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Which brand and variety of tea for best DIY iced tea?

ModerationNow!

ModerationNow!

I identify as "non-Bidenary".
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Earlier this year I finally discovered "Turkey Hill brand" bottled tea. It comes in 1/2 and 1 gallon containers. Its one of those examples where the regional brand is WAY better than the national brands. I've tried the "Pure Leaf" brand, which was lousy, and "Gold Peak" is pretty good, as far as large container sweet tea brands. Don't get me started on that attrocious Lipton "Brisk" tea in smaller cans and bottles, or similar sized Nestea. They are 'from concentrate' reconstituted powder teas. The Turkey Hill sweet tea is damn near perfect, at roughly 25-30% lower cost than Pure Leaf. I used to think Arizona green and sweet tea were good, but now that better options are available, I no longer care for it. I won't buy 12-16-20oz single serve bottles, so that eliminates a lot of brands, although I have tasted many of them, without much satisfaction.

But i decided to make my own, using tea bags that are slightly off the typical iced tea path. I started with Bigelow Earl Grey. But it turns out that it's got too much of a floral note for iced tea. Its good as hot tea in smaller quantities. Then I tried a Chinese tea variety, Ch'in Ch'u. Its not bad, but not great. So tonight I bought Bigelow classic green tea. I tried to make it just a bit stronger than normal green tea, and as I await its cooling process in the refrigerator, it's tasting pretty good. I'll make it again, although it took 9 bags to make roughly 50oz of moderately strong tea.

So I thought I'd ask people here for their advice. I'm also considering experimenting with some iced herbal teas, like Wild Berry Zinger from Celestial seasonings, but I don't want excessive floral notes in iced tea.
 
I do either Lipton reg teabags (10/gal) or the large Icetea bags(3/gal). I change it up by changing the sweetness and mixing it with other stuff in my glass.

Lime juice
lemon juice
limeade
lemonade
ginger ale
orange crush

There is a big difference between the tea blends. I let it sit out a few hours and then refrig. I dont put the flavors in the pitcher because it takes me a day or two to drink it all, and the flavors change too much. About 5 cups of slightly below boiling water goes into the pitcher with the bags for about 20 minutes, bags come out, sugar/fake sugar goes in, stir, fill with cold water. The process matters as much as the tea does to the final result....play with it and figure out what you like.
 
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I like plain old Lipton Green Tea bags to make sun tea. I add a slice of lemon occasionally, nothing else. Not much of a sugar person :shrug:
 
Luzianne Family sized tea bags.
Awesome stuff.

I know what you are talking about with those others. After drinking about half-way through I get this chalky feeling in my mouth.
I never get that with the sweet tea I make at home.

I also recently discovered honey to sweeten the sweet tea.
The regular sugar was making me lethargic.
Just hake sure the water is under 110 degrees before you add the honey.
Otherwise the little beneficial goodies in the honey will get all burned up.

My gauge is when the outside of the pitcher feel warm and not hot.
 
Tea.....is just water thanks been made dirty by having leaves and twigs floating in it.
 
holbritter said:
I like plain old Lipton Green Tea bags to make sun tea. I add a slice of lemon occasionally, nothing else. Not much of a sugar person :shrug:
Click to expand...

Is there an advantage to going with sun tea or cold brew tea, as compared with "boil water and let bags steep for 3-5-10+ minutes"?
 
PleasantValley said:
Luzianne Family sized tea bags.
Awesome stuff.

I know what you are talking about with those others. After drinking about half-way through I get this chalky feeling in my mouth.
I never get that with the sweet tea I make at home.

I also recently discovered honey to sweeten the sweet tea.
The regular sugar was making me lethargic.
Just hake sure the water is under 110 degrees before you add the honey.
Otherwise the little beneficial goodies in the honey will get all burned up.

My gauge is when the outside of the pitcher feel warm and not hot.
Click to expand...

I've never tried putting honey in tea. Are you using it as the exclusive sweetner, or as a flavoring in addition to some sugar?
 
KevinKohler said:
Tea.....is just water thanks been made dirty by having leaves and twigs floating in it.
Click to expand...

You are right, but unfortunately not just any leaf & stick litter will do. Fifteen minutes ago, after first reading your post, I went outside and grabbed a hand full of assorted fall-season lawn debris, and attempted to steep it in hot water. Even though I had an eclectic mixture of crushed, brown pine needles, shredded acorn bases, improved tall fescue and perinneal ryegrass clippings, small sticks, maple leaf litter and a bit of gravel, it didn't taste like normal tea for some reason(??) So I decided to revert back to using tea bags.........For now.....
 
ModerationNow! said:
Is there an advantage to going with sun tea or cold brew tea, as compared with "boil water and let bags steep for 3-5-10+ minutes"?
Click to expand...

I think it tends to be a bit stronger since it seeps longer. It's not a quick process here in NY, but was perfect when I lived in Florida ;)
 
ModerationNow! said:
Earlier this year I finally discovered "Turkey Hill brand" bottled tea. It comes in 1/2 and 1 gallon containers. Its one of those examples where the regional brand is WAY better than the national brands. I've tried the "Pure Leaf" brand, which was lousy, and "Gold Peak" is pretty good, as far as large container sweet tea brands. Don't get me started on that attrocious Lipton "Brisk" tea in smaller cans and bottles, or similar sized Nestea. They are 'from concentrate' reconstituted powder teas. The Turkey Hill sweet tea is damn near perfect, at roughly 25-30% lower cost than Pure Leaf. I used to think Arizona green and sweet tea were good, but now that better options are available, I no longer care for it. I won't buy 12-16-20oz single serve bottles, so that eliminates a lot of brands, although I have tasted many of them, without much satisfaction.

But i decided to make my own, using tea bags that are slightly off the typical iced tea path. I started with Bigelow Earl Grey. But it turns out that it's got too much of a floral note for iced tea. Its good as hot tea in smaller quantities. Then I tried a Chinese tea variety, Ch'in Ch'u. Its not bad, but not great. So tonight I bought Bigelow classic green tea. I tried to make it just a bit stronger than normal green tea, and as I await its cooling process in the refrigerator, it's tasting pretty good. I'll make it again, although it took 9 bags to make roughly 50oz of moderately strong tea.

So I thought I'd ask people here for their advice. I'm also considering experimenting with some iced herbal teas, like Wild Berry Zinger from Celestial seasonings, but I don't want excessive floral notes in iced tea.
Click to expand...


Try Bigalow Oolong.
 
ModerationNow! said:
I've never tried putting honey in tea. Are you using it as the exclusive sweetner, or as a flavoring in addition to some sugar?
Click to expand...

I use honey exclusively.
Strangley, the same measurement for honey is the same for the sugar i used to use.

3/4 cup or 2 quarts.

I was so surprise that my energy levels were much better.
Now I am able to do some chores and projects around the house we as before i could not.

I do not for sure the Tumeric I stated taking about the same time is not a contributing factor either.
 
RAMOSS said:
Try Bigalow Oolong.
Click to expand...

I'm in the tea department of Wal-Mart right now, but unfortunately they don't have Bigelow oolong, or even Twining's oolong(which I've had before in hot tea form). I'll have to check another store.
 
Tea MUST be made with boiling water to extract the full flavour. Coffee on the other hand, needs just-below boiling water to avoid producing bitter tasting notes. Never drink tea made with water from a coffee machine, it's simply not hot enough to get the full taste. Likewise, coffee made with boiling water is nasty.
 
I use Tazo Iced Black Tea. I like my tea sweetened, I add liquid sugar that I make.
 
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