Kratom Tea - Your Ultimate Guide

What is Kratom Tea? 

Kratom Tea is a special beverage made from the plant matter of the Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom) tree. This process can be done in a multitude of ways, ranging from simple techniques that take 30 seconds or less to other recipes that need steeping time. Below we have broken down the process for each of these methods!

Follow these jump links to get to what you want quicker!

• How to Make Kratom Tea from Kratom Powder
• How to Make Kratom Tea from Loose Leaf Kratom
• How to Make Kratom Tea from Extract
• Commonly Asked Questions About Kratom Tea 
• Other Popular Kratom Tea Recipes
• Conclusion

How to Make Kratom Tea from Kratom Powder

Believe it or not, this method is the way that all Happy Hippo employees prepare their Kratom tea at Hippo Headquarters - and it’s the quickest!

Happy Hippo In-House Kratom Bar, Est. 2021

What You Need:

• Kratom Powder
• Hot water
• Mug or cup
• Fork or stirring stick
• 1 Gram Kratom Scoop 
• Raw honey or some other sweetener of choice

Preparing Your Kratom Powder Tea:

For this method, it is best if you know what serving size you prefer so you know exactly how many grams is best for you in a single serving. If you don’t know, we have an awesome guide to Kratom serving size to help you out!

The first step is to grab your cup, and put about 2oz of warm/hot water into it. The less amount of water you need to drink, the better!

Next, measure out your Kratom serving and put it in the water, stirring thoroughly. 

The last step is to add some kind of honey or sweetener (a popular one in the office is orange juice), then drink up! 

Pros and Cons of Making Kratom Tea from Kratom Powder

Pros:

• Very fast and convenient! 
• Great for daily users
• Keeps effects consistent and longer-lasting (aka the best results!)

Cons:

• More texture
• Bitter taste

How to Make Kratom Tea from Loose Leaf Kratom

Making Kratom tea from loose leaf Kratom is a common method of making any kind of tea at home. 

What You Need:

• Cheesecloth or mesh strainer
• Kratom strain of choice in either leaf or powder form
• Medium-sized pot
• 4-6 cups of water

Preparing Your Loose-Leaf Kratom Tea:

Start by bringing your water to a boil in your pot, then remove from heat to let the temperature cool slightly. Do not add the Kratom directly to boiling water. Once properly cooled, add in your Kratom leaves or your desired amount of powder. 

Let the leaves or powder steep for 15-20 minutes. Then proceed to strain the liquid with either a cheesecloth or the mesh strainer! 

With the finished product, it's highly recommended to add some lemon, honey, or other sweeteners to help with the bitter taste. 

*Pro Tip: You can purchase empty or refillable Kratom tea bags to help contain the leaves or powder to save time and/or messiness of hand straining!

Pros and Cons of Making Kratom Tea from Loose Leaf Kratom

Pros:

• No gritty plant matter

Cons:

• More time consuming
• Less ability to determine exact serving size

Although Happy Hippo does not currently offer Loose Leaf Kratom, it is a future product we want to carry! 

How to Make Kratom Tea from Extract

Those who cannot stand the taste of Kratom powder or loose leaf Kratom may resort to Kratom extracts or even Flavored Kratom Powder. While extracts still have a potent metallic taste to them, they are usually flavored (unless you prefer Unflavored) which can help make the overall taste more pleasant. 

*Pro Tip: Customers report that Kratom tea made from extracts generally give a more short-lived, mental focus whereas powder provides a longer-lasting relief from discomfort.

What You Need:

• Liquid Kratom extract
• Drink of choice

Preparing Your Kratom Extract Tea:

Most Kratom extracts on the market today will come with a dropper inside the bottle. Although serving sizes vary between customers and cannot be recommended, there may be a typical serving guide on the item you purchase. 

Pros and Cons of Making Kratom Tea from Kratom Extract

Pros:

• Best tasting method 
• Great for on-the-go 
• Requires the least amount of materials 

Cons:

• Raises tolerance substantially if consumed often
• Effects are usually short-lived
• Extracts are generally more expensive than powder

Commonly Asked Questions About Kratom Tea

If you enjoy taking Kratom on a daily or even weekly basis, there are so many things you should learn about this amazing plant! 

Preparing your Kratom tea can be as simple as throwing some powder in some warm water and chugging it down. However, if you would like to experiment with recipes and learn how to make your tea the right way - read on! 

Will Boiling Water Affect My Kratom Tea?

Yes! Believe it or not, this is the number one factor that can make or break your Kratom tea. 

Kratom powder contains alkaloids that provide the desired effects many people search for. These special alkaloids are what give that calming effect or boost of energy you feel after ingesting Kratom, and boiling water can deplete these organic compounds completely. 

To prevent this from happening, use water that is below 190 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Can I Make Kratom Tea from Different Types of Kratom?

Yes. Not only can you use different types of Kratom strains for your Kratom tea, but you can also experiment with loose leaf Kratom, Kratom powder, and extracts! 

Below we will get into what strains are best for the type of Kratom tea you are trying to achieve; i.e. Sleepytime Kratom Tea vs. Morning Cup o’Kratom! 

How Do You Get Your Kratom Powder to Dissolve?

A common question we receive through Customer Service is, “Why does my Kratom have lumps?” or “Why is the texture different?” 

To begin, every batch of Kratom powder differs, no matter how high-quality it may be. This is usually due to the sterilization process; this can cause the Kratom to form little balls which can easily be missed during the filling process. 

While these clumps have no physical impact on how your Kratom tea resonates, they can be very unpleasant to swallow. A few quick tricks to help dissolve the clumps are as follows:

• Use hot water (avoid boiling water like stated above). Using cold water will make the Kratom clump more!
• Use a fork or a whisk rather than a spoon. This helps stir the powder more efficiently
• Use an acidic fruit such as orange juice or lemon juice. Not only does it help dissolve the powder, but it also helps cover the bitter taste as well! 

How Do You Improve The Taste of Kratom?

Many Kratom enthusiasts know that taking Kratom powder over any other form (i.e. liquid Kratom extracts) can be very beneficial to your Kratom tolerance. However, a lot of consumers stray away from the basic powder because they cannot stand the bitter taste. Here are a few simple suggestions for adding a little flavor to your Kratom tea.

Acidic Juices

As mentioned above, the most effective way to mask the taste of Kratom is to add some kind of acidic juice to the tea you are preparing. Some examples include:

• Orange juice
• Lemon juice 
• Lemonade
• Cranberry juice
• Grapefruit juice
• Pineapple juice

However, it's important to keep in mind citric acid is known for increasing the potency of the Kratom alkaloids, so if you’re sensitive to the effects you may want to adjust your serving size. 

Milk

Not all milk suggestions are good with tea specifically, but a few common suggestions for masking the overall taste of Kratom are:

• Chocolate milk
• Coconut milk 
• Almond milk
• Whole milk

Sweeteners

Some common sweeteners added to Kratom tea are:

• Sugar 
• Stevia, Splenda, or other alternative sugars
• Mio flavoring
• Raw honey 

Of course there are many other ideas, but mostly it’s a matter of preference. 

What are the Benefits of Kratom Tea?

Now that you know how to prepare the perfect cup of Kratom tea, you may ask “what’s so great about it  anyway?” 

The benefits of Kratom vary between each strain color and origin. Each and every type of Kratom product you consume can give very different results from the last! Here is a brief breakdown of how they can differ;

Choosing a Strain Color

Longtime Kratom veterans have gone through all the colors and just know what works best for them. Strain colors are determined by the color of the leaf during the time of harvest, and the colors change based on the maturity of the leaf. 

On a general scale, Red vein and Yellow vein Kratom strains are going to be better for relaxation and physical discomfort. Green vein and White vein are better for focus, motivation, and an energy boost. Learn more about the various Kratom strains!

Choosing a Strain Origin 

Strangely enough - where the plant is grown can have a pretty considerable effect on how the leaf resonates.

Maeng Da kratom and Thai kratom strains usually lie in the “super energy!” “mental focus” category

Indo strains are more commonly a subtle effect

Borneo, Vietnam, Bali, and Sumatra are all more likely to be strains that provide calming, relaxing effects. 

Chocolate Kratom (Bentuangie) strains undergo a fermentation process before being dried and crushed into powder, offering a shift in potency.

Is Loose Leaf Kratom Tea Stronger Than Kratom Powder?

As we learned above, the difference between consuming Kratom Tea and Kratom Powder would be that one involves steeping and straining the leaves into a pure liquid, while the other involves consuming the plant matter.

You may wonder, which way is the best way to reach optimal effects?

The quick answer lies in how long you steep your Kratom tea. Longer steeping time allows more alkaloids to be extracted giving a more potent effect. But even then, there is some debate that the product you throw away after steeping may hold even more precious alkaloids that you’re missing out on! 

How to Use a Percolator to Brew Large Batch Kratom Tea

If you have extra time on your hands and would like to brew your Kratom tea for the week, using a percolator is an awesome way to do this! This guide will make you a full gallon of Kratom tea in a single large batch - with no plant waste left behind! 

What You Need:

• At least a 4oz bag of Kratom
• Percolator 
• 32oz container of lemon juice
• Cinnamon 
• Coffee filter sized to fit percolator 
• Water

Once you have placed it correctly in the percolator, dump the 4oz bag into the filter. From there, add approximately 1 full cup of lemon juice, and about 1 tablespoon of cinnamon. Cover with the lid, and let percolate until finished!

The end result will still be pretty bitter, so you can add some other sweeteners if you desire. If you enjoy this method, you could stock up with a Kilo or more of Kratom and set up a weekly routine for brewing your Kratom tea a gallon at a time! 

The only downside of this recipe is there is no true way to measure how many grams you're consuming at one time. Because of this, you should only pour one cup at a time and allow around 30 minutes to assess the effects before drinking any more.

How Long Do the Effects of Kratom Tea Last?

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer to this question. Kratom tea can last longer depending on if you take it on an empty stomach versus a full one, how much you take, what type of kratom product used, are just a couple of factors. 

In general, the peak effects felt from consuming any kind of Kratom product will subside after about 4 hours or less. 

How Does Kratom Tea Compare to Kava Tea?

Chances are, before starting your Kratom journey you have at least heard of Kava as it is more readily available. But what is Kava exactly, how do you use it, and how does it differ from Kratom? Some key differences between the two plants are: 

Kava	Kratom
Related to the Pepper family	Related to the Coffee family
Grows in the Western Pacific	Grows in Southeast Asia
The root of the Kava plant is consumed	The leaves of the Kratom plant are consumed

Newcomers to Kratom may be surprised at the fact that Kratom tea can give off two completely different results simply by adjusting the serving size.

In small servings, Kratom can create boosts of energy and alertness.

In higher servings, it can do the opposite. This is due to the alkaloid content and the way it reacts with our bodies: more alkaloids = more calmness. 

Kava is known to provide more calming effects than anything else. Islanders of Fiji and Vanuatu have used this ground-up root as a “social gathering” drink for decades as it seemed to help improve mood and create a relaxing sensation within. To read more about Kava and it’s origin, check out our other blog!

Because Kava and Kratom have similar resonation, they should be taken at least 4 hours apart to avoid extreme drowsiness. In this sense, Kratom is great as a morning pick-me-up and Kava is perfect to help wind down at the end of the day. 

Is It Okay to Take Caffeine with Kratom Tea?

Although it is not advised to take Kratom with caffeine, the Mitragyna Speciosa plant is directly related to the coffee plant and they essentially provide similar effects. Some users do report an upset stomach when taking both coffee and Kratom together, so if you’re sensitive to stimulants, it would be best to keep them as separate novelties. 

In the case that you want to experiment, your Kratom serving size should be cut in half when trying it with coffee to evaluate the effects.

When it comes to other caffeine products, such as pre-workout or caffeine pills, you should stay away from those when consuming Kratom. Trying to keep a 6-8 hour window between products 

Other Popular Kratom Tea Recipes 

Iced Kratom Tea for Energy

Preparing an iced Kratom tea is a different approach to trying Kratom if hot tea just isn’t for you. 

What You Need:

• Fast Kratom strain, we recommend White Malay (Thunder Hippo) for energy
• 2-4 oz of warm water
• 2 slices of ginger
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 1 cup of fruit juice (pineapple, orange, lemon, etc.)
• Ice

How to Prepare Your Iced Kratom Tea:

First, you're going to want to prepare a cup of hot Kratom tea like normal. Using the “Making Kratom Tea from Powder” method would be the quickest and easiest. 

Next, add slices of ginger and teaspoons of honey to warm tea and let steep for 5-10 minutes. 

Lastly, remove the ginger slices, add your juice of choice, and pour over a glass of ice. Enjoy!

Sleepytime Kratom tea

If you are trying to wind down at the end of the day, it’s best you stay away from the Fast strains. We have many Slow Kratom strains to choose from - and here is a recipe to optimize those strains best for a good night of relaxation!

What You Need:

• Slow Kratom strain, we highly recommend Red Sumatra (Magic Hippo)!
• 1 teaspoon of honey 
• 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
• 2-4 oz of hot water 

How to Prepare Your Sleepytime Kratom Tea:

Put your desired serving size into a cup of hot water and stir well. Add the teaspoon of honey and lemon juice and let cool slightly.

Then, plug your nose and chug! Although the lemon juice works wonders for potentiating the tea, it is very tart and doesn’t help the bitter taste of Kratom. 

Kratom Tea Using the V60 Technique

If you are an avid coffee drinker, you are probably familiar with a pour-over system for creating fresh single cups of coffee. If you own a pour-over, you can try this technique! 

What You Need:

• Pour-over device and coffee filters to fit
• Mug, if pour over doesn’t have liquid catching portion
• Kratom strain of choice
• Hot water in a drip kettle  
• Raw honey

How to Prepare Your V60 Kratom Tea:

First, you will want to take the bottom portion of your pour-over or your mug, and add the desired amount of honey into the bottom. 

Next, you will want to put your filter into the top “brewer”. Add your personal serving size of Kratom into the filter, and pour your hot water over top of it!

The water will filter through the Kratom pulling the alkaloids into the cup below, melting the honey right away when the hot water makes contact. 

Once the drip is finished, stir the liquid and drink up! 

What is the Red Bubble Method? 

The Red Bubble Method is very popular among the Kratom community and while it's not necessarily time-efficient, it's worth giving a try at least once.

The Red Bubble method consists of creating a mixture of Kratom, water, and some sort of citric acid and freezing it. If done correctly, a red bubble forms in the frozen block of Kratom. 

The reason Kratom connoisseurs started consuming Kratom this way is because when you let Kratom sit in citric acid long enough, it breaks down the plant cell walls making the alkaloids more readily available to your body. 

This removes a whole step for your stomach acid, making the Kratom work more quickly and sometimes creating a higher level of potency!

To learn how to do the Red Bubble Kratom Technique.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are countless ways to prepare your Kratom tea. Some are scientifically better than others, but it really comes down to personal preference.

If you have an awesome recipe or technique you love to use, comment below!