How many times can I reuse tea leaves?
The honest answer depends far more on how you brewed the first cup than on the tea, and western brewing is what limits it.
brewing method
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan) | Western brewing (teapot or mug) |
|---|---|---|
| Typical number | Six to fifteen, each genuinely different. | One, occasionally two and noticeably thinner. |
| Why the difference | High leaf ratio and very short steeps leave plenty in the leaf. | Low ratio and long steeps take most of it in one go. |
| Which teas go furthest | Rolled oolong, aged pu-erh and compressed dark tea. | The same teas, but the method caps them at two. |
| When to stop | When the cup goes thin and the returning sweetness disappears. | Usually after one. |
| Common mistake | Extending times too slowly and losing the tea’s peak in the middle infusions. | Trying to force a second cup from spent leaf. |
The short answer
If you want multiple infusions, the method matters more than the tea. Almost any decent leaf gives four or more brewed gongfu and almost none does brewed western.
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