Technique
Brew cold, pour bright
Flavour experiments only work on a solid base. Get the brew right and every fruit, herb and bubble you add will taste sharper and cleaner. Here is the method behind every recipe on this site.
Ratios first
For a standard iced tea, use about 10 g of loose tea per litre of water. That is roughly four to five teabags. Tea professionals compare brews using a fixed method set out in the international standard ISO 3103, which uses 2 g of tea per 100 ml of water – a useful reminder that weighing tea gives you repeatable results that spoons never will. Buy cheap digital kitchen scales and your experiments become far easier to tweak and repeat.
Loose leaf usually gives a cleaner flavour than fine teabag "dust", which releases tannin quickly. Teabags are perfectly fine for cold brew, where extraction is slow and gentle.
Three methods compared
| Method | Ratio | Time | Taste | Clarity | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold brew | 10 g / 1 l cold water | Black 8–12 h, green 3–5 h | Smooth, sweet, low bitterness | Very clear | You can plan ahead |
| Flash-chill | 10 g / 500 ml hot + 500 g ice | 3–5 min | Aromatic, lively | Clear if chilled fast | You want tea now |
| Hot brew, then cool | 10 g / 1 l hot water | 4 min + cooling | Fuller, more tannic | Can turn cloudy | Making large batches |
Cold brew, step by step
You need
- 10 g loose tea
- 1 litre fresh cold water
- Large jar or jug with a lid
- Fine sieve
Method
- Put the tea in the jar and pour in the cold water.
- Stir once, cover and refrigerate – never leave it at room temperature.
- Steep 8–12 hours for black tea, 3–5 for green, 6–8 for oolong.
- Strain thoroughly and keep chilled.
- Drink within about 2 days for the brightest flavour.
This is the method the Japanese call mizudashi – literally "water-brewed".
Flash-chill, step by step
You need
- 10 g loose tea
- 500 ml water at the right temperature
- 500 g ice in a heatproof jug
Method
- Heat water: 95 °C for black, 80 °C for green, 85–90 °C for oolong.
- Steep for the normal time – 3–4 minutes black, 2 minutes green.
- Strain directly onto the ice.
- Stir until most of the ice has melted.
- Pour over fresh ice to serve.
Fast cooling helps prevent the cloudy "creaming" you get when hot tea cools slowly.
Small skills, big difference
Make simple syrup
Dissolve equal weights of sugar and water over low heat. Cold tea will not dissolve sugar crystals properly; syrup mixes in instantly.
Make tea ice cubes
Freeze leftover iced tea in trays so your drink gets stronger, not weaker, as the ice melts.
Use big ice
Larger cubes melt more slowly than crushed ice, so dilution stays under control.
Store it cold and covered
Keep brewed tea in the fridge in a sealed jug, and discard anything that smells sour or looks ropey.
Know your classics
Iced tea has a rich history to borrow from. Southern sweet tea in the United States is brewed hot and heavily sweetened. The Arnold Palmer, named after the golfer, mixes half iced tea and half lemonade. Hong Kong-style lemon tea piles lemon slices into strong black tea, while Thai iced tea uses spiced black tea with a creamy topping. Each one is a lesson in balance – and a great starting point for your own non-alcoholic experiments.