How to Make Kratom Tea – A Step-by-Step Guide

For many of us, kratom is a trendy plant-based product that may sometimes wiggle its way into our daily routines, but for natives in Southeast Asia, it has long been a fixture in their way of life.

Mitragyna speciosa, known to us as kratom, is an herbal product that grows endemic to the warm, wet rainforests of Southeast Asia. While most of us purchase kratom products in the form of powder and capsules, those who grew up alongside the plant in its native territory typically chew the raw leaves or steep them in hot water to brew a bitter tea.

Although brewing tea might seem like an obvious, straightforward process, the delicate nature of kratom’s alkaloids calls for special care. Follow this helpful guide to get the best out of your kratom cuppa.

Making Tea From Kratom Powder

Kratom in powder form is perhaps the most prolific and accessible kratom product on the western market today. Although dried leaves are typically considered ideal for making tea, kratom powder can be used to the same end, although using a slightly different process.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 to 1.5 cups of hot water
• 2 to 4 grams of kratom powder
• Optional:
  • Sweetener (sugar, stevia, honey, etc), citrus, or creamer to enhance flavor
  • Cheese cloth or tea bags

How to Make Kratom Tea with Kratom Powder

1. Heat water to a simmer. Avoid leaving it to reach a rolling boil.
2. Add 2 to 4 grams of kratom powder into a tea bag, and place it into a clean cup. If you wish to consume the powder with the tea, put 2 to 4 grams directly into the cup.
3. Remove water from heat. Allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Once it has partially cooled, pour 1 to 1.5 cups of water into the powder.
5. Using a clean teaspoon, stir until powder is thoroughly dispersed throughout the water.
6. Allow the kratom to steep for 15 to 20 minutes to fully extract its alkaloid content. If you used a tea bag, you may remove it from the cup after steeping.
7. If you did not use a tea bag but wish to remove the powder, you may sift the tea through a clean cheesecloth to collect the kratom product.
8. After the kratom has steeped, add your choice of sweeteners or flavor enhancers like cream or citrus juice.
9. Enjoy!

Making Tea From Dried Kratom Leaves

Some vendors offer dried kratom leaves that aim to expand what buyers can do with their purchase. Considered ideal for making teas, dried leaves are said to produce teas with better flavor and aroma as they go through less processing than powders do.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 to 1.5 cups of hot water
• 1 to 2 grams of dried, crushed leaf OR 1 to 2 loose packed teaspoons
• Tea bag or strainer
• Optional: Sweetener (sugar, stevia, honey, etc), citrus, or creamer to enhance flavor

How to Make Kratom Tea with Dried Leaf

1. Heat water to a simmer. Avoid leaving it to reach a rolling boil.
2. Put kratom leaf into a tea bag and place it in a clean cup. Alternatively, you can place loose leaf into the cup and strain after steeping.
3. Remove water from heat. Allow to cool for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Once it has partially cooled, pour 1 to 1.5 cups of water over the kratom leaves.  
5. Allow the kratom to steep for 15 to 20 minutes to fully extract its alkaloid content.
6. Remove the tea bag from the water. For loose leaves, use a strainer.
7. After the kratom has steeped, add your choice of sweeteners or flavor enhancers like cream or citrus juice.
8. Enjoy!

Additional Tips for Making Kratom Tea

Kratom is a delicate, plant-based product, and it’s very possible to cause the degradation of its alkaloid content without knowing it. To make sure you get the best results, keep these tips in mind:

1. Keep your water at 105°F to 190°F to extract alkaloids without destroying them. Boiling temperatures may degrade your kratom’s chemistry and produce a tea that lacks the original product’s potential properties.
2. While citrus juice is generally considered a good way to mask the bitter taste of kratom tea, grapefruit juice is generally contraindicated as it could interfere with the process of metabolizing kratom’s alkaloids, leading to significantly pronounced potential properties.
3. Brewed kratom tea can be safely kept in a sealed container for 4 up to 7 days in the refrigerator. Tea can also be frozen for several months. Left at room temperature, kratom tea can last up to 8 hours, but it’s generally recommended to consume the tea between 4 and 6 hours after brewing.

Start Your Day the Kratom Way

While the old toss and wash has been the go-to for kratom users who value efficiency, steeping a hot cup of kratom tea is well worth the wait.

Allowing users to experience the same properties with bolder flavors, kratom tea lets you sit down with your daily dose so you can explore your horizons with different strains and added flavors, and soak in the experience like never before.

Try your hand at brewing a cup of kratom tea today and experience kratom from a new perspective.