steeping grains

I'm still new to brewing, and am a little confused when it comes to steeping grains.

I have done one kit that tells you to steep the grains up to 150*. Let it steep for I think it was 10 minutes or so.
Another said to bring the water to 150* then steep the grains for 20 minutes.
I'm eventually going to start piecing together my own kits. So when someone says to steep the specialty grains, which way are they talking about? The first I mentioned was a really simple basic kit. The second was a little more advanced.
Thanks!

They're the same thing. Put the grains in 150*-160* water for 25-30 minutes. You are extracting mostly flavors from the grains (and a small amount of sugars).

Ok. What's the best way to keep it at that temperature for a half hour? Mine kept creeping up to 165*. Just practice?

Mine keeps temperature if I cover it Ansley it sit for 30 mins

Bring the temp to 160F and turn off the burner and cover is what I did when steeping. It'll drop pretty minimally over 25-30min.

Obviously take the cover off once you're done & ready to boil.

Just don't let it boil, try to keep it as close to the 150-160 range as possible. Small variations and fluctuations are not a big deal.

I would turn off the burner about 150-155. Maybe I should turn it off and let it stabilize before I add the grains?

I bring mine up to 160 and turn off the burner and put in the grains. It drops to 155 and by the time it's done in 30-45 minutes, it's at 150ish. It doesn't drop that fast honestly (unless you're brewing outside or something where the environment around the pot is cold)

You can if you want, but it's not that important. You just want to keep it under 170*F to avoid extracting unwanted flavors (tannins) from the grains. Just remove the heat source around 155*F and you should be fine (try stirring it first to mix up the hotter water near your heat).

the temperature for a steep isn't important. theres no chemistry going on, you're essentially just leaching out the color, flavor and the already converted sugars. much like tea, it just works quicker at higher temps. keep it under 170F and you'll be fine

Perfect. Thanks!