Tea-to-Water Ratio Calculator
Enter your water volume or your leaf weight, pick Western or gongfu style, and get the other number — plus an approximate teaspoon conversion.
Ratio
Reading the ratio
The ratio is expressed in grams of dry leaf per litre of water. A Western ratio around 8–12 g/L (roughly a well-rounded teaspoon per cup) suits a single long steep in a mug or pot. A gongfu ratio of 30–55 g/L looks intense on paper, but it's brewed for seconds at a time across many infusions rather than minutes at a time once.
These figures are a solid starting point, not a fixed rule — adjust up for a bolder cup or down for a lighter one, and expect to fine-tune once you know how a particular tea behaves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Western and gongfu ratios?
Western brewing uses a modest amount of leaf in a full cup or pot for a single, several-minute steep. Gongfu brewing packs far more leaf into a small gaiwan or teapot and uses many short, back-to-back infusions instead, so the leaf-to-water ratio is much higher — often four or five times as concentrated.
Why do the ratios differ by tea type?
Leaf density varies a lot: a rounded, rolled oolong or a compressed pu-erh cake packs more mass into the same volume than fluffy white tea buds or open-leaf black tea. The ratios here account for that so a scoop of one tea isn't silently under- or over-dosed compared to another.
Can I use a kitchen teaspoon instead of a scale?
You can, and the calculator shows an approximate teaspoon conversion, but loose leaf varies enough in density that a scale gives a far more repeatable cup — especially for gongfu brewing, where the difference of half a gram is noticeable.
Brewing guide only. Ratios are a practical starting point — taste and adjust to your own preference.