I got one of these digital scales today at a kitchen store. I don't know
how accurate the scale is- I drop a writing pen on the scale and it says 18
grams, and a plastic spoon is 3 grams, so I guess it's accurate enough (it
also has a tare feature, so I can leave a bowl on top and measure with tea
in it).

I've been making 2.5 grams per 6 ounces of water (how many mililiters is
that?) with Longjing, brewing using cool 140 degree water for about 1 1/2
minutes. Well, I measured out two cups worth of tea (about 5 grams), and MY
GOD THAT"S ALOT OF TEA. More than the two heaping teaspoons I usually use.
I measured it out into a a tablespoon, and it makes about a heaping
tablespoon.

So... about how many grams of tea per cup should a person use?

Hail,

One ounce is equal to 28.35 grams (mls, for liquids, actually).

Try this for starters:
For greens, 3 grams of tea for 6 ounces of water.
For blacks, 2 grams of tea for 6 ounces of water.
For Oolong (gungfu or gungfu-like) 12 grams of tea for 6 ounces of water.

Your observation about the volume of tea is a good one, which just goes to
show that you can't work with volume easily without knowing the weight. Some
teas are so fluffy, while others are so tight and dense.

Your scale sounds reasonably good to me. Should certainly do.

Michael



. net9/29/04


> I got one of these digital scales today at a kitchen store. I don't know
> how accurate the scale is- I drop a writing pen on the scale and it says 18
> grams, and a plastic spoon is 3 grams, so I guess it's accurate enough (it
> also has a tare feature, so I can leave a bowl on top and measure with tea
> in it).
>
> I've been making 2.5 grams per 6 ounces of water (how many mililiters is
> that?) with Longjing, brewing using cool 140 degree water for about 1 1/2
> minutes. Well, I measured out two cups worth of tea (about 5 grams), and MY
> GOD THAT"S ALOT OF TEA. More than the two heaping teaspoons I usually use.
> I measured it out into a a tablespoon, and it makes about a heaping
> tablespoon.
>
> So... about how many grams of tea per cup should a person use?
>
>

There is no right answer. It's your tastebuds. I've never used a
scale in my life except the last time I went to a herbal store and
bought some flowers. My hands were a nervous wreck making the minimum
1/2 oz. A ballpark tea figure I remember 1g/3oz. 240ml/8oz. The
biggest secret in tea, a little goes a long ways. There's not that
much difference between a strong cup and a weak cup except for
gunpowder and then you can't make it weak enough.

Jim

"magnulus" > wrote in message t>...
> I got one of these digital scales today at a kitchen store. I don't know
> how accurate the scale is- I drop a writing pen on the scale and it says 18
> grams, and a plastic spoon is 3 grams, so I guess it's accurate enough (it
> also has a tare feature, so I can leave a bowl on top and measure with tea
> in it).
>
> I've been making 2.5 grams per 6 ounces of water (how many mililiters is
> that?) with Longjing, brewing using cool 140 degree water for about 1 1/2
> minutes. Well, I measured out two cups worth of tea (about 5 grams), and MY
> GOD THAT"S ALOT OF TEA. More than the two heaping teaspoons I usually use.
> I measured it out into a a tablespoon, and it makes about a heaping
> tablespoon.
>
> So... about how many grams of tea per cup should a person use?