How to Cold Brew Tea (The Easy Way)

Cold brew tea is smoother, sweeter, less bitter, and essentially impossible to mess up. If you've ever over-steeped hot tea and gotten a bitter, astringent cup, cold brewing eliminates that problem entirely.

It takes 30 seconds of effort and 4-8 hours of patience. Here's how.

The basic method

That's genuinely it. No temperature to worry about. No timer to set. No risk of burning delicate leaves. The cold water extracts flavor slowly without pulling out the bitter compounds that hot water does. The result is a naturally sweeter, smoother cup.

Which teas work best?

Almost any tea works cold brewed, but some are especially good:

• Green tea: The best starter. Cold brewing makes green tea smooth and sweet instead of grassy and bitter. Try jasmine green or sencha.
• White tea: Naturally sweet and delicate. Cold brewing amplifies the melon and honey notes. Silver Needle is incredible cold brewed.
• Oolong: Light oolongs (like Ali Shan) become floral and almost creamy. Roasted oolongs get a smooth, caramel quality.
• Fruit/herbal blends: Any fruit tea is great cold brewed. It's basically making fancy iced tea with zero effort.
• Black tea: Works, but it's less of a revelation. Cold brewed black tea is smoother than iced (hot-brewed-then-cooled) black tea, but the difference is subtler than with green or white.

Cold brew vs iced tea

They're not the same thing. Traditional iced tea is brewed hot, then cooled down or poured over ice. Cold brew never touches hot water.

The difference matters:

• Cold brew: Smoother, sweeter, less tannic, more subtle. Takes 4-8 hours.
• Iced tea: Stronger, more traditional tea flavor. Can get cloudy when cooled. Takes 10 minutes.

Neither is better. Cold brew is the lazy person's method. Iced tea is the impatient person's method. Both are good.

Tips

1. Use more tea than you would for hot brewing. Cold water extracts less than hot water. If your hot brew ratio is 1 teaspoon per cup, use 1.5-2 for cold brew.
2. Overnight is the sweet spot. 4 hours is the minimum. 8-12 hours is ideal. Going past 12 hours is fine. It won't get bitter (that's the whole point).
3. Strain before drinking. A simple fine-mesh strainer works. Or use a bottle with a built-in filter.
4. Make a big batch. Cold brew keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days. Make a full pitcher and have it ready all week.
5. Skip the sweetener. Try it plain first. Cold brew tea is naturally sweeter than hot tea. You might not need anything added.

Keep reading

• Best Loose Leaf Tea for Beginners — 10 teas to start with
• Tea vs Coffee — An honest comparison
• Brew Timer — For when you do brew hot