Unsweetened Iced Tea Recipe

Prepare

Bring 8 cups of fresh water to a rolling boil in a kettle or pot.

Steep the tea

Place 6 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose-leaf tea—about 6 teaspoons) into a heatproof pitcher or heatproof container. Pour the 8 cups of boiling water over the tea, ensuring the bags/leaves are fully submerged.

Timing

Let the tea steep for 5 to 7 minutes for a balanced unsweetened iced tea. For a stronger brew, steep up to 8 minutes; for a lighter brew, steep 3 to 4 minutes. Do not exceed 8 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

Remove tea

After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves. Gently press the tea bags against the side of the pitcher with a spoon for a second to extract flavor if desired, but avoid squeezing vigorously to prevent bitterness.

Dilute and cool the tea by adding 4 cups of cold water to the hot concentrate in the pitcher. Stir to combine. The ratio of hot-brewed concentrate to cold water yields about 12 cups of finished tea; adjust cold water amount (up to 6 cups) if you prefer a stronger or weaker end brew.

Allow the tea to come to room temperature (15–20 minutes), then refrigerate uncovered until chilled, about 45–60 minutes. If you need tea immediately, fill a large pitcher or individual glasses with ice cubes and pour the warm-but-not-scalding tea over the ice to cool quickly (note: melting ice will dilute the tea slightly).

To serve, fill glasses with ice, pour chilled unsweetened tea over the ice, and garnish with lemon slices and mint sprigs if desired.

Store any leftover iced tea in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Re-stir before serving. Do not sweeten in advance if you want it unsweetened; add sweetener to individual glasses if desired.