Don't Break One Water Temperature Rule When Brewing Iced Tea

Iced tea is a seriously refreshing and satisfying drink, especially when you're brewing your own. Apart from being a great way to beat the summer heat, it's also an easy drink to serve your guests and offers a quick energy boost if it's the caffeinated kind. Whether you like your iced tea plain, with a sweetener, or in a boozy strawberry cocktail, one factor should remain the same — your brewing method. If you're wondering about the ideal brewing temperature for iced tea, Jordan G.L. Hardin, Director of Food & Beverage for Alfred, shared his expert advice with Daily Meal.

"In general, when brewing any tea, I always recommend using water that isn't at a full boil. Let it cool just a bit and you'll have a smoother-tasting tea," Hardin says. He explains that the best option for brewing iced tea with a tea bag, specifically, is to allow the water to cool first (the only exception is if the bag is sold specifically for brewing iced tea). Cold-steeping is also a smart idea when using loose leaf tea, and you'll have more flexibility when making your favorite iced tea recipe.

Hardin walks us through some key differences between tea bags and loose leaf tea, which largely stem from to their leaf size. Hardin mentions that tea bags are produced to contain a uniform blend of tea. "This typically means taking the 'fines' of the tea — essentially, the smallest, dusty particles left over after the whole-leaf tea has been processed and sorted by grade — and creating homogenous blends," he says. Because the tea in tea bags is ground so finely, it takes minimal time to steep and release a strong flavor, as the water can easily penetrate the larger leaf surface area. So, brewing tea bags with less than fully boiling water will eliminate the risk of over brewed, bitter iced tea.

Loose leaf tea, according to Hardin, will give you more leeway with steeping time and temperature. Since it's made from whole tea leaves that aren't uniform in size, your tea will be much more forgiving. He also highlights the huge varieties of loose leaf tea available, leaving you with endless iced tea flavor options. Loose leaf tea also has a more refined flavorand lasts longer than tea bags. Hardin reminds us that cold steeping loose leaf tea is a guaranteed path to iced tea that "will taste smooth and sweet" — just how we like it!