The objective of this study was compare standard chemical method (vanillin assay) to determine total catechins with HPLC-method and effectivness of extraction catechins from green and black tea leaves using two kinds of solvents. The (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate using high performance liquid chromatography method and total catechins using vanillin assay were determined. The compounds were extracted using two kinds of solvents: acetone:water (7 : 3) and methanol:water (8 : 2). The average of total catechins determined by vanillin assay was from 2.76 g to 8.94 g/100 g d.m. depending on kinds of teas and used extract solvents. The most of catechins (8.94 g/100 g d.m.) were extracted from green tea leaves by acetone solution and at least (2.76 g/100 g d.m.) from black tea leaves by methanol solution. The total rate of content (+)-catechin, (-)-epicatechin and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate determined using HPLC-method was from 2.63 g to 13.45 g/100 g d.m. The mixture acetone:water (7 : 3) has twice higher effectivness of extraction in relation to mixture methanol:water (8 : 2). HPLC-method made possible to determine a higher quantity of analysed catechins in comparison to chemical method (vanillin assay).