My mom made sun tea when I was little. She would fill up the same clear plastic pitcher with Lipton tea bags and water and set it out in the sun to steep. I’d go out there and marvel at the process. As an experiment, I filled cans with water and macaroni noodles and set them next to her sun tea to “cook.” Never worked, no matter how long I left them out there.
Fast forward a few years, and my mom let up on her soda-once-a-week rule. I started guzzling Dr. Pepper like she guzzled unsweetened iced tea, and I squealed every time I grabbed the wrong cup from the cup holder. Yuck!
Nowadays, I’ve given up the soda in favor of good clean water. I’ve always wanted to understand my mom’s iced tea thing, and I’ve finally found a way to really, truly enjoy it—cold brew!
The cold brew method reminds me of sun tea, since you’re just steeping tea in water for hours, but cold brew takes place in the refrigerator instead of the back porch.
Heat brings out the tannic, bitter flavors in tea. In the absence of heat, you’re left with perfectly refreshing, super smooth tea for slow summer sipping. It isn’t bitter in the slightest. The same is true for coffee, which is why I love cold brew coffee so much.
How to Make Cold Brew Iced Tea
The method itself is incredibly simple. Just combine loose-leaf tea or whole tea bags and water in a pitcher and let the tea infuse the water for 6 to 12 hours in the refrigerator (see instructions below for specifics). Strain, and you have cold-brew tea that will taste great for days!
Bon Appetit suggested that they have best results with loose-leaf tea, so I used loose-leaf here, but I’ve since been making lazy cold-brew tea by soaking whole bags in water, which tastes almost as good and is much easier to make.
Another option? Steep your loose-leaf tea in a clean French press—just press down the filter to remove those loose tea leaves and pour!
Watch How to Make Cold Brew Ice Tea
Cold Brew Iced Tea
- Author:
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins (plus 6 to 12 hours chilling time)
- Yield: Varies
- Category: Drink
- Method: Cold-brew
- Cuisine: Asian
Super simple, refreshing cold brew iced tea without the tannic, bitter flavors found in regular tea! Plus, it stays fresh tasting for days.
Ingredients
- 1 tea bag (or 1 teaspoon loose-leaf tea) per 6 to 8 ounces of water, depending on desired strength
- Optional add-ins: sliced lemon, sweetener of choice, fresh mint leaves, sliced cucumber
Instructions
- For the best flavor, if you’re using tea bags, snip off the corners and dump the loose tea into your pitcher. Or, just put the whole bags in the pitcher for tea that is *almost* as awesome and way easier to make. Pour in room temperature or cold water.
- Cover the pitcher and refrigerate. Steep white or green tea for 6 to 8 hours; steep black or oolong tea for 8 to 12 hours.
- Once your time is up, strain the loose-leaf tea out of the pitcher by pouring the tea through a fine mesh sieve (for best results, cover the sieve with a cheesecloth or paint-straining bag used exclusively for food products) or just pull out the tea bags. Discard the tea or tea bags.
- Serve tea as is or with any add-ins of your choice. Tea will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit May 2015.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
The Working Foodie
This looks so refreshing – perfect for summer! I’m always looking for healthier ways to replace sodas and fruit juices – this seems a great alternative.
Lauren @ Lauren Caris Cooks
I REALLY want to make homemade iced tea, I live in Switzerland now and there is SO much Iced Tea around, but nothing like the good homemade stuff. Think I might need to get some of this brewing in the fridge stat!
Renèe
Never tried this recipe before but am excited to try it :) I like my sweet things and loveee my ice tea so have grapefruit popsicles I’m going to semi thaw and add in the bottom before adding in the cold brew tea, hoping it turns out nice!!
★★★★
Kate
I hope you enjoyed it, Renee!
Thierry
Wait what ? Switzerland has THE best iced tea, the Migros ice tea…
Hermione @ Hermione's Pantry
This looks wonderful and so refreshing! I’ve never thought of cold brewing to get rid of the bitterness! Thank you for sharing your recipe! H x
Dani
Hi Kate,
What’s your theory on dumping the loose leaves out of the bag, then restraining them? I’m thinking maybe so they don’t “clump” together and you get more of the tea? I’ve been wanting to make my own Iced Jade Citrus Mint (SB’s green tea). It’s painful paying 3.00 for glass of tea :-)
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Dani! Yes, that’s right. I experimented, though, by soaking a tea bag in about six ounces water overnight. That tea came out pretty well!
Allizon
Sounds so refreshing! I’m an occasional tea drinker, but my husband is obsessed. I’m sure he’ll enjoy when I make this for him!
Kate
I hope you both enjoy it! Please let me know!
Cassie Tran
This looks amazing! I normally hate iced tea but this looks awesome!
Robbi
I have brewed my iced tea this way for years. It truly is the best iced tea ever, never bitter!
Kate
Yes! Glad you agree, Robbi.
Jessie Snyder | Faring Well
Cold brew is the only way I do ice tea – its the best! And I use to marvel at my mom’s sun-tea while growing up too! Your macaroni experiment made me laugh. Happy summer Kate!
Kate
I’m glad you’ve experienced the joy of cold-brew tea! Thanks, Jessie! :)
Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen
I love iced tea….I drink a couple of glasses of iced green tea every day. But…I’ve never made cold brewed. Making a pitcher today!
Kate
Hope you enjoyed it, Deborah!
Alanna
These photos are too stunning for words! I can’t wait to make this.
Kate
Well, that means a lot coming from you! Thank you, Alanna.
Jordan
I’m a fan of cold brew coffee and why cold brew tea never crossed my mind is beyond me because this sounds so good! Refreshing without the bitterness, perfect for summer. I’ll be giving this a try!
Kate
Thanks, Jordan! Hope you love it!
GordonX
Lipton makes an excellent Cold Brew Tea. I use one Family Size bag and make a whole gallon of it. If fact I make two 1 Gallon milk/spring water jugs from tap water and rotate them and keep 2 in refrigerator at all times. Helped me kick my Diet Coke habit!
Ole-E. Nesse
Hello Kate!
I’m one of those “boring ppl you hate to entertain, because you can’t offer anything since they only drink water and are SOOOOOOOO difficult to entertain!!!”. :P
I HATE soda, and i can’s stand anything with the taste of sugar in it, it makes me chill down the spine and make that “bgleeeeeaaaah!!”-face.
But THIS … opened a new wold for me! Im hooked!
I’ve had some nasty result with soaking the leaves for too long, though. I use 1 tbsp of tea leaves and 2 tsp stevia “sugar” (i use a type of stevia product that looks like table sugar), for each 1 l water. And only 1 hours soaking for green tea.
My “Grand Jasmine Monkey King” (Green tea from China) feels literally like smelling the flower when sipping to it. Or like drinking the flower…!
Now I just tried the same recipe with “Fleur De Geisha”, and the cherry blossom taste is just … WOW! This IS then best drink I’ve ever had! (Except from water…hehe )
I put the leaves directly into the mug, fill with cold water, soak in the fridge, and run through a strainer. Putting the tea back to the mug and adding the stevia and stirring well!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe, Kate! :-)
(btw, here are the ones I enjoy the most: Palais des thes: http://us.palaisdesthes.com)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Ole-E!
Caryn
Thank you, thank you! I was looking for how to cold-brew all our loose-leaf teas, and this was exactly what I needed to know. Before this, I would hot-brew (is that a phrase?) the tea in the regular fashion, take out the tea ball, and then put it in the fridge overnight in order to have cold tea in the morning. This looks much easier, and I love that it’s less bitter. Can’t wait to experiment. And just in time for summer, too!
★★★★★
Karen
OMG this way is so much better and quicker and tastier than the way I was doing it,I keep my tea bags in mason jars in the fridge filled with water so there is always one ready ,I take the bags out and pour in a pitcher add more water and lemon juice .Redo the jar and put it back .I have 2 in there at all times. Thanks
★★★★★
Sierra
I know hope comment is a few years old, but I justice this idea! My husband and I are tea drinkers. On a hot or busy day we can easily go through a half gallon in a day. I usually brew half black tea half green tea (he won’t drink pure green tea, but doesn’t notice if I sneak it in half and half with regular tea. And I can’t count the number of times I get distracted doing other things and boil the tea over onto the stovetop. I have lots of mason jars, so I’m going to try your method of always having tea bags steeping in the fridge. Thanks for the tip!
Rebecca
I was so excited to try cold brew tea. I am currently pregnant and love having a cup of decaf tea but the acidity in the hot tea bothers me. Cold brew is so gentle on my acid reflux and it tastes so refreshing!
Cold brew is my only way to brew tea from now on. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Paula Weidner
I’ve been trying this since I read your blog, and I am so happy with the taste. It’s smooth and almost sweet. I started to make ice cubes with the same tea for an undiluted brew. I always have so much tea on hand, and now I can cycle through my stash and keep it all fresh.
★★★★★
Alan
Really liked the macaroni connection. I tried the same thing with a solar cooker I made only with Great Northern beans. No matter how often I moved the focus of the sun the beans never cooked. Could burn wood but just never cooked the beans. I was going for the sun tea concept and proved it did not work for me.
Karen
What about using a gallon jug (plastic) of purified water from the grocery store with the appropriate ratio of tea to water? I almost want to ask this privately to you, as I fear there are cold brewed tea snobs out there who would shudder at this idea.
helo
karen – love that idea of water jug ! will try it !, thanks !
M
I lived off of this cold brew last summer, and am making my first batch tonight for this season. So excited! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad it’s finally iced tea season again! Enjoy. :)
JdS
Does the container need to be lid-sealed completely? I have a blue plastic pouring pitcher…would that work alright?
Kate
That should work well!
Kayla
I love this method! I like to get green tea that’s flavored with blueberry, put it in the fridge overnight, then I take it to work with me the next day instead of coffee! It’s light and refreshing, never bitter.
★★★★★
Kate
Yes! No more bitter iced tea. Thanks, Kayla.
Craig K
This is definitely the best method for making iced tea because you retain all the antioxidant properties without the additional tannins you get from hot tea. I brew in mason jars overnight and make sure I give it a good Shake to get all the antioxidant out. I’ve had my best luck with the Prince of Peace organic Oolong tea bags. in addition to adding lemon, I highly recommend a little bit of orange juice as well or sliced oranges. The combination is irresistible.
Stakan
I’ve recently realized I a tannin sensitivity is causing me many issues. I’ve cut it out things like tea and red wine and things are getting better. But it sucks not having green tea and red wine! I understand that cold brewing the tea has much lower tannin levels. But what if you like the tea hot? Can you cold brew the tea in half the water to make it strong and then dilute with hot water to drink it warm?
Kate
Hi Stakan, I’ve not heard of tannin sensitivity before, but I’m glad you figured out what was causing your problems! I think that would work, just haven’t tried!
Sibylle
Hello! I’d like to know if it is important to put the tea into the fridge to brew, or if it can also be left out at room temperature (or little more than room temperature)? It’s hot in Sri Lanka and I have no fridge. Thank you & blessings.
Kate
Hello! I think you could leave it out at room temperature. I just haven’t tried to be sure!
Gideon
I was looking for a way to make ice tea in college. Thank you for this post. I will try this soon.
Kate
Let me know how it goes, Gideon!
BE
I have been making green tea like this for a while.When the weather is hot, I find mixing green and mint teas particularly refreshing, and cooling. I fill a 2-litre pitcher with filtered water and add 6 tea bags. Every time I take a glass full I refill the pitcher with water. I leave the bags in and never have any problems with it. I change it all up every couple of days. I hardly ever drink water now.
One caveat, apparently herbal and floral teas may harbour bacteria, so they need heat to destroy it. In that case, I may just make the tea like I used to: Put the bags or leaves in a cup, and add just enough hot water to cover. Let steep 5 minutes, squeeze bags, and add lquid to a pitcher of filtered cold water.
★★★★★
Kate
Hmm, I haven’t heard of the bacteria connection to herbal teas, but I’ll look more into that.
Leslie
I recently went to Disney World with my sons HS Band. While in Epcot I had my first sip of cold brewed tea and it has haunted me ever since. ;)
I was searching for a good technique when I found your post. I just spent the morning working in my veg garden and came inside to a perfect glass of cold-brewed green tea sweetened slightly with honey. Heavenly!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
Kate
Great! I hope this was a close approximation. :)
Stan
I use a 24 oz. glass jar with lid. 3 green tea bags overnight. Great refreshing drink and also use in smoothies.
Kate
Perfect!
Diana
Thanks for the post. Was looking at different recipes for cold brew to compare. I have been using St. Dalfour organic peach tea and it’s delicious but I can’t seem to get it just right in strength so I wanted to see what ratios others used. Anyhow…do you reuse the teabags?
Jody
This sounds delicious and easy. Question: If it’s inconvenient to strain the black tea after 12 hours, is there a downside to letting it continue to steep, in the refrigerator, til, say, the next morning?
Christine
If it’s anything like cold brewing coffee, and I suspect it is, brewing too long will release more tannins and could concentrate that bitterness in the tea. Worth a shot tho…tea is so cheap it wouldn’t break the bank to test that.
Christine
Just started cold brewing my coffee and was astounded at the improvement — less bitterness and acidity. Yesterday it hit me that maybe there’s a way for tea, too. Found you, glad I did, the tea came out fantastic. Incredibly smooth, a beautiful amber color, rich flavor — and the starchy coating tea usually leaves in my mouth didn’t happen here. I even used more tea than called for to make it more concentrated. Then I’ve got more tea to go around with each batch. (Add water to glass when serving) I may never hot brew anything again…
★★★★★
Kate
YES cold brewing is the way to go! No bitterness here. I’m glad you came upon this, Christine! Thanks.
Kieran
Lemon ice tea is my favourite and I am exited to try this soon, especially with lemon, I might even start experimenting with which fruits are better in this than lemons
Kieran
I actually tried to make my own cold brew ice tea around a year ago but I wasn’t sure about what to do and so I made the mistake of making cold tea, letting it steep for a very short time (about a minute or so) and then immediately added double concentrate juice drink. If anyone wants to know, it wasn’t *terrible* but it wasn’t great either. All I can say is that, “if you want to make great ice tea, start with a recipe and build off of it”
Kate
I always encourage experimentation with recipes. :)
Shelley
Would white tea require a shorter brewing time? I know it does when using hot water. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Shelley, I have details on that in step 2. Enjoy!
G-man
Great stuff. Thank you for this recipe. Anybody tried brewing this method with either dairy or non-dairy milks?
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, for your review!
Cold Brewer
Tannins are only released when tea is brewed with hot water. That’s why cold-brewing has the best flavour, without any bitterness. I use a recycled 1/2 gallon glass bottle that has a metal screw-on lid and a wide opening (approx 3″). I use cold tap water, add 6 bags of tea, then add about 2 tbsp of bottled lime or lemon juice (sold in the plastic fruit shaped bottles). I screw on the lid real tight, flip it upside down and shake it a bit, to mix in the citrus juice and submerge the floating tea bags to saturate them, then I place it in the fridge, in a dedicated spot in the bottom of the door. I haven’t removed the tea bags up until now, but I will try removing them with the current brew that’s been soaking for several hours (anywhere between 8-12 hrs total is the perfect brew time). I’ve kept the batches of cold brew tea for up to 5 days with the bags left in and have only noticed mold on one occasion, which I tossed and sanitized the glass bottle before making another batch. I think it’s important to mention that the tea should be stored in a tightly-closed glass container to avoid it’s tendency to absorb fridge flavours. I noticed that plastic containers give off a plastic taste that gets stronger, the longer the tea is stored. I will only use glass from now on. I love taste of cold-brewed tea. Cheers!
★★★★★
Cold Brewer
Please edit the last sentence. I meant to say I love THE taste of cold-brewed tea. Thanx for the excellent article!
Danielle
I placed a cheesecloth in a pitcher filled it with ice dumped loose tea in and filled with water then steeped overnight about 10 hrs (4 peach tea 2 green tea bags) first thing I did was pull the cheesecloth out and the tea leafs and any ice remaining out. Then added homemade ice cubes of sugar mixed in agave water so it gained a sweetness as the ice melts. I found it so refreshing I started turning the tea into ice cubes for hot days so the tea gets pretty strong or for people like my mom who like it weak she added the teacubes to regular water to flavor it
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Danielle for sharing!
Matt
I’m normally a coffee drinker, but it’s been messing with my stomach lately. While in Philly, I picked up a pound of loose leaf oolong (that being one of my favorites before coffee came into my life) at the Reading Terminal Market. Now that it’s hot out (and I don’t feel like making tea at 4am before work) I decided to give this recipe a try. It is truly the best iced tea I’ve had. Yes, it takes a while compared to making a huge pot of hot tea and putting it in the fridge, but the taste is so much better. So, now I can say goodbye to the coffee and hello to tea!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you gave it a try, Matt! I appreciate the review.
cl
When someone refers to loose-leaf tea, they mean the high quality whole tea leaves that usually come in a container where you need to measure the tea yourself because it doesn’t come pre-bagged. Pre-bagged tea is generally just the low quality tea dust that is left over after processing tea. Pouring the tea dust from a tea bag into a larger container doesn’t make it loose-leaf tea.
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Sandy Reiber
On my way to the store right now to buy some tea bags (okay…so I’m lazy, too!). Just had some marvelous, best-I’ve-ever-had iced tea in San Antonio, TX (at Soluna Restaurant) and can’t wait to see if this will measure up! They wouldn’t give up what kind of tea they use, nor how they make it. Fingers crossed!
★★★★★
Kate
What did you think, Sandy?
Sandy Reiber
Was really easy (5 star easy!) and great tea. I used Earl Grey black tea, think I brewed it too long tho (overnight, about +12 hrs). This time I’m going for perhaps 8 hrs. It still had just a hint of “bite” at the end, but was so much better than hot brewed & easier too. Will keep experimenting with some of the teas mentioned above. So glad to have found you, Kate!
★★★★★
Nick
Hi, for adding lemon slices, is that something you do at the beginning and let it brew for the 8 hours with the lemon slices inside, or do you add them after straining?
Kate
Add them when you serve, see step 4. Hope this helps!
lauren
hi! what about herbal tea? how long should i let that brew for?
Jan
I like flavored tea but not too much flavor, but herbal teas don’t have nearly enough flavor for me.
I used to fill a tall skinny quart-size pitcher with cold tap water then I added a variety of single-size tea bags. I started with regular tea, green or otherwise, then added flavored herbal teas. Raspberry, pomegranate and lemon showed up frequently.
I put it together in the evening, left it on the counter top and took out the tea bags and put it in the fridge in the morning. I poured it over ice and it lasted the day, or maybe two. Thanks for the reminder. I’m drinking way too much Coke these days. I need to cut out some of that sugar.
Jan
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing your version, Jan! I appreciate the review.
Trisha
Hello! I want to start making cold brew iced tea to kick my soda habit, and need to know what type (material) pitcher to buy. I want to infuse the tea with lemons and keep hearing how plastic leaches into lemon water. Would you recommend a glass pitcher, or an acrylic one?
★★★★★
Kate
Glass is a great option, Trisha!
Lizzy
I have been making cold brewed ice tea for years. I have two tea pitchers with teas infusing inserts. I can put loose tea in the infuser, or tea bags. I also buy packs of tea bags from Amazon and use those for loose leaf tea. Much easier than straining tea out of the pitcher. Takeya makesa pitcher where the infuser screws into the lid so loose leaf tea cannot float out, or you can put tea bags right into the infuser. Easy peasy. You can also use the infuser for cucumbers or fruit to make flavored waters.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing your method, Lizzy!
Meghan
Thank you for this guide! Tonight will be my 5th round making it, and I think I’ve got it down. For just over 2L of water, I use 10 green tea bags, slice up a lemon, and a good gloop of honey. I aim to have it in the fridge between 7 and 9 for my 5am wake up call. It’s PERFECT when I mix it with my greens powder.
Kate
I love that! Thank you, Meghan.
Ann Wilkens
what kind of tea do you use? black? green? I know nothing about tea.
Kate
Hi Ann, I used green tea. But, you can use the tea of your liking!
Melissa White
I will start by saying my grandmother was English and we observed no stirring, squeezing, or boiling of tea neither did we steep longer for stronger tea. Humbly I can say I make a nice cup of tea, my grandma would be proud.
I, however made the worst iced tea. This method is a game changer! Presently, I am working on the amount of sugar, number of sprigs of mint and how much lemon juice suits our preference… but it is already so much better
So happy I chanced upon your recipe,
Melissa
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Melissa! I’m happy to hear it.
Sharon, Libby and Georgie (my fur kiddos)
I love iced tea and in the midst of my experiments. I have made cold brew with loose leaf Twinnings Earl Gray and separately with a local loose leaf flavored tea (8 rounded teaspoons per 1/2 gallon reverse osmosis water in a canning jar) result was fantastic! Tonight I am trying cold brewing 4 Luzianne family sized tea bags in the same sized glass canning jar and another with my previously method of making iced tea (2 family sized tea bags steeped for 5 minutes in a quart of boiling water and 1 quart of ice added after steeping. I will report on the results of my experiment soon. Thank you for your article on cold brew tea, it’s getting me out of my box!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing Sharon!
Jen
I’ve used this recipe several times with a variety of loose teas. Each time the tea is perfect!
★★★★★
kritika
process of making this ice tea is really awesome
im loving it…
keep writing more blogs like this
★★★★★
Michael
I love this article. It is full of great information. I feel better when I drink green tea. It gives me a sense of well-being and seems to energize me. Just taking time for tea and it makes my day go better. The fact that it may inhibit fat retention in the body is a bonus! Since we have been living back in the “South” I have discovered “Iced Green Tea”!
Chris
Late to the party…
I LOVE this. Green tea bags in a pitcher. I steep for up to 24 hours and it’s STRONG. I dilute with a little water when I serve it up. Cold brewing is the bomb and if you’re using quality green tea, it’s actually a little sweet as is… no added carbs needed!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Chris!
Samantha Quinn
I have had a life similar to your path. I was weaned of mother’s milk to tea with milk and sugar, for much of my young life tea was the thing. Then POP became a thing and oy vey, got to be too much. Started by going to diet POP, then Diet Caffiene Free, and then back to water and tea. I recently started cold brewing myself, just the way you do here, and it’s so perfect. My favorite is green tea with a couple of tablespoons of lemonade. Just perfect!!! Thank you so much for sharing this with the rest of the world, may they all join us soon!!!
★★★★★
Maureen
Some of the top restaurants put a pinch or two of baking soda in their tea canisters to balance the tannins. You can experiment with a tiny amount of baking soda if a batch didn’t come out as expected or is too strong. Less likely with cold brew, as tannins don’t come out much (or at all). Reducing the acidic levels in any tea may have health benefits. Just a thought….
Gerri Barron
Hello just found your post on cold brew coffee, that stuff expensive at the store saw link to cold brew tea. I drink hot tea daily, have tried making the green cold tea for summer always has a bitter taste. Now I understand why lol. I can’t wait to give this method a try.
★★★★★
Minerva Moser
I didn’t like the bitterness of tea, either. In fact, I feel the same way about coffee, which is why I put a bunch of cream (real cream) and sweetener in it to make it potable. Then I discovered green tea; it’s not bitter. I think you’re wrong about all tea being bitter when it’s hot-brewed. I make a one-gallon jar of iced tea by steeping 5 green tea bags in HOT water. I let it set until the water is back to room temperature -and beyond, sometimes for half of a day. Then I lift the bags out of the water and squeeze the daylights out of them to get all the moisture and a lot of the microscopic particles of the tea to flow back into the pan. I put the brewed concentration of tea in the jar with one level teaspoon of pure stevia powder and fill the jar the rest of the way up to the brim with water. I do this just about every day; it’s pretty much all I drink. Works for me.
Sherie Miles
googled “Cold Brew Ice Tea” came across yours made it this weekend and it is now the only way that I will make ice tea. I used (3) Elderberry/blackberry tea, (3) passion tea, and (3) green tea bags. No sugar needed great taste…thank you
★★★★★
Ash
Could you do this with rooibos?
Kate
Hey Ash, I don’t see why not!
Yaara
Tried this with Rooibos yesterday – so good I immediately stuck another batch in the fridge. Thanks Kate, for everything you do here! It’s amazing to know that your recipes are always such solid winners. Off to try the coffee cold brew next!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Yaara! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Edris
I’ve been brewing ice tea in the fridge for years. My problem now is, I have a box of hibiscus tea and I’d like to make hibiscus ice tea. Is this ok or should I just do hot tea with the hibiscus tea bags?
Kate
Hi! Try my pink drink recipe. Let me know what you think!
Susan
I’m years late to the cold brew tea party! Thanks to Kate, I’m at last brewing my own blend of Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast for the best iced tea ever. Tea bags (no loose tea on hand) sans strings, and voila. Easy as instant and much, much better. Not bitter, better!
★★★★★
Tania Ghienne
Hi Kate
Loved your iced tea recipe! It’s finally summer here in Dublin, Ireland and we wanted a healthier alternative to other sugary cold drinks and your tea hit the spot! Enjoy your summer and thanks for a great recipe! Tania x
★★★★★
Doug R.
Thanks – I’ve made cold-brew coffee for years, but it never occurred to me to do this for iced tea until I was sitting here drinking cold-brew coffee at 8:00AM on a morning…
Steve
This was a big surprise! It was the best tea I ever brewed myself. I definitely noticed the lack of bitterness. It was so good I didn’t add any sweetener. So easy, sometimes simpler is better! Thank you for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Laura
Can’t tell you how happy I am to have found this! I’ve repeatedly tried to become a tea drinker bc of the health benefits… But it never sticks because I Just. Don’t. Like. Tea!!! Lol. I’m a coffee girl.
Anyways, now that I’m pregnant I figured I should give it another go for, again, the health benefits and to help stay hydrated. So I bought my tea and then googled how to make ice tea and when I saw your site in the results I went right too it cuz you’re one of my favorites and wow, you were right this method takes away ALL the yucky bitterness!? It still smells like tea (eeeww) but then actually drinking it doesn’t taste the way I expect at all, it’s so smooth and mild.
I made it in my favorite cold brew coffee jar and took your advice about cutting open the bags and pouring it into the filter loose. Super easy.
I’m definitely feeling positive about being able to stay with tea for longer now! Who knows maybe I’ll even come to crave it . Thanks Kate!
★★★★★
Aman
Never knew it could be so easy. Thank you.
Aman
★★★★★
Corrie
I scanned comments for a while, but there’s a lot. I did the math for a gallon of tea, which is 128 ounces and that was 16 tea bags for a gallon. That seems like way to much. Is that correct? I use to use a cold brew tea maker and we would use like 5 bags. I like my tea medium strength, I guess. I have never made tea any other way and I’m trying to get off Diet Coke. Thanks for your help
Quin Hart
The way that I’ve been doing it, is that i would take like 4-5 green tea bags (lipton) and fill a plastic bowl up with water, then put the tea bags in, and microwave the tea for about 4 minutes.
after that, I’d pour the tea into a plastic pitcher and then put it in the refrigerator and let it chill for about two hours, once it’s cold enough, i then add sugar and lemon juice, and drink it. :)
it tastes pretty good, yes it’s sweet, but i would highly recommend using only brown sugar as it’s more healthier, where as white sugar isn’t healthy.
i’m all about going the healthier route, but what if i don’t have anymore white sugar or brown sugar? what else could i use to sweeten my iced tea? lemon juice and honey?
ChaCheeB
Edris, Not sure if you still need this answered but hibiscus ice tea can be made using the cold brew method. I make my Hibiscus Tea iced both by using the hot tea method and the cold brew method. Both are delicious!
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Halmari Tea
Oh my goodness. That’s an amazing recipe. Looks absolutely delicious!! Such pretty photos. Let’s have more.
Marilia
What size should the loose tea leaves be? I have them medium sized, but I was wondering if it would be better if they were shredded or something like that.
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Kate
Hi! Standard size of what a tea bag is. Sorry, I don’t have a specific size you are asking for.
Marilia Manes
Thank you, Kate! A tea bag sized leaf is actually a nice parameter. I shall get mine refined for better infusions!
Thanks for all the great tips and recipes.
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Kate
You’re welcome!
Marianne
Thanks to this article, I’m addicted to cold brew tea. I combine strawberry kiwi herbal tea or Georgia peach tea from The Georgia Tea Company with fine black or green tea leaves, or just make herbal cold infusion tea. It’s delicious and refreshing with no bitterness, as stated. Thank you for this recipe, Kate. :-)
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Sue
I adore cold-brew tea and drink it all year long! 2 quarts of water, 5 decaf black tea bags plus 5 mixed herbal tea bags. I really enjoy experimenting with different herbal tea combos!
Erika
Does anyone have an idea how much concentrated pure 100% stevia powder i should put in 96fl oz of the tea?
William Nash
You suggestions for brewing tea without boiling water. However, I have a six quart glass container for cold brewing tea and loose leaf tea just doesn’t cut it. For regular ice tea I use a brand that advertises to be created for ice tea. I fill my container with six quarts of fresh cold water, tie six tea bags together tying the label tags together. Then I suspend these in the container, screw on the lid and walk away for 12 hours. Perfect tea every time. No loose leaves or debris needing to be strained. And so easy to pull out the tea bags all at once. It’s mindlessly easy. Of course, I make six quarts at a time.
Patti
Thank you for this. I will try this for sure with tea bags so excited
Marianne
Can the cold brew tea be made in a plastic Tupperware pitcher? Will it taste good, that’s the only large pitchers have.
Kate
Hi, I prefer to use glass. It may work, but I can’t guarantee you it won’t have a different taste since plastic impact taste sometimes. Let me know if you try it!
Danielle
I wish I had known about this method sooner! I have a fruity green tea that I knew would taste great iced, but no matter how hard I tried to regulate the temperature while brewing, it always resulted in incredibly bitter tea.
I tried the cold brew method today, and wow! So refreshing, and for once, NOT bitter. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m going to revisit this method again and again. <3
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Kate
Hooray! I’m glad you loved it, Danielle.
Walter Duda
Made this tea and sweetened it with honey, added lemon and had a very refreshing drink. Making a second batch now.
Joseph
I put some Allegro Earl Grey tea bags into a 1-quart sports bottle last night with room temperature water and refrigerated it. I used 8 tea bags though as I like bolder-flavored tea and it tastes pretty good sweetened with 1/2 cup of splenda (I also like my tea REALLY sweet LOL)
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Kate
I’m glad it worked for you, Joseph! Thank you for sharing.
Bev in Tx
I have bought a stainless steel filter on Amazon that is used for cold brew coffee. It fits inside a 1/2 gallon mason jar and works wonderfully for loose leaf tea. I thought it might help those of us that use the looseleaf have an easier cleanup! You just take the strainer out in the morning.
Angela
How many tea bags should you use to 6 to 8 cups of water?
Kate
Hi Angela, there are 8 ounces in a cup which is one recipe, so you can scale that way.
Brittney
You said it would keep well for 3-5 days, that’s a big range. Would I just be sacrificing flavor if I keep it for 5 days or does it become a food safety issue? The longer the better for me so I can make it ahead of time and not have to worry about it, but I definitely don’t want to be drinking tea that isn’t safe.
Kate
Hi Brittney, It can vary based on how it’s sealed, temperature, etc. Use your best judgemetn.
Candace
In the 1970s our favorite Chinese restaurant had the best Oolong tea. The owner confided to me that they cold-brewed their tea and heated it when needed. So I have been doing this ever since then with all my teas.
Mary
Thank you for this! I mix raspberry & black tea bags to make unsweetened tea. So much better than the boiled, cloudy tea I’d been making. Will be trying other flavors.
Sara
Does the tea need sugar?
Kate
I don’t find it does. I hope you try it, Sara!
Karen S
I bought a glass iced tea pitcher with a lid that strains the loose tea – never get any loose tea in my glass. I have experimented with different flavors from different companies & different sweeteners – such as pureed fruit, honey, lemon as well as whole fruit. I enjoyed your tips – thank you. I want something different to drink other than water or soda – can’t stand coffee but love the smell! Go figure
Karen
For making cold brew tea, I purchased a mason jar brewer infuser from County Line Kitchen online. It consists of 1 half-gallon mason jar, one stainless steel filter and 2 types lids (one flip top and one stainless steel lid with seal). It works extremely well with loose leaf tea, it is dishwasher safe and jar and lids are reusable. I still use my grandmother’s mason jars that she purchased around 1915. Her lids were the small ones. Lids for the County Line Kitchen set are regular wide mouth size. I keep a jar of tea going in one and a pot of cold brew coffee in another. Very nice, easy to clean, trouble free.
kehara
Tried this with strawberry and raspberry black tea , and I have to say that its the best iced tea i have ever tasted. cant wait to try it with other flavors as well <3
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Kate
Hooray! I appreciate you sharing, Kehara.
Karalee
From one dog lover to another, always giving my dog the healthiest food, I too learned to cold brew all my herbs and even some spices in the refrigerator. I think the secret too is to use distilled water. Distilled water is known as “empty water” and thus very pulling, extractive.
My brews can keep for a week or more depending, and I give them a good shake up once a day.
Mostly I cold brew nutrient dense dried alfalfa leaf, and dried unsalted seaweeds, but also hibiscus, cloves, anise, licorice root (sweet taste), cinnamon bark, vanilla bean, dried berries, and of course teas.
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hava
Never thought I’d be looking for a recipe for iced tea, but here we are! This apparently is how my mom used to make it! Comes out perfect everytime. Have made it with berry, citrus, apple and regular tea, as well as combinations. Thank you!! Will be serving this all summer.
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Kate
I’m glad you came across this recipe, Hava! I appreciate your review.
nhoekmannatesbcglobalnet
If I know I won’t use up all my ice tea within a few days, am I able to freeze it?
Kate
I’m not sure as I haven’t tired it, sorry!
Julie
Has anyone made it by the gallon or half gallon? Would proportions be on same scale…8 teabags for 64 oz?
Stefanie
OKAY, WHO KNEW THE BEST ICED TEA = ALSO THE EASIEST?! Cold brewing has changed my life. Thank you!
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Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Stefanie! I appreciate your review.
Ray Rasmussen
Thanks for the information and ‘how to’. I started making cold brewed tea following your instructions and indeed, it’s not bitter. I switched over from sun brewed tea because of warnings that the bacterial count can get quite high. You didn’t mention caffeine count. I also was hoping for reduced caffeine.
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Kate
You’re welcome, Ray! Thank you for your review.
John Rothschild
I bring cold water just to the boil in teapot. Pour teapot over 8 tea bags and steep for 8 minute covered in gallon container. Pour into 20 oz cup filled with ice. Extra cup to drink. Fill pitcher back to top. Cool in refrigerator. Outstanding!!! Sometimes I fill two 20oz mugs with ice and tea before filling the pitcher with water again.