There are four basis temperatures of water in traditional Chinese tea brewing. They are named after the size of the water bubbles when water is boiled to these temperatures.
- baby water (~65–70 °C): no bubbles rising but they are beginning to form at the bottom of the kettle
- crab-eye water (~70–80 °C): smallest bubbles are rising
- fish-eye water (~80–90 °C): the bubbles are large but haven't yet begun to boil, this is ideal for most tea
- old man water / dragon water (100 °C): this when the water has reached a full, rolling boiling
Below is a general guideline on water temperature for different genres of tea.
| Genre | Temperature |
| White Tea | Crab-Eye (~70–80 °C) or Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) |
| Red Tea | Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) or higher |
| Green Tea | Baby Water (~65–70 °C) |
| Yellow Tea | Baby Water (~65-70 °C) |
| Sheng Puerh Tea |
Aged Sheng: Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) or higher Young Sheng: Crab-Eye Water (~70–80 °C) to Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) |
| Shou Puerh and Black Tea | Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) or higher |
| Oolong Tea |
Dancong or Lightly Oxidised Oolong: Crab-Eye Water (~70–80 °C) Others: Fish-Eye Water (~80–90 °C) or higher |
Remember, this is just a general guideline. There are always exceptions; every tea is different. Have fun experimenting and adjusting based on your preference!