Glossary
Tea-to-water ratio
The proportion of dry tea leaves to water volume, the main lever for strength alongside steeping time.
Tea-to-water ratio describes how much dry leaf you use relative to the amount of water in your pot or cup, usually thought of in grams of leaf per set volume of water. Along with steeping time, it is the main control you have over how strong or light a cup turns out.
The two variables interact: gongfu brewing uses a high ratio of leaf to water but very short steeps, while Western brewing uses a lower ratio with one longer steep, and both can land at a similar final strength through different paths. Leaf density also matters, since a scoop of fluffy white tea buds weighs far less than the same scoop of tightly rolled pu-erh.
For consistency, a small kitchen scale that measures in grams is more reliable than eyeballing a spoonful, since spoon volume varies enormously between light and dense leaf types. A common mistake is using one generic teaspoon measurement for every tea, which explains why the same recipe can taste weak with one tea and overpowering with another.