How to Brew Pu-erh Tea (Gaiwan, Step by Step)

To brew pu-erh in a gaiwan, use about 5–7 g of tea in a 100–120 ml gaiwan, rinse it once with water just off the boil, then pour short infusions of about 5–10 seconds, adding a few seconds each time. The same method works for raw and ripe pu-erh, from a cake, a brick or loose leaf. The ten photos below walk you through one session.

Brewing in a gaiwan (gongfu style) lets you taste the tea change from one infusion to the next: the aroma comes first, the fullest cups come in the middle, and the later cups turn lighter and sweeter.

Still choosing a tea to brew? Find your step on our pu-erh ladder.

What you need

• A 100–120 ml gaiwan
• A kettle that brings water to a full boil (100°C / 212°F)
• A pu-erh knife or pick, if you are brewing from a cake or brick
• A small scale, a tea pitcher and small cups (helpful, not essential)

Brewing pu-erh in a gaiwan, step by step

Step 1: Pry a piece from the cake

Lay the cake on a tray, smooth side down, and hold it steady with one hand. Slide the knife into a gap between the leaves near the edge, gently lever it up and down, and repeat in a nearby gap until a piece comes loose. Working along the gaps keeps the leaves whole instead of crushing them.

Step 2: Weigh the tea

Weigh about 5–7 g of tea for a 100–120 ml gaiwan. Break the piece into smaller chunks by hand so the water can reach all the leaves.

Step 3: Warm the gaiwan

Pour water just off the boil (100°C / 212°F) into the empty gaiwan, and over the pitcher and cups if you are using them. Discard the water. A warm vessel keeps the brewing temperature steady.

Step 4: Add the leaves

Tip the weighed leaves into the warm gaiwan. Use a tea pick to guide them in so none fall on the tray.

Step 5: Wake up the leaves

Put the lid on and gently shake the gaiwan up and down about five times. The heat of the warm gaiwan brings out the aroma of the dry leaf. Lift the lid and smell it.

Step 6: Rinse the tea

Fill the gaiwan with water just off the boil, wait 5–10 seconds, then pour the water away. This quick rinse washes off small leaf particles and helps tightly pressed leaves start to open.

Step 7: Pour in water for the first infusion

Refill the gaiwan with water just off the boil, pouring around the inside edge so the water does not hit the leaves directly. Cover and steep for about 5–10 seconds.

Step 8: Pour the tea into the pitcher

Hold the lid slightly open and pour all the liquor into the tea pitcher. Pour out every drop, so the leaves don't keep steeping. Using a pitcher means every cup tastes the same.

Step 9: Fill the cups

Pour from the pitcher into the small cups. Fill each cup about two-thirds full.

Step 10: Taste, then brew again

Look at the liquor color, smell the aroma and take a small sip. Then repeat steps 7–9 for the next infusion, adding a few seconds of steeping time each round.

Keep going: later infusions

Good leaf gives 8–15 infusions. Start at about 5–10 seconds and add a few seconds for each new infusion. Watch the leaves open and the liquor change, and notice how the taste shifts from one cup to the next. When the tea no longer tastes of much, the leaves are spent.

If a cup tastes too bitter, shorten the next steep or use a little less leaf next time. Keep the water just off the boil; don't use cooler water.

No gaiwan? Use a mug

You can brew good pu-erh in a mug or a Western teapot:

1. Use about 3–4 g of tea per 250 ml.
2. Rinse once: cover the leaves with water just off the boil for 5–10 seconds and pour it away.
3. Refill with water just off the boil and steep 1–2 minutes for the first cup.
4. Strain or remove the leaves, and steep a little longer for each later cup. You will get 3–4 cups from the same leaves.

More brewing guides

• How to Brew Gongfu Style Pu-erh Tea: more on timing and infusions
• How to Break and Rinse a Pu-erh Tea Cake: tips for tight cakes and bricks
• 10 Common Mistakes When Brewing Pu-erh

Need a gaiwan or pitcher? Browse our teaware.