Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Pour 1.5 liters of water into a kettle or pot and bring it to a rolling boil.

Steep tea

Remove the boiling water from heat and add 6 black tea bags (or an equivalent amount of loose tea in an infuser). Let the tea steep for 5 minutes for a standard strength. For stronger tea, steep up to 7 minutes. Do not oversteep more than 8 minutes to avoid excessive bitterness.

After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain out the leaves. Press bags gently with a spoon against the side of the pot to extract flavor, but avoid squeezing them hard to minimize bitterness.

Sweeten while hot (recommended)

While the tea is still hot, add up to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar (adjust to taste) and stir until fully dissolved. If you prefer honey, add 2–3 tablespoons while the tea is warm and stir until incorporated. Alternatively, prepare 1:1 simple syrup by heating equal parts sugar and water until sugar dissolves; use simple syrup (cold) to sweeten the chilled tea to taste.

Allow the sweetened or unsweetened hot tea to cool slightly at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 45–60 minutes. To speed this, pour the tea into a shallow container to increase surface area.

If the brewed tea is very concentrated or you prefer a milder flavor, add up to 500 ml cold water (adjust quantity to taste) after chilling and stir.

Fill serving glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per 12-16 oz glass). Pour chilled tea over the ice, leaving space for lemon slices or additional water if desired.

Garnish each glass with a couple of lemon slices and a mint sprig if using. Taste and adjust sweetness with cold simple syrup if needed.

Serve immediately. Leftover iced tea keeps in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.