Making a cold brew should be quick and easy, without any fuss. You can use a jug, a pitcher, a teapot, a filter bottle or one of those old-style glass jars with a tap. It depends how much room you have in your fridge.

So, how do you make a cold brew tea at home?

It’s as easy as a,b,c to make delicious cold brewed tea

Here’s our step-by-step guide to cold brewing tea.

Choose your tea for the day

Depending on your mood, the weather or what you’ve got planned, choose the tea to fit your day. It could be plain or flavoured, black, green, white, redbush or herbal. Whatever suits you. Use a ready-mixed tea or throw some ingredients together yourself!

Add cold water to your tea

Put your tea into a jar, teapot, cold-brew filter bottle or pitcher and fill it with cold, filtered water. The general rule is about 1 tablespoon of loose tea or 2-3 tea bags for a litre of water. Stir.

Pop it your tea mixture in the fridge to steep

Cover and refrigerate for 1-12 hours, until you need it. You can make it the night before if you need it first thing in the morning to take with you. Otherwise make it in the morning for lunchtime. The tea will get a little stronger the longer it steeps but nothing like as bitter as it gets when brewed hot.

Strain the tea before use

Remove the tea bags or strain out the loose leaves. Use the leaves again, sometimes they’re washed out but more often than not they’re fine for another brew. Any subsequent brews will take less time. If you use a cold tea filter bottle then pour out a glassful, top up with cold water and return to fridge.

Serve your tea over ice to taste

If you want your tea extra cold, serve over ice and enjoy! You can sweeten with honey or add a splash of lemon juice and maybe some mint, if you like.

Three Other Methods of Cold Brewing Tea

Sun Brewed Tea RECIPE

• Fill a clear glass container with 1L cold water.
• Add 2 tea bags or a tablespoonful of loose leaf tea .
• Cover the container and place it in direct sunlight for 2-4 hours.
• Remove the tea bags or strain the loose tea leaves.
• Chill the brewed tea in the refrigerator before serving.

Pros: Uses natural sunlight and provides a gentle brewing process preserving flavours and goodness.

Cons: There has been a lot of controversy over the years about this type of cold brewing as sun brewing tea can pose a risk of bacterial growth. The warm temperatures combined with the extended brewing time in the sun create an environment conducive to bacterial proliferation, especially if the tea is not handled properly.

Here’s how to mitigate those risks:
Use Very Clean Equipment: Be hygienic and ensure the container and utensils are thoroughly cleaned and sanitised before use.
Cover the Container: Keep the brewing container covered to protect against contaminants.
Limit Steeping Time: Aim for a shorter steeping time of 2-3 hours instead of a prolonged period.
Refrigerate Promptly: Once brewing is complete, remove the tea bags or strain the tea leaves and refrigerate the tea immediately.
Use Boiled Water: If you’re particularly concerned, you brew the tea in water which has been boiled and cooled and then allow it to brew in the sun for a shorter period before refrigerating.

Hot Water Cooled Brew tea RECIPE

• Brew tea using hot water as usual with a standard steeping time (about 3-5 minutes for green tea, 4-6 minutes for black tea).
• After steeping, remove the tea bags or strain the loose tea leaves.
• Allow the tea to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill.

• Pros: Slightly faster than cold brewing methods.
• Cons: Results in a more astringent or bitter taste compared to cold brew.

Flash Cold Brew tea RECIPE

• Brew tea with hot water (same temperatures and steeping times as the hot water cooled brew method) but using a small amount.
• Remove the tea bags or strain the loose tea leaves after steeping.
• Immediately pour the hot tea over a large quantity of ice to cool it rapidly.

• Pros: Quickest method to make cold tea.
• Cons: Requires a lot of ice, can dilute the tea if not enough tea or too much ice is used.

Each method has its own unique benefits and can be chosen based on the time you have available and personal preference.

Tips and Hints for Cold Brewing Tea

• Ratios: Generally, use 1L water for every tablespoon of tea leaves. Adjust to taste.
• Containers: Use glass or BPA-free plastic containers to avoid any off-flavors.
• Filter: Use a fine mesh strainer, tea filter, or specialised cold brew filter bottle.
• Storage: Cold-brewed tea can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
• Add sugar or honey to taste – you will probably find you don’t need any sugar if you brew with cold water, think about adding some seasonal fruit or maybe a few spices before reaching for the sugar.

Potential Dangers and Risks of Cold Brewed Tea

• Bacterial Growth: Always store your brew in the refrigerator to prevent bacterial growth.
• Contamination: Ensure all utensils and containers are clean to avoid contamination

Ready-Mixed Loose Leaf Teas and Herbal Teas

The market today offers a vast array of ready-mixed loose leaf teas and herbal teas that can be used for both hot and cold brewing, it all boils down to taste (pun intended!). Here are some popular options:

Floral teas

• Varieties: Chamomile, lavender, jasmine.
• Benefits: Relaxing, fragrant, often used for calming effects.

Fruity Teas

• Varieties: Berry blends, citrus mixes, apple cinnamon.
• Benefits: Refreshing, naturally sweet, great for iced tea.

Spiced Teas

• Varieties: Chai, spiced apple, cinnamon blends.
• Benefits: Warm and cozy flavors, aromatic, often paired with milk or dairy alternatives and boba to make bubble tea.

Green and white teas

• Varieties: Jasmine green tea, mint green tea, peach white tea.
• Benefits: Light and refreshing, contain antioxidants, lower in caffeine.

Herbal Blends

• Varieties: Peppermint, hibiscus, redbush, detox blends.
• Benefits: Caffeine-free, various health benefits depending on the herbs used.

Fun Cold Brew Tea Recipes

Citrus Mint cold brew green tea

• Ingredients: 1 tablespoon leaf green tea, 1/2 lemon (sliced), a few fresh mint leaves, 1L cold water.
• Instructions: Combine all ingredients in your container, cover, and refrigerate for 1-12 hours. Strain and enjoy over ice.

Herbal Berry cold brew tea

• Ingredients: 1 dessertspoon dried hibiscus flowers, 1 dessertspoon dried rosehips, 1 dessertspoon dried elderberries, 1L cold water.
• Instructions: Combine all ingredients in you container, cover, and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Strain and serve chilled.

Spiced Chai cold brew tea

• Ingredients: 1 tablespoon loose leaf chai tea,1L cold water, a few slices of fresh ginger, 2 cinnamon sticks (optional).
• Instructions: Combine tea, water, ginger, and cinnamon sticks in your container. Cover and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. Strain and serve over ice.

Tropical Paradise Cold brew green tea

• Ingredients: 1 dessertspoon loose leaf green tea, 1 dessertspoon dried pineapple pieces, 1 dessertspoon shredded coconut, 1L cold water.
• Instructions: Combine all ingredients in your container, cover, and refrigerate for 2-12 hours. Strain and serve over ice.