leaves. An insulated flask keeps water hot longer, so the same recipe may taste stronger. Do not leave wet leaves somewhere warm overnight.

## Questions and answers

**Do I need a lid?**

It is optional. A lid retains heat but does not prevent oversteeping. A comfortable handle or a cool place to hold the vessel matters more than its shape.

**Can I measure with a spoon?**

Yes, but the same spoonful of different teas can weigh very differently. Weighing a small portion once can help you recognise the right amount for your usual tea.

**How many times can I top up?**

As long as you enjoy the tea. There is no fixed count: leaf quantity, water and drinking pace all matter.

---

![Neaptide](https://www.dao-cha.info/brands/neaptide.svg)

Dao Cha — a project by Neaptide

Web development, SEO and AI consulting. [Visit the studio](https://www.neaptide.ai/en).

Source: https://www.dao-cha.info/en/guide/grandpa-style