How to Make Iced Tea with Loose Tea Leaves

Hot! Hot! Hot! It is as hot as in a sauna. At this very moment, a cooling cup of iced tea can definitely save us from the stifling heat. So how to make iced tea with loose tea leaves. Generally speaking, there are two methods of making iced tea with loose tea leaves, one of which is hot-brewed and the other one is cold-brewed. Check out here!

No matter hot brew or cold brew, At the very beginning, it’s crucial for us to select a kind of tea. Generally, it’s found that all of stronger teas like blacks, oolongs, and certain greens present us the best flavor. The truth is any camellia sinensis-based tea is expected to be a nice choice. Here are our recommendations: mint, rose black tea, hibiscus, or apricot. Of course you can find a favorite one by your own preference. (Learn more: Difference between black tea and green tea)

Why use loose leaf tea for iced tea

You can make iced tea with tea bags, but it does not bring not a good cup of tea as loose leaf tea. There are several reasons to make iced tea with loose leaf tea.  (You can learn more from lose leaf tea vs. tea bags)

1. It tastes better: Loose leaf tea is higher quality. Tea bags use fannings and dust.
2. More Variety: You’re limited to a few selections when buying tea bags. With loose leaf tea, you have a wider selection. (Types of loose leaf tea)

Method 1: Cold Brew to Make Iced Tea

If you have a little foresight, it’s actually super easy to cold brew a delicious, refreshing glass of iced tea.  In order to make a cup of flavoring tea, the amount of tea leaves must be controlled. As a rule of thumb, 1 teaspoon loose leaf tea per cup iced tea is the best. But there’re a few exceptional cases like Gunpowder may require less than one teaspoon and white teas and Chamomile need more than one spoon.  (Learn how much does a teaspoon of loose leaf tea weigh)

Directions: 

1. Choosing the container: To brew loose leaf tea, you’d better use a pitcher or teapot with a infusion. Here I am using a water 44 oz glass pitcher with a stainless steel lid. 
2. Add cold water, cover, and let it sit in your fridge overnight (or 4-6 hours if you’re impatient)
3. In the morning, you’ll have a nice, glass of cold iced tea that you can strain out over ice and enjoy. Don’t worry about the tea getting bitter from steeping too long — cold brew doesn’t draw the bitterness out of the leaves the way hot water does.

Tips: I know that you won’t be satisfied with a cup of monotonous iced tea. Want to make it tasty? Here is a tip for you. The key is to start out with cold tea and to make it colder. Here are the steps: Firstly, combine a small block of ice and your iced tea in a cocktail shaker, then close the lid and shake the bottle until you feel like it’s too cold to grasp. Congratulations! You’ve got a super iced tea!

Method 2: Hot Brew to Make Iced Tea

If you’re in a rush, you can try hot brew method. But it could result a cup of watery tea. If it is your main way out, you can add more tea to your brew and shorten the brew time to hold on to the flavor and stave off bitterness. 

1. Add 6-9 tsp loose leaf tea to the 44 oz pitcher
2. Gently pour 3 cups hot water first, steep 2-5 minutes
3. Add 2-3 cups ice cold water with ice cubes
4. Pour to serve!

It is believed that every tea lovers won’t be able to miss this flavoring kind of tea, why not trying to make cup of homemade iced tea with your favorite loose tea leaves by following our steps? Hope you enjoy it!

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