Black tea is probably the most familiar of the five classes of tea and is the result of allowing the harvested tea leaves to completely oxidize before drying. Oxidization, in terms of tea, is the process of allowing the leaves to wilt as the chlorophyll within them breaks down and tannins are released. This oxidation process, known in the industry as fermentation, can take between two weeks to a month after which time, the tea is dried using some form of heat.

Green tea is tea which has not been allowed to oxidize. One to two days after it has been harvested, the oxidation process is halted by the application of heat—either steam heat, or by dry cooking in hot pans.

Steeping instructions for green teas: Green tea should be steeped at temperatures between 160 and 180-degrees and should typically be steeped for much less time than black teas, about 2-3 minutes.

Steeping instructions for white teas:  White teas are the most delicate of the five types of tea and should be steeped in temperatures between 150 and 160-degrees.  Typically they should be steeped for around 2 minutes, although some can be steeped much longer with good results.

Oolongs are teas that have been allowed to oxidize to a point somewhere between the green and black teas, generally two to three days.  Oolong tea produces a cup that is, not surprisingly, something like a mix between black and green tea.

Steeping instructions for Oolong tea:  Oolongs should be steeped at temperatures just under the boiling point (190-204-degrees).  Steeping time will vary dramatically and you need to experiment to find the correct steeping time. Many oolongs are perfect at 3-4 minutes, some need 6-8 minutes.

Pu-ehr (“Poo-air”), is tea that has had the oxidation process stopped and restarted.  More specifically, it is tea that has been processed as green tea, then in a process similar to composting, the tea is piled, dampened and turned in precisely controlled conditions to give the Pu-ehr its final “ripening”.  This process can take  anywhere from six months to a full year to complete after which the tea can be aged like wine to produce a very mellow, earthy cup.  It is possible to find pu erh teas 10 to 50 years old and even older, for which connoisseurs and speculators have been known to pay several thousands of dollars per cake.

Steeping instructions for Pu erh teas:  Pu erh tea should be steeped in boiling water (212-degrees) at least 7-8 minutes and can be steeped for much longer.

Tisanes include all of the herbs, spices and other botanicals that are not derived from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) but are nonetheless infused to produce a beverage which is frequently refered to as "tea" or "herbal tea". Included among the tisanes are rooibos, chamomile and yerba mate.

Steeping instructions for tisanes:  Tisanes should typically be steeped a minimum of 4-6 minutes in boiling (212-degree) water, some can be steeped for up to 10 minutes.