What's your recipe for the best iced tea? I'm not interested in "sun tea". I prefer to brew it in the traditional manner. I haven't made iced tea at home for many years.

One mistake I made when I started making my own food as a young man was just dumping sugar into tea. It doesn't dissolve for a long time. Live and learn. A simple syrup seems to be the way to go. What I don't like is when tea is over-brewed and takes on a bitter taste. Getting it just right is the real trick. Not too weak and not too strong.

Preferred brand of black tea (if any), steeping time and method, sweetener and method, etc.

Thank you

Para, I have a single cup Kitchenaid coffee maker. 16oz of water poured into the receptacle and 1 english teabag and two tsp of fine sugar in the cup. Let is sit about 10 minutes and pour over ice. Lots of ice. Bon a petit.

Just discovered they don't make them anymore, but here is a linky to one new in box.

https://www.amazon.com/Kitchen...-Maker/dp/B009OQTCPA

For the last couple years fresh brewed tea has been our go to. Lipton tea bags from Sam's, a box os 312 for $12.22. Use 6 bags in a 1/2 gal pitcher, bring water to a boil and then turn it off. Actually my wife makes it but I've watched. I don't add any sweetener and I usually cut it with water. Very tasty, peach is good too but a bit harder to find.

https://www.samsclub.com/p/lip...a-bags-312-ct/160286

a couple of pitchers like this is what we use to brew in
https://www.amazon.com/Pitcher...ps%2C153&sr=8-2&th=1

I draw about a gallon of filtered water (no chlorine). Boil a portion in small saucepan, remove from unit add 6 Lipton teabags, steep about 10 min or until you remember . I add about 1/2 cup sugar (can't help it) to the remaining pitcher, mix when ready.

I use an OVENTE brand electric kettle about 3" of water (more water and it will boil over) and 4 Tetley brand 'British blend premium Black tea' Let it boil and then steep for oh I dont know an hour? then pour it in a gallon pitcher, add water to the top and then add 1/4 teaspoon of Stevia. Into the fridge to get cold or over ice if you want it ASAP.

Wife's dad, from England, turned me on to the Tetley English Black tea and I will and have never used anything since

Let us know what you settle on.

I use one Lipton decaf tea bag in a full Mr. Coffee. I let the tea cool and mix it 2-1 with Gold Peak sugarless sweet tea.

I am sipping some now. It is quite tasty and allows me to sleep at night.

I typically use boiling water and the appropriate amount of tea for 2 quarts. Steep for 5 minutes before cooling and then refrigerating. One neat trick I learned from a coworker was to add about a 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. It cuts out a lot of any bitterness and seems to smooth it out.

As you know , Para the strength of Iced Tea varies greatly by geographic location . I've seen Tea that was so weak it barely had a tint to it. Adjust as needed .

quote:

Tea that was so weak it barely had a tint to it

I expect to have to visit a cheap chinese buffet to find 'tea' like that.

Before it started keeping me from sleeping, bought a Bunn coffeemaker specifically for making tea. Two family size tea bags brewed hot and poured over 1.75 to 2 cups of sugar then poured over ice and put in the fridge.

Makes damn fine tea. The trick is to never make coffee in it.

I just use a spoon full of Lipton decaf to a glass of water with some ice cubes. Let it set for 15 mins. No sweetner. I like it just fine.

I boil a quart of water then turn off and put in my tea bags and allow to steep for about 15 minutes to create a concentrate then I put into a gallon pitcher and top off with another 3 quarts or so of cold filtered water.

I’ve tried supermarket brand tea bags, British PG Tips tea bags, Lipton tea bags and Luzianne tea bags. It all seems to make good iced tea

Lipton Green tea… once you go Green you’ll never go back LOL!
It’s slightly more healthy, less caffeine more antioxidants.

I never boil the water, boiling water changes the taste, Makes it taste flat to me. I don’t like it.

I use nine teabags to a gallon.

I draw 1/2 gal of hot water from my hot water dispenser by the sink. It’s filtered. No waiting it’s hot enough to brew the tea. Toss in the tea bags and let it sit a few minutes, timing is not critical at least three minutes to 30 minutes.

Removed the bags, dumped the sugar in while the water is still quite warm. It dissolves quickly. I used to use 2 cups of sugar per gallon… same ratio as some soft drinks like Mountain Dew or Dr Pepper! I did the math several years ago… yes I like the little tea in my sugar water! Actually, I’ve cut back to one and a half cups… it’s not as good, so I don’t drink quite as much and that has helped me lose 35 pounds in the past year, I drink a lot of sweet tea.

If I need tea today, I dump a lot of ice in it after the sugar dissolves. Stir it till the ice melts top it off with cool water.

If I don’t need it today, I’ll top it off with cool water and pop it in the fridge.

Seriously, the green tea is delicious… I have converted a few over the years… and that’s the first thing some of the kids and grandkids ask for when they get to my house… some of PaPa’s sweet tea!

Oh, I almost forgot. I drink caffeinated tea in the daytime until supper then I switch to decaffeinated.

Natures Sip mixed fruit tea is really good too. We keep at least three jugs of tea in the refrigerator all the time, one green, one fruit tea, one decaf.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I boil a quart of water then turn off and put in my tea bags and allow to steep for about 15 minutes to create a concentrate then I put into a gallon pitcher and top off with another 3 quarts or so of cold filtered water.

I’ve tried supermarket brand tea bags, British PG Tips tea bags, Lipton tea bags and Luzianne tea bags. It all seems to make good iced tea

This is our usual method as well, though we use Yorkshire brand loose leaf tea.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I...B7&sprefix=york&th=1

Well, once again, I'm apparently a heathen...

Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker. 8 Red Rose teabags in the steeping cup, pitcher full of ice cubes. Iced tea ready to drink in 10 minutes or less. Made unsweetened, sweeten to taste with Torani liquid cane sugar.

Iced Tea Maker on Amazon Don't remember for sure, but don't think I paid anywhere near that much. Of course, it's been 10 years or more so...

What you are really making is sweet tea, not iced tea. Add the sugar while the tea is hot. It will dissolve very quickly.

I use either Lipton Iced Tea bags or Luzianne and a four cup Pyrex measuring cup and an eight cup container I bought off Amazon.

Bring four cups, preferably more due to evaporation, to a boil. Pour into the Pyrex measuring cup. Then add the tea bags. Four Lipton bags, two Luzianne bags.

Now this is the important part. Do not let the bags seep for more than four and a half minutes. Once you get up to five minutes the tea starts to get bitter.

You are making a 50/50 mix of tea and water. What you do at this point is up to you. You could add ice to your carafe, fill with the hot tea, which you have already added your sugar to, add a little more water and you are ready to go. I let the tea sit for twenty minutes. Fill the carafe half full of water, add the tea and stick in the refrigerator for later.

But the important thing is to not let the tea bags seep more that four and a half minutes. This goes for all tea. This was told to me by a gentleman who owned and operated a tea and coffee store.

EDIT: I just looked at my Lipton Tea Bags and realized that they aren't specialty iced tea bags. They are just regular tea bags that can be used for either hot or iced tea. Their instructions say to seep for three minutes. Whatever you do, I think the following five things are important for good sweet tea:

1. Add sugar while the tea is hot.
2. Do not let the tea bags seep for more than four and a half minutes.
3. Make a solution of 50/50 tea and ice/water
4. Don't poor boiling water onto the tea bags. Pour the boiling water into whatever container you are going to seep them in and then add the tea bags.
5. Make the tea fresh. Ideally you want to drink it the same day or within a few hours.

Here is the Pitcher I use:

Delove 68 oz/2 Liter Glass Pitcher with Shatterproof Shell

I brew a gallon tea bag in a quart of hot water for 3-5 minutes. Once done brewing, I pull the tea bag and stir in 3/4 cup of sugar. I prefer less. Fill my tea container halfway with ice and pour the tea in. Then top off with water to 1 gallon.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: SIG4EVA,

It's been a long time since I've made iced tea. We have started buying Milos branded tea. It really does test just like homemade. Best premade tea on the market.

When we did make it, it was about 2 cups of water in a pyrex measuring cup, about 3 mins in the microwave to boil the water. 2 family sized regular Luzianne Tea Bags. Steep for no more then 3 mins. Pour into a gallon pitcher and fill with water to your preferred dilution (usually the whole pitcher). We leave ours unsweetened and sweetened as needed with Equal or Splenda.

Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Broadside:
What you are really making is sweet tea, not iced tea. Add the sugar while the tea is hot. It will dissolve very quickly.

Now this is the important part. Do not let the bags seep for more than four and a half minutes. Once you get up to five minutes the tea starts to get bitter.

You are making a 50/50 mix of tea and water. What you do at this point is up to you...

I'll have to try the four and a half minutes.
We usually let it seep for 5-10 minutes.

But adding sugar before diluting definitely dissolves it quickly.

I no longer drink sweet tea due to kidney stones but I used to use my coffee maker to make tea.

This machine had never made coffee.
Several tea bags in the filter spot, a cup of sugar in the urn. Turn it on.
When it’s done pour that into a gallon pitcher and top off with water. The sugar stays in solution.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MikeinNC,

Don’t make iced tea, but did solve the “dissolve sugar in cold drinks” long ago. Some grocery stores carry 4 lb. cartons of C&H Bakers ultrafine cane sugar which is ground superfine and dissolves about as fast in cold liquids as regular sugar does in hot. Nothing but sugar (no cornstarch like powdered has) and no need to make a syrup out of regular sugar. Just FYI.