Iced Tea Recipe

Steep the tea

Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and add 6 black tea bags (or the equivalent loose-leaf tea in an infuser). Steep for 5 minutes for a balanced cup; steep 6–8 minutes for stronger flavor. Avoid steeping longer than 8 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain out the loose tea. Gently press the bags against the side of the pot with a spoon to extract flavor, then discard.

Sweeten while hot

If you want sweetened iced tea, stir 3 tablespoons granulated sugar into the hot tea until fully dissolved. Alternatively, stir in 2 tablespoons honey until dissolved. Adjust to taste. Sweetening while the tea is still hot ensures the sweetener dissolves completely.

Add lemon and mint

Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to the hot tea for a bright note. Add a few torn mint leaves now if you prefer a mild mint infusion. For a stronger mint flavor, bruise the mint leaves lightly before adding.

Chill quickly

Let the tea cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill until cold, about 45–60 minutes. To chill faster, pour the hot tea into a shallow container to increase surface area, or add a handful of ice cubes to cool quickly and then top up with more cold water and ice (see next section).

Dilute and adjust

Taste the chilled tea. If it is too strong, dilute with up to 4 cups cold water to reach your preferred strength. Add more lemon juice or sweetener to taste if needed.

Serve

Fill glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per serving). Pour the iced tea over the ice. Garnish each glass with a lemon slice and 2 mint leaves. Serve immediately.