Here's How To Brew Up Tea Just Like A Restaurant Would

Tea can invoke a feeling of relaxation, giving you a quiet moment away from the busyness of life. With lots of refreshing and healthy flavors, there's a perfect tea for everyone. Iced tea can be particularly refreshing and tasty when done right, and most restaurants know how to deliver. You may have tried to remake an iced tea similar to one from your favorite restaurant just to be left underwhelmed with the flavor. Thankfully, Daily Meal spoke to Jordan G.L. Hardin, Director of Food & Beverage for Alfred for expert tips on how to brew restaurant-quality iced tea.

Hardin mentions that the difference lies in restaurants' tea-to-water ratio and the type of tea they use. "The biggest takeaway is [that] using more tea than you think you need, one ideally suited for iced tea, and adjusting the steep time to create the ideal flavor will generally result in better tea." Using more tea than you would when making it hot will ensure the best flavor, as this drink's ice content can quickly dilute the taste.

Hardin shares another restaurant secret — some places even brew their tea with a coffee maker. This is a simple trick if you have one at home, but using the same steeping vessel every time you brew your tea can also deepen its flavor. Hardin says that this is because the vessels "... can develop a 'patina' of tea on them, sometimes leading to a richer, more robust flavor (this also can happen with teapots — it's not always a good flavor, but [it] can be). Patina is the term for dark spots that show up on teapots after extended use, which might sound familiar if you use your vessel or teapot often.

Luckily, there's another factor that can improve your iced tea, which is easier to change — the quality of your water. Hardin says that restaurants have a good water filtration system in place; considering tea is mostly water, its quality definitely affects flavor. Tap water can also make your iced tea cloudy, as the water's minerals cause the tannins and oils in the tea to separate — avoid this brewing mistake at all costs. With these expert tips, brewing restaurant-quality iced tea has never been simpler.