How Long to Steep Chamomile Tea? | An Easy Brewing Guide

Introduction

Do you think about how long to steep your tea when you’re enjoying your favorite afternoon drink? Most people do not, and instead rely on visual cues or overall “feeling” when it comes to brewing hot tea. Teaware is another essential kitchen must-have.

To greatly improve the quality and consistency of tea, steeping time is a critical element of the process. If you’re a chamomile lover, you might be thinking how long to steep chamomile tea–in this article, we’ll learn all about the intricate details of chamomile and how to make the best cup of tea.

Generally, steeping chamomile tea is relatively simple and we recommend a short steep time of 5-8 minutes. However, different people may have different preferences, so let’s dive a little bit deeper.

What is Chamomile Tea?

Chamomile is a type of plant that has daisy-like flowers that are white and small in appearance. Unlike more traditional teas, chamomile tea is considered more herbal and behaves slightly differently than traditional teas derived from black or green tea leaves, for example.

Just like traditional teas, chamomile tea can come in loose leaf, or in pre-bagged forms. Curious about how steep time affects flavor? Read further as we have all the chamomile tea tips for you.

How Long to Steep Chamomile Tea?

Depending on your preference, the steep time for chamomile tea can vary. For a more standard and mild taste, we recommend steeping chamomile tea for 5 minutes. For a heavier or stronger flavor profile, some may recommend steeping chamomile tea for as long as 10 minutes.

Note that with a longer steep time, tea can become more bitter. As a result, many people prefer a lighter and shorter steep time. If you’ve oversteeped your tea, you can always re-brew to find the flavor profile that best suits your preferences.

How Does Steep Time Affect Flavor?

Just like when making Chinese teas, typically a longer steep time translates to heavier flavor. At the same time, for more traditional teas like black or green tea, a longer steep time can also mean more bitterness. This bitterness comes from a naturally occurring substance called tannin in teas, which is more prevalent in traditional teas. 

Since chamomile tea is more herbal and mild, it does not contain as much tannin and it won’t get that much more bitter or heavier tasting than traditional teas. For some, this means that they can steep chamomile tea for much longer than they normally might with a traditional tea. Feel free to experiment with it as chamomile tea from different regions may have slightly different steep times.

How to Prepare Chamomile Tea? Bagged vs Loose Leaf

To prepare chamomile tea, you need only a few things:

• Chamomile tea in loose leaf, or bagged
• Hot/boiling water
• A cup/mug

Optional:

• Strainer/infuser

Steeping bagged chamomile tea:

For bagged chamomile tea, you can place it directly at the bottom of your cup, and pour hot/boiling water right in your container. Let the tea bag sit for 5-8 minutes (depending on taste preference), remove tea bad and enjoy!

Steeping loose leaf chamomile tea:

If you have chamomile tea in loose leaf format, and you don’t have a strainer or infuser, that’s perfectly OK! If you don’t mind loose leaf or debris in your tea, you can simply pour hot water on the loose leaf in your cup and enjoy after 5-8 minutes of steeping.

For those that mind, consider getting a cute tea strainer, or tea bags. 

The Strainer Method:

1. Use a cute teapot or set, plus a cup. Or, just use 2 cups if you don’t have a teapot. 
2. Place loose leaf in container #1 (teapot, or another cup)
3. Pour hot water on loose leaf, and allow to steep for 5-8 minutes
4. Place strainer over or into container #2. (An affordable three-pack of strainers here)
5. Pour your tea with loose leaf over or into the strainer, filtering out any loose leaf and debris
6. Enjoy!

 

The Infuser Method:

1. Fill infuser with loose leaf (our favorite tea infuser!)
2. Set infuser inside your container of choice
3. Pour hot water into your container
4. Allow infuser with loose leaf to steep for 5-8 minutes
5. Remove the infuser and enjoy!

 

What Temperature is Right for Chamomile?

Good news–chamomile is a very popular tea because it can be served hot or cold! On cold winter days, chamomile is often enjoyed as a relaxing hot tea. Simply follow our instructions above and how long to steep chamomile tea.

For a cold chamomile tea, follow our instructions above to make a hot cup of tea, wait for it to cool, and then pour the tea over ice. Chamomile is enjoyed around the world as a cold drink for its soothing and refreshing taste profile.

What Can I Add to Chamomile?

Since chamomile is relatively mild, it can pair well with many additions. Here are some of our recommendations for spicing up your chamomile tea:

• Milk/creamer, or non-dairy creamers.
• Nectar, honey and other sweeteners
• Mixed with other types of tea for a blended taste profile
• Some other herbs like lavender

Conclusion

How long to steep chamomile tea can be up to your flavor profile preferences. Five minutes is how long we recommend you to steep your chamomile tea as this will give you the lightest flavor. Pour one out for your tea pet as well! 

If you prefer a stronger flavor, you can steep it a few minutes longer. The best thing about steeping tea is that there are no mistakes to be made!

FAQs:

• Can you steep chamomile tea for too long?

Yes–you can steep any tea too long. When the tea has been steeping for too long, it releases extra tannin and can cause a bitter taste, or produce a taste profile that is too strong to enjoy. We recommend steeping chamomile tea for 5-8 minutes

• Do you use boiling water for chamomile tea?

It is recommended to use very hot, or boiling, water to steep teas. For chamomile tea, boiling water is not absolutely necessary and you can get away with very hot water instead. 

• Is it OK to drink chamomile tea everyday?

Chamomile has many health benefits like improving sleep, heart health, and digestive health. You should consume everything in moderation, but generally you cannot over-consume chamomile tea to the point of health risks.