# How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly

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**Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent

## Summary

Chamomile is a delicate flower of volatile oil: full boiling water, a long covered steep, and whole flowers not dust. The one allergy caution, no milk.

## Description

How to brew chamomile tea, in summary: Chamomile is a delicate flower of volatile oil: full boiling water, a long covered steep, whole flowers not dust. The one allergy caution, no milk.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/
Most disappointing chamomile is just under-brewed chamomile. The chamomile guide covers what it does; this is how to brew it so it can.
Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in May 2026.
Boiling water

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Boiling water, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/Full boil. Chamomile is a flower infusion with no caffeine or tannin to turn bitter, so it needs heat to extract the apigenin and aromatic oils that make it calming and flavourful.
Cover it, and steep long

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Cover it, and steep long, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/Cover the cup and steep five to ten minutes, longer is fine. Covering keeps the volatile oils in the cup; a long steep gets a proper dose. A pale, two-minute, uncovered chamomile is barely chamomile, which is why people say it does nothing.
Whole flowers beat dust

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Whole flowers beat dust, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/Loose whole chamomile flowers give a rounder, sweeter, honeyed cup than fine dust-grade bags. If chamomile has only ever tasted like warm hay to you, try whole-flower chamomile brewed strong and covered, it is a different drink.
For sleep specifically

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for For sleep specifically, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/If you are using it to wind down (see best tea for sleep and tea for sleep and calm), brew it strong, covered, 30 to 60 minutes before bed, as part of a routine rather than a one-off.
One caution

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for One caution, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/Chamomile is in the ragweed and daisy family; if you are allergic to those, be careful, see the chamomile guide.
Storing chamomile

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Storing chamomile, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/Even perfect technique cannot rescue stale leaf, and a lot of disappointing chamomile is simply old chamomile. Air, light, heat, moisture and strong smells degrade it, so keep it airtight, opaque, cool and dry, away from coffee and spices, and buy amounts you will finish within a few months. A fresh, well-stored cheap chamomile routinely beats an expensive one that has sat open since last year.
German vs Egyptian chamomileGerman and Egyptian chamomile differ a little, Egyptian flower is often regarded as sweeter and more aromatic, but the brewing rule is identical for both. The variety matters far less than whether you bought whole flower heads or dust, so treat the choice as a flavour preference rather than a method change.
Common mistakesWeak water, no lid, two-minute steep, dust-grade bags. Boiling water, covered, long steep, whole flowers, and chamomile finally tastes and works the way it is supposed to.
Brewing chamomile, at a glance

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/
DialRuleWaterFull boiling waterCover itCover the cup, traps the volatile oils that carry the aromaTimeLong, 5-10 min; no bitterness penaltyFormWhole flowers beat dusty bags by a wide marginCautionDaisy/ragweed allergy is a genuine reason to avoid it
Reference noted

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Reference noted, How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/

EFSA Scientific Opinion on the Safety of Caffeine (2015)

From the curatorteas · If a tea on this page sounds appealing, just try it once. You learn more in one cup than in twenty articles.
Tea readingChamomile teaHerbal tea overviewBest tea for sleepHow to make tea 
Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for How to Brew Chamomile Tea Properly. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/wiki/how-to-brew-chamomile-tea/
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