Tea Over Ice Pitcher Set filled with brewed ice tea
Tea Preparation

How to Make Iced Tea & Cold Brew

3 MIN READ

Iced tea is a refreshing beverage synonymous with hospitality, summertime relaxation, and warm backyard memories. After the first known iced tea recipe was recorded in 1876, the drink rose to prominence when it was served at the 1904 World’s Fair and word began to spread. Around the world, it’s been one tall, cool glass after another ever since.

One of the most refreshing ways to cool down on a hot day, this invigorating treat is often made with black tea, but can also be prepared from green, white or herbal tea if you’re in the mood for something less expected. Traditionally made in large batches and served from a pitcher with a generous amount of ice, it can be sweetened or unsweetened (simply called “sweet tea” and “unsweet tea” in the American south).

 

Glasses of Raspberry Nectar iced tea on a wooden tray with limes

                Fresh Tea Over Ice and our POOM glass

 

HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC ICED TEA

The most popular way to make iced tea is also the simplest. For classic iced tea, just prepare a pot of hot tea the way you normally would, following the temperature and timing guidelines recommended for the variety of tea you’re using.

As a rule of thumb, black tea should be made with water heated to 208 degrees Fahrenheit and brewed for three to five minutes. Herbal tea should also be made with 208-degree water, but steeped for five minutes or more to bring out its full flavor. White and green teas are best prepared with water heated to a slightly cooler 175 degrees, and they should only be steeped for two to three minutes to avoid bitterness.

For a full batch, brew your tea using a 1:1 ratio of tea bags, pyramid infusers, or teaspoonsful of loose leaf tea to cups of water. In other words, if you’d like to make eight cups of iced tea, use eight cups of water and eight teabags (or pyramid infusers, or teaspoonsful of loose leaf). If you like your tea strong, add an extra serving or two of tea as you steep the batch. If you like it sweet, add ¼ cup of sugar per gallon of water and stir until the granules melt.

Once brewed, pour your hot tea into a glass pitcher and refrigerate it for at least four hours. Serve it chilled over ice and add a slice of citrus or sprig of fresh mint to each glass if you desire.

 

Pouring iced tea into a Tea Over Ice Pitcher Set with 5 glasses of breed iced tea in different flavors

HOW TO MAKE FLASH-CHILLED ICED TEA

Featuring two stackable, sculpturally designed Steep & Chill™ pitchers, our Tea Over Ice® Pitcher Set combines form and function to elevate iced tea to a higher level.

To start, unwrap one Tea Over Ice® pyramid infuser of your choice, which is about 2x the size of our hot tea infusers. Place it in the the heat-resistant top pitcher, add hot water, and stack on top of the larger pitcher filled with ice for a dramatic tableside presentation. Watch as the infuser releases it's flavors and colors, dancing through the water as you wait for it to steep. After 5 minutes, flash-chill by pouring the hot tea into the lower pitcher filled with ice. Enjoy immediately!

We offer a variety of iced tea blends. Our most popular Sampler box includes five delicious iced teas, each in its own pyramid infuser for individual use. The quintet features Ceylon Gold (black tea), Orange Papaya (black tea), Green Mango Peach (green tea), White Ginger Pear (white tea), and Raspberry Nectar (herbal tea), all blended to perfection for an exceptional iced tea experience. Once you’ve found a favorite blend, stock up on our Tea Over Ice 5pks.

To cap off your experience, pair your Pitcher Set with our beautiful, double-walled POOM glasses to keep your iced tea cold on a warm summer's day. To enjoy a larger serving with a friend, our 16-ounce Double Walled Glass Set of 2 is an excellent choice.

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Tea Over Ice Pitcher Set
Open box of the Tea Over Ice Sampler 5pk.
Open box of Tea Over Ice Blueberry Merlot 5pk.
Open box of Ceylon Gold Tea Over Ice 5pk.
Open box of Orange Papaya Tea Over Ice 5pk.
Open box of Raspberry Nectar Tea Over Ice 5pk.
Open box of White Ginger Pear Tea Over Ice 5pk.
Open box of Green Mango Peach Tea Over Ice 5pk.
Open box of Blue Mint Nectar Tea Over Ice 5pk
Blomus Tea Jay Iced Tea Maker and a glass of iced tea in a wine glass by a pool
Make loose tea into iced tea with the Tea Jay Iced Tea Maker.

 

HOW TO MAKE LOOSE ICED TEA

Turn your favorite loose leaf tea into your favorite iced tea with the Tea Jay Iced Tea Maker by Blomus. The purist design offers a visual highlight when presented at the table. Just add ice into the glass carafe, along with delicious fruits, fresh juice, water or sugar syrup. Add loose tea and hot water into the filter reservoir which is integrated into the stainless steel top. Once the tea is done steeping, twist the top and watch as the hot tea releases into the carafe below, mixing with the ice making delicious iced tea in minutes.

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Blomus Tea Jay iced tea maker filled with iced tea
Two double-walled glasses with brewed tea inside each
Strawberry Hibiscus tea in a canister of loose tea
Moroccan Mint tea in a canister of loose tea
Harvest Apple Spice tea in a canister of loose tea
Large glass dispensers of sun tea

                Traditional Sun Tea Glass Containers with Dispensers

 

HOW TO MAKE SUN TEA

Another fun variation on this warm weather favorite is sun tea, named as such since it’s made with the heat of the sun. This summertime drink evokes the feeling of sitting on a back porch, whiling away an afternoon in the shade. Since it won’t get nearly as hot as it would on a stove, it will take longer to steep, but once ready, it can be served over ice immediately without refrigerating.

To make sun tea, use a glass pitcher and add eight tea bags, pyramid infusers, or teaspoons of loose tea for each gallon of water. Cover the pitcher loosely and set it outside or on a windowsill in direct sunlight for two to four hours. If you like it sweet, add simple syrup until you’ve reached the desired effect.

Once the tea has steeped to taste, serve it over ice and garnish it however you’d like. Traditionally, a slice of lemon is expected.

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African Solstice tea in a one pound pouch of loose tea
Jasmine Green tea in a one pound pouch of loose tea
Amber tea sugar in a one pound bag
Cold Brew boxes and brewed cold brew tea in glasses, one of each blend

Tea Forté Cold Brew teas

HOW TO MAKE COLD BREW TEA

Liven up your water with organic herbal botanicals and hints of fruit with refreshing Cold Brew. Unlike hot teas, all three Cold Brew blends are organic and specially formulated to brew in cold water, no hot water needed!

Our tea sommelier, Piotr Miga created three perfect organic flavor combinations for the utmost botanical refreshment. Each cold brew extraction process imparts a fresh, cool, flavorful beverage with no calories, no caffeine, no additives, no hot water, and no waste—just pure organic ingredients. Cold Brew is available in three exquisite flavors: Elderflower Rose, Pomegranate Vanilla, and Watermelon Mint.

To brew, simply add one sachet to 12 ounces of cold water, still or sparkling. Infuse for 7-10 minutes, longer for more flavor. When done, remove sachet, add ice if desired, and enjoy.

While each sachet is intended to flavor a 12-ounce serving of water, they can be batched for convenience to create a pitcher full of water to be enjoyed throughout the day or shared with others. What's more, the packaging is entirely sustainable, inspired by the vibrant colors of spring and summer and made from plant-based materials.

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Box of Cold Brew Watermelon Mint with sachet
Box of Cold Brew Pomegranate Vanilla with sachet
Cold Brew Elderflower Rose - 15 sachets
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Cold Brew Elderflower Rose

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