As much as tea has made its way to the Western world, it seems to have shape-shifted somewhere along the way. While traditional Eastern tea is brewed hot, four out of five cups of tea in the United States are enjoyed iced. And while traditional tea across the world is brewed fresh, Americans often sip on bottled brews -- which are often packed with excess sugar, artificial flavorings and preservatives, and are critically missing out on some of the most nuanced flavors and health benefits that fresh tea offers.
A quality iced tea isn't merely refreshing -- it's full of flavor, body and aromas that will blow your mind. Brewing your iced tea fresh may be intimidating, but we've got you covered with the very best tips to make iced tea that will change the game.
What's the Best Tea for Iced Tea?
If you've ever tried to make iced tea at home, you likely used tea bags. It's not your fault; America has made tea bags out to be the norm, and their convenience certainly makes the iced tea process feel more approachable. But tea bags are stiffing you on flavor, only exposing the water to dust and fannings as opposed to a whole leaf's surface area. Loose leaf tea is always the best way to go to make a superior glass of iced tea, because it offers a more full-bodied brew. Plus, many find that loose leaf tea brews less bitter and is naturally sweeter, so you don't have to overcompensate with sugar or sweeteners after you brew.
Okay, but what kind of tea is best iced?
Frankly, any kind of tea can be enjoyed as iced tea -- though some teas taste better iced than others. Black tea, for example, is often a go-to for iced tea because it is oxidized and thus makes a full-bodied brew that tastes great with other additives like lemon. A basic green tea is also often appreciated iced, as a delicate, crisp and super refreshing blend. Herbal tea can be used, but is often supplemented with sugar, as the flavor of herbal teas can be stifled with the temperature change, and sugar helps reawaken it.
Black Tea Recommendations
Rose Black Tea
Mosi's Rose Black Tea is a true black tea from the upper valley of Assam and Darjeeling, India. This woody, yet delicate tea is blended with dried rose petals from the mountains of Kashmir for a light floral taste that will add a touch of sunshine to your morning.
As a black tea, it is higher in caffeine and is packed with antioxidants to fuel your day and boost your immune system.
Earl Grey Tea
Our Earl Grey tea is high in caffeine to kick off your morning. Garden-picked Assam is paired with floral bergamot orange for a smooth, citrusy blend. Bergamot has also been shown to be associated with stress relief, which means that this caffeinated tea will still help you relax before you kick off your day.
Green Tea Recommendations
Mosi's Green Mint tea. This premium loose leaf blends peppermint, spearmint and lemongrass with garden-picked green tea for a perfectly refreshing tea with a hint of light sweetness.
Herbal Tea Recommendations
Mosi's Orange Spice has an earthy green tea base that is brought to life with fragrant kicks of citrus and spice. Aromatic orange peel, lemon zest, safflower, cinnamon, and a hint of licorice add nuance to this bright blend, making it mind-blowing over ice.
How to Make Iced Tea At Home
There are several different methods for making iced tea.
Why the Pitcher Brewing Method... Isn' It.
If you've been taught how to make iced tea before, it likely was by steeping tea bags in a large pitcher filled with boiling water, and leaving it for hours to cool. This brewing method does work, but it takes a ton of time, uses tea bags instead of loose leaf tea, and often results in a bitter brew from over-steeping.
This may seem like the easiest method for making iced tea, but there are actually even simpler ways -- that make a way better brew.
How to Make Cold Brew Tea
You won’t need much equipment for cold brew tea. After all, its charm lies in its simplicity. The tools you’ll need to make cold brew tea can easily be found in your home or local supermarket. To make cold brew tea, you will need the following ingredients and equipment:
- Tea bags or loose leaf teas (the latter is preferred; we’ll explain why in a bit.)
- Water
- Strainer or infuser
- Glass or jar with a lid or Mosi's portable tea infuser
Prepare the items we mentioned above and head over to your kitchen; here’s what you need to do.
- Drop 2 teaspoons of loose-leaf leaves or your teabag into one cup of water. Your water can either be cold or room temperature; just make sure that it isn’t hot.
- Cover the glass. It’s best to use glasses that already have a lid, like jars or water bottles.
- Place the glass inside the fridge. The amount of time needed for the tea to brew completely depends on what kind of tea leaves you’re using. However, it’s recommended that you leave the tea inside the fridge for at least 10 hours or overnight to get the best results.
- Once the tea is finished brewing, take out your strainer and strain out the tea leaves. If you use bags of tea, simply take the teabag out and set it aside.
- Enjoy! Now that you’ve got your cold brewed tea, you can drink it as it is or add a personal touch. Look up recipes or create your own. Get creative and feel free to experiment with your cold brewed tea!
Making Tea With Mosi’s Cold Brew Infuser
Cold brew tea is already incredibly simple to make, but what if we told you that you could make it easier and more convenient? Here’s how you can use Mosi’s cold brew infuser.
- Fill your Cold Brew sieve attachment of your Mosi cold brew infuser with your loose leaf tea of choice.
- Pour room temperature water into the spout of your infuser.
- Attach the lid, switch up the lock, and store the cold brew infuser upside down in the fridge overnight.
- Take out and enjoy! No need to strain. Mosi Tea’s cold brew infuser automatically strains the tea with its cutting-edge design -- and will keep your bev cold for hours.
How to Make Hot Brewed Tea/Tea Concentrate
To make a full-bodied iced tea that won't be watered down when it's chilled with ice, you either have to make a cold brew, or you'll have to create a hot tea that's extra concentrated:
- Boil 2 cups of water to steep a rounded tablespoon of tea.
- Steep around 2 minutes for green and white teas, and 4 or 5 for oolong, black, and herbal teas
- Once the concentrate is steeped, strain it over two cups of ice and stir until the ice dissolves.
- If you'd like to make a sweet tea, simply add sugar or the sweetener of your liking to the concentrate before you pour it over ice. This will ensure that the sugar dissolves, and will make a perfectly smooth sweet tea.
