Iced Tea Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Pour 1 liter of water into a kettle and bring to a rolling boil.

Steep the tea

Place 4 black tea bags (or the equivalent loose-leaf tea in an infuser) into a heatproof pitcher. Pour the 500 ml of boiling water over the tea to start a concentrated steep. Let steep for 4 to 5 minutes for medium strength or 6 minutes for stronger flavor. Do not over-steep (it will become bitter).

Dilute with remaining water

Remove tea bags or strain out leaves, pressing gently on the bags/infuser to extract flavor. Add the remaining ~500 ml of hot (but not boiling) water or room-temperature water to the pitcher to reach about 1 liter of brewed tea total. This yields a balanced strength after chilling.

Cool slightly

Allow the tea to cool at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes so it is not steaming hot when added to ice, which would dilute it excessively.

Make simple syrup-like dissolve

If you want sweetened iced tea, combine 4 tablespoons granulated sugar with 60 ml hot water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely to form a quick syrup. Adjust sweetness to taste (add 1 tablespoon more if you prefer sweeter).

Add sweetener to tea

Stir the dissolved sugar into the warm tea so it blends evenly. If you prefer unsweetened tea, skip this step.

Add lemon juice

Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the tea for brightness. Taste and add up to 1 additional tablespoon if you like more tartness.

Chill and serve

Fill a large pitcher or individual glasses with about 4 cups of ice. Pour the tea over the ice to chill quickly (if you used a pitcher with ice, leave some room so it doesn't overflow). Garnish with lemon slices and mint leaves, if using. Serve immediately.

Storage

Leftover iced tea can be refrigerated in a covered pitcher for up to 3 days. If it becomes too strong after sitting, add a little cold water or ice when serving.