by AlexZorach » Apr 5th, '10, 16:09
I also find 1tsp. per cup to be a good starting point. However, it varies hugely by tea. Also, try experimenting with steeping time, water temperature (lower for greens), and for whole-leaf teas, make sure you give the leaves room to expand (this can be an issue, for example, if you use a smaller tea ball).
I also think it's important to remember (or record--on a blog or tea websites) the amount of tea which you used, not just for reference for future steeping, but for pricing the tea when you buy it again. Some teas look like a good deal but they don't go as far, whereas other teas might be more expensive by weight but are so flavorful that you don't need to use as much leaf.
You can often get away with using less leaf if you do a longer infusion, especially if you are brewing a tea that is good for multiple infusions but know you only want a single cup. Similarly, using more leaf can allow you to make more, briefer infusions.
