Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

In a small pot or kettle, bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil.

Steep the tea

Place 4 black tea bags (or the loose-leaf equivalent) in a heatproof pitcher. Pour the boiling water over the tea, submerging the bags completely. Let steep for 5 minutes for a standard strength; steep 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 strain out loose tea). Press gently on the tea bags with a spoon for extra flavor if desired.

If you want sweetened iced tea, stir 3 tablespoons granulated sugar into 2 tablespoons hot water in a small bowl or cup to make a simple syrup-like mixture. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. While the brewed tea is still warm, whisk the dissolved sugar into the pitcher to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired.

Dilute and cool: Add 4 cups of cold water to the pitcher of brewed tea and stir. This both cools and adjusts strength. Taste and adjust: if too strong, add up to 1 cup more cold water; if too weak, brew an extra tea bag in 1 cup boiling water and add a little.

Chill: Place the pitcher in the refrigerator until well chilled, about 1 hour. For faster cooling, add lots of ice to individual serving glasses instead of the pitcher.

Serve: Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). Pour the chilled tea over ice. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon and 2 mint leaves if using. Stir before drinking.

Storage: Keep leftover iced tea covered in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Stir or shake before serving if separated.