Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey: Dose, Pot and Steep Time

Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey: Brewing Earl Grey in a Pot, in summary: The label lists just tea and bergamot flavouring. Loose, the leaf opens fully and the bergamot reads as perfume rather than sharpness. Use one level teaspoon, about 2.5g, per 250ml cup and steep three minutes, covered.

Last reviewed by the teas.co.uk team in September 2026.

Bergamot is a volatile citrus oil, and how it tastes depends on how much room the leaf is given. That is the case for this carton: sold loose rather than bagged, the Earl Grey opens fully in the pot and the citrus comes across as bright perfume instead of a flat, sharp edge.

Why Earl Grey gains most from loose leaf

A tea bag holds a fixed dose in a tight pocket and lets water run through it. Loose leaf sits free and unfurls fully, and Earl Grey benefits more than a plain black tea because an oil like bergamot wants space and heat, not a tightly packed bag. People who have found bagged Earl Grey sharp and flat are often tasting the bag, not the blend.

The label is short: tea and bergamot flavouring, and the published list names none of the fourteen major allergens. Under the citrus, the black tea base is medium-bodied and clean rather than malty, deliberately so, since a heavy, bready base would swallow the bergamot. Briskness is moderate. This is an afternoon tea, not a builder's brew, and it is the one scented choice among the loose teas we stock, which are otherwise plain black or green.

Dose, timing and the kit you need

One level teaspoon, roughly 2.5g, per 250ml cup. Resist the extra spoon for the pot that a plain black tea might take, because a scented tea overdoes the citrus quickly. Brew for three minutes in freshly boiled water with the lid on the pot. Stop at four minutes at the latest; Earl Grey sharpens sooner than an unscented black tea, and most bitter cups of it have simply been left too long.

You will need something to hold or catch the leaf: an infuser basket that sits in the cup, a teapot with its own strainer, or a simple strainer held over the cup as you pour. At 2.5g a cup, the 125g carton makes about 50 cups, which is our own sum from a standard dose rather than a number from the pack. It is a sensible household quantity, small enough that the bergamot is still bright by the time you reach the bottom.

Milk, lemon, or neither

Choose one or the other, never both. A slice of lemon sharpens the bergamot and is the classic way to serve it. A dash of milk takes the edge off the citrus and mellows the scent, and plenty of drinkers like it that way. Put the two together and they curdle into a muddled cup. Try it plain first, though: a well-dosed loose Earl Grey needs neither, and our own preference is to leave it alone.

Serve it in the afternoon with something buttery, so the citrus stays in charge. Plain butter biscuits and a Petit Beurre suit it well, and for something with more character, a dark chocolate and ginger biscuit holds its own against the bergamot. It is a caffeinated black tea, so it is a daytime pot for anyone who avoids caffeine in the evening.

The packs we stock

Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea, 125g (barcode 070177010065)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea, 125g names none of the 14 major allergens. Read the current 125g Earl Grey caddy before buying; Twinings can rework the blend and its allergen notes.

Ingredients, as published: Tea, Bergamot Flavouring.

Ingredient and nutrition information for this product, as published on the manufacturer's label. The loose Earl Grey caddy in your hands decides.

What to eat with it

Lu Le Petit Beurre Biscuits With Butter & a Hint of Salt, 167g: Butter with a hint of salt lets the bergamot lead and suits a pot shared in the afternoon.
Royal Dansk Danish Butter Cookies, 340g: A tin of Danish butter cookies suits a pot of Earl Grey set out for guests in the afternoon.
Border Dark Chocolate Ginger Organic Biscuits, 150g: Dark chocolate and ginger have enough character to stand beside the citrus without flattening it.

Elsewhere in the Twinings range

The full range is on the Twinings brand page.

FAQ

What do I need to brew loose leaf Earl Grey? An infuser basket, a teapot with its own strainer, or a strainer to pour through; anything that keeps the leaf out of the cup.

How much loose Earl Grey should I use per cup? One level teaspoon, about 2.5g, for each 250ml. Skip the traditional extra spoonful for the pot.

How many cups does a 125g carton make? About 50 at that dose. It is our estimate from a standard teaspoon, not a figure from the pack.

Should Earl Grey be taken with milk or lemon? Either, but not both at once, as they curdle together. Lemon sharpens the bergamot; milk softens it.

Why does my Earl Grey taste bitter? Usually a heaped spoon or a steep past four minutes. Level the spoon and stop at three.

Curator's note: Level spoon, three minutes, lid on, and drink the first cup without milk so you know what the bergamot is doing. If bagged Earl Grey has always seemed sharp to you, start here. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey: Brewing Earl Grey in a Pot

Field	Detail
Brand	Twinings
Packs we stock	125g
Category	Loose Leaf Tea
Allergens (as published)	Twinings' published loose Earl Grey ingredients carry no allergen of the major 14.
Caffeine	caffeinated
Dose	One level teaspoon per 250ml
Steep	Three minutes, covered
Kit	An infuser or strainer