Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Pour 1 liter water into a kettle or saucepan and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.

Steep the tea

Place 4 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose-leaf tea in an infuser) into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes for a brisk flavor or up to 7 minutes for stronger tea. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags or lift out the infuser. Gently press a tea bag against the side of the pitcher with a spoon if you prefer slightly stronger extraction, then discard.

If you want sweetened iced tea, stir 3 tablespoons granulated sugar into 2 tablespoons hot water (taken from the brewed tea or freshly boiled) to make a simple dissolve. Add this syrup to the hot brewed tea and stir until fully dissolved. Taste and add more if desired. If you prefer unsweetened tea, skip this step.

Add 750 ml cold water to the brewed tea to dilute to serving strength and cool it down. Stir to combine.

Allow the tea to come to room temperature (about 15–20 minutes) or speed cooling by placing the pitcher in an ice bath for 5–10 minutes.

Fill glasses with ice (about 3⁄4 cup of ice per 12‑oz glass). Pour the chilled tea over the ice.

Garnish each glass with lemon slices and a sprig of fresh mint if using. Serve immediately.

Refrigerate any leftover iced tea in a covered container for up to 3 days. Stir before serving; add ice as needed.