When should you start the timer for green tea?

Start with the timing convention given by the tea's producer. If it says to count from the beginning of the pour, do that consistently. If it gives a steep time without explaining the start, choose one convention, write it down and keep the filling and draining routine reasonably similar each time.

The leaves are already wet while you finish pouring and remain in contact with water while the pot drains.

Read the verb beside the number

“Steep for one minute” and “serve one minute after beginning to pour” need not describe the same sequence. Ippodo explicitly uses the second convention for its basic sencha preparation.

Read the full recipe before changing your habit. Some packaging uses pictures to show whether the clock begins as water enters the pot. Others leave it unspecified. When it is unclear, use the same start point for each comparison.

Separate filling, waiting and draining

Consider an invented practice example: filling takes 8 seconds, the timer then runs for 60 seconds, and draining takes 12 seconds. The first leaves wetted have been in contact with water for roughly 80 seconds by the end. This does not mean the tea has extracted uniformly for exactly 80 seconds; water movement and changing volume complicate that picture. It does explain why a leisurely fill and a slow pour can change the result.

For your next two cups, use the same vessel, the same measured volume and an ordinary controlled pour. Do not rush with hot water to win a few seconds. Simply notice whether filling or draining takes unusually long.

Ending the steep in a basket or pot

With a removable basket, lifting the leaves clear of the drink provides a convenient end point. With a teapot, you need to drain the liquid away from the leaves. Leaving a little tea in the pot makes the waiting period before the next infusion part of the brewing process.

Allow the basket to drain safely over the mug or a saucer. Pressing leaves against the mesh introduces another variable and is unnecessary for a repeatable test. Use the same gentle removal each time.

If the tea is consistently too strong

Shorten the chosen interval a little, while retaining the same timing convention. Record the new setting in ordinary language: “start at first water; begin pouring out at 45 seconds.” That is clearer than writing “45 seconds” and forgetting later what you meant.

If draining suddenly takes much longer, investigate the filter before reducing the timer again. A blocked outlet can make today's method different from yesterday's even though the displayed number is identical.

A useful routine for distracted mornings

Set out the cup and strainer before adding water. Set the timer before you pour, then start it at your chosen point. Have a clear place to put the wet basket. These small preparations remove the awkward moment of searching for a saucer while tea continues brewing.

When you miss the alarm, taste the tea before discarding it. If it is stronger than you want but otherwise pleasant, dilute a little of it as a trial. Treat it as an interrupted brew. Tomorrow, repeat the original method rather than making several corrective changes at once.