Iced English Breakfast Tea Recipe

Bring water to near-boil

Heat 700 ml of fresh water to about 95°C (just off boiling). Use a kettle or saucepan and remove from heat as soon as it reaches that temperature.

Steep tea

Place 3 English breakfast tea bags in a heatproof pitcher. Pour the 700 ml of hot water over the tea bags. Let steep for 4 minutes for a balanced strength; steep 5 minutes for a stronger brew. Avoid steeping longer than 6 minutes to prevent excessive bitterness.

Remove tea bags

After steeping, gently press each tea bag against the side of the pitcher with a spoon to extract remaining liquid, then remove and discard the tea bags.

If you want sweet tea, dissolve 2 tsp granulated sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water to make a quick simple syrup. Stir this into the hot brewed tea until fully dissolved. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired.

Allow the brewed tea to cool at room temperature for 15–20 minutes. Then place the pitcher uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to chill. For faster cooling, transfer the tea to an ice-filled container briefly, then refrigerate to avoid diluting the final drink too much.

Fill a 16 oz (approximately 2 cups) glass with about 1 cup of ice cubes (or enough to fill the glass roughly two-thirds).

Pour chilled tea over the ice, leaving a little headroom (aim for about 16 oz total in the glass including ice). If desired, stir briefly to chill the tea thoroughly.

Garnish with a lemon slice or a mint sprig if using. Serve immediately.