Quick & Easy Iced Tea Recipe

Name: Quick & Easy Iced Tea
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 8 min
Ingredients: 5 cups ice (+ more for serving); 4 cups water; 5 black tea sachets; 2 tablespoons sugar; Lemon slices and mint ((optional for garnish))

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Want a super quick iced tea recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to make? This is it! An easy how-to recipe that makes 2 quarts of perfect iced tea every time.

CONTENTS

What is Ice-Chilled Tea?

The fastest way to make iced tea is to make hot tea then cool it down quickly by adding a lot of ice. This is the ice-chill method and it’s ready to drink right away.
No need to cool down hot tea using the refrigerator, the ice does all the work.
Makes 2 quarts, which is 8 cups.
Easy clean up since it’s made with tea sachets.
Cool and refreshing iced tea made in 8 minutes.

For more refreshing recipes, try Quick & Easy Lemon Iced Tea, Cold Brew Iced Tea, Peach Iced Tea from Scratch, and Sweet Tea.

Ingredient Notes

Black tea sachets
Any basic tea will work but for a classic iced tea, use black tea like Assam or English breakfast. Tea sachets are a lot better in quality than tea bags and easier to use than loose tea.
Filtered water
Better iced tea is made with good quality water so use filtered water whenever possible.
Sugar
The finer the sugar, the quicker it’ll dissolve. Avoid using raw sugar since they’re bigger in size.
Ice
I like using these smaller ice cubes since they melt faster.
Optional garnish: and fresh mint

How to Make Iced Tea

Make hot tea concentrate
Cool down tea with ice

To make this 8 cup iced tea, you need a 2 quart pitcher with a leakproof lid that’s safe to use with boiling hot and cold temperatures. Look for borosilicate glass or a BPA-free plastic.

Ice-Chill 2-Quart Pitcher

Photo Credit: amazon.com

Perfect pitcher to make ice-chilled tea. Makes 2 quarts (8 cups) at once.

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1. Make hot tea concentrate

Simmer water on the stovetop or use an electric kettle (set it to 190°F).

Tea Sommelier’s Tip: I don’t use boiling hot water to make iced tea since it takes longer to cool AND makes it really cloudy. I use water that’s a little under a boil.

Steep tea sachets in hot water then discard tea sachets.

I cut the paper tags off the ends of the sachets since I’m submerging the entire sachet in water.

Stir sugar into hot tea until completely dissolved.

RELATED: How to Make Cold Brew Iced Tea

2. Cool down tea with ice

Want to know how to make iced tea in 8 minutes? Ice! A lot of it.

Add ice to pitcher and close with leakproof lid. Turn it upside down 15 times.

Pour tea into cups with ice.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves.

If you want to fancy it up a bit, add a bit of sparkling water to give it a little fizz.

Notes & Tips

Don’t steep tea for more than 5 minutes. The longer you brew the tea, the more astringent and bitter it’ll get.
If you don’t want a stronger tea, use 6 tea sachets instead of 5.
Sugar can be adjusted to taste. I like 2 tablespoons of sugar but if you like a sweeter tea, go with 3 or 4 tablespoons.
Use any type of sugar you like. The smaller the sugar, the faster it’ll dissolve in the hot tea.

Storage Tips

Iced tea can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
If the drink becomes cloudy in the refrigerator and it has been less than 4 days, it’s still safe to drink.
If you want to clear up the cloudiness, pour a little hot water.

Questions You May Have

Is there caffeine in this drink?

Yes, since the iced tea is made with black tea which contains caffeine.

What are the different ways to make iced tea?

There are three ways: iced-chilled (the quickest way), hot brewed (making hot tea and cooling it down in the refrigerator), and cold brewed (brewed in cold water in the refrigerator for 12 hours).

Why are you using tea sachets instead of loose tea or tea bags?

Tea sachets make brewing and clean up easy, and the quality is good. I avoid using tea bags since it contains the lowest quality tea.

What are family sized tea bags?

Also called iced tea pouches, family-size tea bags are made for 1 or 2 quart pitchers (4 or 8 cups).

Why is my iced tea cloudy?

When using a high temperature water to brew tea, a lot of tannins are released and that’s what can make the drink cloudy.

Can I make it with green tea or white tea?

Yes! Black tea is what’s used for classic iced tea but feel free to experiment with other types of tea.

More Iced Tea Recipes