does it make a difference when brewing a cup(s) of green tea to steep in boiling water or in hot water?
Never brew teas in boiling water. Green teas are more delicate than black tea, and take a lower temperature of water, from 165-175*F for most green teas. To achieve proper temperature, the easiest way is to use a two step process. First, bring the water to a boil in your tea kettle. When the whistle blows, remove from heat and wait 1 minute. Pour into your tea pot. Wait 2-3 minutes. For perfect tea, you can now pour the water from the pot into the cups and add the tea to the now heated, but empty, pot, then pour the water back in from the cups. This warms the cups, and also cools the water to the proper temperature. Steep for 2-5 minutes, depending on the tea.
Boiling water brings out the tannins in tea, which is what causes bitterness. It also "burns" more delicate teas, destroying some of the subtle flavors in the process.
