Proper homemade iced tea — brewed strong, sweetened while warm, and chilled. The two things that make or break it: don't over-steep (which turns it bitter and cloudy), and dissolve any sweetener while the tea is still warm. Brew it a little strong to account for the ice that'll dilute it. From here you can go lemon, peach, or herbal.
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 4 black tea bags (or 4 teaspoons loose black tea)
- 2 to 4 tablespoons sugar, to taste (optional)
- Ice, lemon slices, and mint to serve
Instructions
Brew
- Bring the water to a boil, then take it off the heat and add the tea. Steep 3 to 5 minutes — no longer, or it turns bitter. Remove the tea.
Sweeten and chill
- If sweetening, stir the sugar into the warm tea until fully dissolved.
- Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold. Serve over plenty of ice with lemon and mint.
Variations
- Lemon iced tea — add 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice to the cooled tea.
- Peach iced tea — stir in peach purée or a splash of peach syrup.
- Herbal / green — use green tea (steep cooler, ~175°F, 2 to 3 minutes) or herbal tisanes; adjust steep time down to avoid bitterness.
- Masala iced chai — see the dedicated Iced Chai for a spiced milk-tea version.
Notes
- Don't over-steep — bitterness and cloudiness come from steeping too long or in water that's too hot. Pull the tea at 5 minutes.
- Brew it strong — the ice melts and dilutes, so a slightly concentrated brew ends up balanced in the glass.
- Cloudy tea — usually from refrigerating while hot; cool to room temp first, or add a splash of boiling water to clear it.
- Sweeten warm — sugar won't dissolve in cold tea (same issue as lemonade).
Added Oct 26, 2026 · Updated Oct 26, 2026