Great Iced Tea in 15 Minutes - Cooks Illustrated

Published July 1, 1999.

A hybrid technique based on traditional brewing and sun-tea steeping results in smooth, full-flavored tea--quickly.

The Problem

What makes a great glass of iced tea? Is it brewing method, steeping time, type of water, or ratio of ingredients?

The Goal

A good glass of iced tea should be strong but not bitter, richly colored but not cloudy and dark, and pleasantly--not toothachingly--sweet.

The Solution

Making good iced tea, it turns out, depends on doing a lot of little things right. The key to strong but not bitter flavor is water temperature. And unless the quality of your tap water is very, very good, spring water is the way to go; it produces tea with the freshest, cleanest, clearest look and taste. We found that a ratio of 5 teabags to 1 quart of water worked best. The amount of sugar can be varied from 1 to 6 tablespoons, depending on how sweet you like it.

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