How to Cold Brew Tea

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: June 11, 2020 References Tested

Cold brew coffee has taken off, and there's no reason you shouldn't give cold brew tea a chance, too! It's simple to make, as long as you have time to let it steep overnight. You can use tea bags or tea leaves, depending on your preference, though tea leaves will likely give you a slightly better flavor. Alternatively, try ice brewing your tea, which involves letting the tea sit on ice while the ice melts.

Ingredients

Cold Brew

1 tea bag or 1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of tea leaves
6 to 8 fluid ounces (180 to 240 mL) of water

Loose-Leaf Tea with Ice

1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of tea leaves
1 large ice cube
Splash of water

Quick Ice Brew

1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of tea leaves
3 regular ice cubes
0.25 cups (59 mL) of water

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making Cold Brew with Tea Bags or Loose-Leaf Tea

1
Pick your tea. You can use any tea you want to make cold brew tea from white or green tea to herbals and black tea. Some people prefer not to use black tea, simply because it has more tannins in it than other tea, which can make your tongue feel dry, but you can still use it for cold brew tea.^{[1]
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- Try green tea, white tea, or oolong for a few options.
2
Place your tea bags or tea leaves into a jar or pitcher. You can make as much or as little tea as you want. Just keep the ratio the same, 1 tea bag per 6 to 8 fluid ounces (180 to 240 mL) of water. Pick a jar or pitcher big enough to hold the amount of tea you want to make. You can cut open the tea bags to help the water and tea blend, but it's not strictly necessary.^{[2]
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- Alternatively, add 1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of loose leaf tea for every 6 to 8 fluid ounces (180 to 240 mL) of water.
- If you're using loose-leaf tea, try brewing it in a French press for easy straining the next day. Just add the water and loose-leaf tea to the pitcher of the press, and pop the lid on, leaving the plunger sticking up. The next day, press down on the plunger slowly to strain the tea leaves from the water and pour the tea out.
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3
Add 6 to 8 fl oz (180 to 240 mL) of water for each tea bag or spoonful of tea. Measure out enough room temperature or cool water to match the tea bags you put in the pitcher or jar. Alternatively, add the same amount of water per 1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of loose-leaf tea you added.^{[3]
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- Play around with your tea-to-water ratio. Some people use as much as 1 tablespoon (2 g) of tea leaves per 6 to 8 fluid ounces (180 to 240 mL) of water. It all depends on how strong you like your tea.^{[4]
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4
Let the tea sit on the counter for about an hour. This gives the tea leaves a chance to start brewing before you lower the temperature. If you're short on time, 30 minutes is long enough.^{[5]
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- At this point, you can also add other flavorings, such as fresh or dried herbs, fresh slices of fruit like strawberry or lemon, slices of cucumber, or fresh mint. Just cut up a handful of fresh herbs or fruit to add to the pitcher, or add a spoonful of dried herbs to the water.
5
Leave the mixture to steep overnight in the refrigerator. The tea needs to steep at least 8 hours. Don't worry if you forget about it, though, because it's difficult to oversteep cold brew tea.^{[6]
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- Some people even like to leave the tea as long as 24 hours.
6
Strain out the tea or tea bags. If you used tea bags, simply scoop them out with a spoon and enjoy your tea. If you used loose-leaf tea, pour it through a mesh strainer into another clean container before enjoying.^{[7]
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- If you want to sweeten your tea, try simple syrup or honey, as straight sugar won't mix very well.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Brewing Loose-Leaf Tea with Ice

1
Place a large ice cube in a small glass. Use the type of ice cube you would see in whiskey or scotch, the large square or round ice cubes. These melt more slowly than other ice cubes.^{[8]
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- If you don't have the right kind of ice cube tray, make a larger ice cube in the bottom of a disposable cup. Pour in the water, and place it in the freezer until it's solid. To get the cube out, turn the cup upside down to run water on the bottom for a few seconds, which will help the cube pop out.
2
Splash a tiny bit of water onto the ice cube. You really only need a few drops. The water helps the ice begin to melt, making the process go just a bit faster.^{[9]
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- If you prefer, you could use a few drops of a flavored simple syrup instead.
3
Sprinkle on 1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of loose-leaf tea. Add the leaves to the glass. You can sprinkle them on top, but don't worry if they fall down the side or even under the cube. Really, it's fine for the leaves to fall anywhere.
- In fact, you can add the tea before the ice if you prefer.
4
Let the cube sit for 30 to 60 minutes until the ice melts. As the ice melts, it will extract flavors from the tea. Once it's completely melted, try a sip to see if the tea is too strong. If it is, you can add a bit more water before consuming it.
5
Pour the tea through a strainer. If you don't mind drinking around tea leaves, you can simply leave them in. Otherwise, remove them by pouring the tea through a fine mesh strainer.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Quick Ice Brew

1
Add 3 regular ice cubes to a glass. You don't need to measure these. Any standard ice cube tray or ice maker should work. Plus, you can always adjust the brew by adding more water at the end if it's too strong.
2
Boil 0.25 cups (59 mL) of water and let it cool a bit before pouring it in. Use water that's just below boiling, as boiling is just a bit too hot. Let the water cool for 2-3 minutes, then pour it over the tea.^{[10]
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Sprinkle in 1-2 teaspoons (0.6-1.2 g) of tea leaves. It doesn't matter where the tea leaves go. You can put them under or on top of the ice. The water will reach them eventually.^{[11]
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4
Leave the tea to steep for 6 minutes. The tea will steep a lot more quickly than other cold brew or iced brew methods. Once the ice has completely melted, the tea is ready to drink.^{[12]
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- If the tea is too strong, add a dash of cold water.