How do you make a really good brew of iced tea?

Question

I tried to make some the other day and it was horrible!! It had a very bitter taste! All i did was brew a cup of tea as normal, put it in the fridge until it was really cold, then added sugar and it STILL tasted like c**p! Can someone please tell me how to do it properly?

Answer 1

I'm thinking you made it too strong. You said you brewed a cup of tea as normal--so, you made it like you would for hot tea? Hot tea is typically stronger than iced tea, so if you made it as strong as hot tea that's why it was so bitter. You need to mix the tea with quite a bit of ice and let the ice melt in it. That'll dilute it so it won't be bitter.

Answer 2

The Twinings Tea Blog has weighed in on iced tea several times recently, including an overview and an article examining some of the many options available to fans of this drink. While those options also include a wide variety of bottled tea, there's no substitute - and nothing so economical - as making your own iced tea. There are several ways to accomplish this goal. Here are a few of them.

One of the most popular and time-honored methods for making iced tea is simply to make hot tea and chill it. While this is nearly as simple as it sounds, there are a few variables that can affect the end result. Check out some pointers from Twinings, as well as an illustrated tutorial and this primer on making loose-leaf iced tea.

For what's arguably an even simpler take on iced tea, consider the cold-brewing method. As the name suggests, it uses no heat. Here's a method that uses ice cubes to make shincha, a type of Japanese green tea. For more information, check out these articles from the Me and My Tea and Miro Tea blogs. iced tea, iced tea maker

If you've always wished for a mechanical assistant that could do much of the work of iced tea making, you're in luck. There are a number of iced tea makers that succeed in various degrees in automating this process. For a quick look at a few of these models, refer to this overview. For a new and unusual take on iced tea brewing, look here. For more tips, as well as pointers on using a coffee maker for iced tea, look here.

While there are fans of sun tea, or tea made by solar power, tea drinkers should be aware of some potential health concerns with this method. For additional thoughts on making iced tea, as well as a number of links to even more iced tea tutorials, refer to this article from the Start Cooking Web site.

Answer 3

Heat water to boiling, and add sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add tea bags, remove from heat and let steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags then allow to cool to room temperate before refrigerating.

Answer 4

Here's what I do:

I take a microwave-safe container, put some water in, and microwave for 5 minutes. If you have a large kettle you can just boil the water in that, which takes about the same time. Once it's hot, I put some tea bags in (I use lipton tea bags and the kind I use take about 10 to make a gallon) and let them sit about 15 minutes.

Then I pour that into a gallon pitcher, add about a cup or so of sugar, and stir while still warm to help mix it in. Then add some filtered (or tap) water to it to dilute it, and refrigerate until nice and cold. It's how my mom made it and it works just fine. Takes about 20 min to prepare.

Answer 5

SUN TEA  

1 gal. jar

Water

Tea bags

Fill jar with water and 8 tea bags. Set in sun until brown, as desired. While warm, sweeten to taste.

Serve it over ice or then place in fridge to cool.

Answer 6

So far no one has told you the "Secret" to good ice tea.

Here it is...Bring a teapot of water to a boil.

Allow the water to cool to a moderate temperature. Pour water into a

Pitcher and add Tea bags- I use 2 or 3 Family size. Add Sugar to taste. The secret is not to let the tea bags get burned because the water is to hot. It will not taste bitter if you do it this way.