The Twinings Tea Blog has weighed in on iced tea several times recently, including an overview and an article examining some of the many options available to fans of this drink. While those options also include a wide variety of bottled tea, there's no substitute - and nothing so economical - as making your own iced tea. There are several ways to accomplish this goal.
One of the most popular and time-honored methods for making iced tea is simply to make hot tea and chill it. While this is nearly as simple as it sounds, there are a few variables that can affect the end result. Check out some pointers from Twinings, as well as an illustrated tutorial and this primer on making loose-leaf iced tea.
For what's arguably an even simpler take on iced tea, consider the cold-brewing method. As the name suggests, it uses no heat.
If you've always wished for a mechanical assistant that could do much of the work of iced tea making, you're in luck. There are a number of iced tea makers that succeed in various degrees in automating this process. For a quick look at a few of these models, refer to this overview. For a new and unusual take on iced tea brewing, look here.
While there are fans of sun tea, or tea made by solar power, tea drinkers should be aware of some potential health concerns with this method.
by William I. Lengeman III
