Stay Cool with Home-Brewed Iced Tea

Searching for a summer drink that offers a sophisticated flavour without being laden with sugar? Iced Tea is your answer! Iced tea gives you your daily tea hit in a cold and refreshing format. Simply brew up a batch and sip on it for the rest of the day. You can choose an ice tea blend that suits your particular taste, whether that be a straight iced green tea, a cloudy iced matcha tea, something a little fruity, like an apple or peach iced tea, or a mellow blend aimed at keeping you calm. Let’s run through the benefits of iced tea and look at which types of iced tea you might like to have on rotation at home. Why iced tea is the beverage of choice this summer Whether you’re traditionally a tea lover or not, there are a range of benefits to drinking iced tea. Let’s run through some of iced tea’s major drawcards. The benefits of iced tea: It quenches your thirst! If you’re in a hurry to replenish fluids, drinking iced tea is immediately hydrating. And the great thing about iced tea is that you can easily adjust the temperature by adding fresh ice, or just by keeping your brewed tea cold in the fridge. (Interesting fact: Drinking hot tea actually cools you down more than drinking ice tea. Why? It triggers your body to sweat, and the sweat works to keep your body cool. So in hot, dry weather, you might want to consider drinking your tea hot. However, in humid weather, iced tea is the preferable choice, as you’re likely already sweaty so the chilled tea will feel immediately cooling!) It’s more exciting than water Let’s face it, drinking straight water can be a little dull, so brewing a nice cold iced tea can add a little something to your day. Your palette will be entertained, plus, you get to enjoy the process of brewing iced tea exactly as you like it. You can add slices of citrus or fruit like peaches and pineapple. You can also add herbs from the garden like mint, basil, lemongrass, lemon myrtle, or anything else you enjoy. You can also make an iced tea in a large batch that can last you a number of days, or make it for friends and family and enjoy together! You can save money on drinks Don't forget, you can brew iced tea at home and carry it with you in a handy thermal drink bottle or glass tea bottle. This way, you get all the benefits of home-brewed tea, and save money on store-bought drinks at the same time! It can be sugar free! You don’t need to add sugar when you make iced tea at home, which means you can enjoy an entirely sugar-free, low calorie cold beverage. Try finding something like that in the shops! Most cold drinks on the shelves at your local supermarket will be sugary soft drinks, fruit juices loaded with sugar, and sweetened chocolate milks. Home brewed iced tea is a preferable option if you’re trying to limit sugar (better for those teeth). Of course, you can add sugar to your iced tea if you want it, or add freshly chopped fruits to your iced tea to contribute a little flavour without upping the sugar content too much. You can brew to your preferred tea strength You decide whether you want your iced tea caffeinated or not. There are plenty of herbal and fruit teas that contain zero caffeine, and work great as iced teas. You can also choose an iced tea that contains caffeine, and brew it however strong or weak you prefer. It offers health benefits Home-brewed iced tea contains all the great benefits that we get from drinking hot tea. We’re talking antioxidants that support heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease, compounds that help to promote relaxation, and essential nutrients. Let’s look at what some of our popular teas, and what they offer—whether brewed hot or cold: Black tea contains theaflavins and thearubigins, which improve the function of blood vessels, support heart health, and may help manage cholesterol levels. Green tea contains catechins, including EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), which act as powerful antioxidants that help reduce oxidative stress, support heart health, and may assist with metabolism by improving fat oxidation. White tea has a high level of antioxidants. These support the health of your skin, healthy ageing, and protect cells from damage from free radicals. Oolong tea contains catechins and polyphenols, which assist in supporting digestion and regulating blood sugar levels. They also contribute to sustained energy and metabolic balance. Herbal teas provide benefits through different plant compounds rather than caffeine-related polyphenols. For example, chamomile contains apigenin, which has calming properties and may support better sleep and reduced inflammation. Another herbal favourite, Peppermint, contains menthol, which helps relax digestive muscles and can ease bloating and discomfort. Fruit teas often contain a range of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. The importance of brewing rather than buying iced tea When we talk about iced tea being beneficial, we’re not talking about store bought ice teas. There’s a big difference between the store-bought iced tea that usually comes in a plastic bottle, and home-brewed iced tea. Why? Some of the beverages in stores labelled as ‘iced tea’ have minimal tea content. Most often, they use an extract of tea, rather than pure tea. The extract often has a higher caffeine content than tea you would brew yourself, which might be inviting if you love a caffeine hit, but for those trying to keep the daily jitters at bay, it isn’t great. These ready-made ‘iced teas’ also contain excessive amounts of sugar, which isn’t great for the teeth, as well as artificial ingredients and preservatives, which frankly, you could do without if you brew your own iced tea instead. The iced teas available at Tea Tonic come in either loose leaf or teabag forms (you can even buy giant tea bags to brew in a pot). Most of our teas use organic ingredients and if flavours, sweeteners or preservatives are added to any of our tea blends, they’re made using natural ingredients. Which Tea Tonic teas work as iced tea? Pretty much any tea you find at Tea Tonic will be delicious as iced tea. We’ve made it easy for you to find them, by creating an ‘Iced Tea’ page that directs you to our pure teas and blends. Favourite types of iced tea in our collection include: Apple Tree Tea - Tin Loose Leaf (A caffeine-free blend featuring apple pieces, vitamin C, citric acid and natural apple flavour, giving it a crisp, sweet fruit character.) Thirst Quencher Tea - Giant Iced Teabag (Caffeine-free herbal tea made with hibiscus, moringa leaves, monk fruit and calendula, designed to be naturally sweet and hydrating.) Mango Elixir Tea - Giant Iced Teabag (Contains gotu kola, rooibos, mango leaf & mango pieces, natural flavour, calendula petals and monk fruit, giving a sweet mango flavour with rooibos base and plant-derived botanicals.) Berry Green Tea - Tin Loose Leaf (A lightly caffeinated mix of sencha green tea, oolong tea, black tea, with strawberry pieces, red currants, raspberry and natural berry flavour for a fruity, antioxidant-rich brew.) Fruity Tutti Tea - Tin Loose Leaf Organic (An organic fruity blend featuring apple pieces, orange peel, rosehip shells, hibiscus, lemongrass, vitamin C and natural raspberry flavour — tangy, colourful and caffeine-free.) Bright Spark Tea - Tin Loose Leaf Tea Organic (A very low-caffeine tea with white tea, ginkgo, bacopa, papaya bits, apple bits, marigold blossoms, mulberries and natural flavour, blended for gentle focus and vitality.) Fruity Tea Selection Sampler - Box 33 Teabags (A curated mix of fruity favourites including Apple Tree, Berry Green, Bright Spark, Blue Magic, Fruity Tutti, Oriental Twist, Thirst Quencher, True Calm and more — ingredients vary by individual blend but follow the same organic, natural-flavour approach.) Blue Magic Tea - Travel Tin Loose Leaf Tea (A caffeine-free floral tea known for its deep blue hue and calming vibe. It includes butterfly pea flowers, chamomile, rose petals and natural flavour.) Oriental Twist Tea - Tin Loose Leaf Organic (Blends green tea leaves, jasmine flowers and lychees, giving a lightly caffeinated, floral and subtly sweet profile that’s refreshing hot or iced.) True Calm Tea - 150g Loose Leaf Tea Organic (A herbal, caffeine-free blend with tulsi/holy basil, moringa, monk fruit and cornflower blossoms, crafted for a soothing, gentle flavour and calming ritual.) Raspberry Quench Tea - Tin Loose Leaf Organic (A caffeine free, refreshing, naturally fruity blend featuring organic raspberry pieces, hibiscus, apple, and rosehip, creating a vibrant, tangy-sweet flavour that’s delicious hot or cold brewed.) How to brew iced tea There’s two main ways to make iced tea. The first is to brew using hot water, before chilling the tea. The second is a slower steeping in cold water. They both have slightly different results. Let’s look at the differences. The hot-to-cold brew: For the strongest batch of iced tea, brew using hot water, and then allow it to cool to room temperature before chilling it in the fridge or adding ice. Why does this make a stronger brew? Brewing in hot water makes for a robust flavour and draws out helpful antioxidants. The ideal temperature of the hot water will vary according to the type of tea you choose. Here’s a quick guide: Black Tea and Pu-erh Tea: 95-100°C for 3-5 minutes Herbal Teas: 95-100°C for 5-7 minutes Oolong Tea: 85-90°C for 3-5 minutes Green Leaf Tea: 75-85°C for 2-3 minutes White Tea: 75-80°C for 4-5 minutes Matcha Green Tea: 70-80°C for 2-3 minutes Note, though you need to wait for the water to cool before you can drink this tea as an ‘iced tea’, this hot-to-cold method can sometimes gain you a faster cup of tea than a cold brew method. This is because the hot water works fast to draw out the tea's tannins. You then don’t need to wait too long to drink it cold. The cold brew: A slow-yet-effective method for making ice tea is by brewing in cold water. Tea leaves are steeped in cold water for anything between 20 mins to 8 hours, depending on how strong you want your tea. The benefits of a cold brew tea are that it results in lower tannin levels in your tea, thus producing a naturally sweeter and less bitter tea flavour. (It can also be a little more gentle on sensitive stomachs.) A cold brew also helps to preserve certain antioxidants, like EGCG and amino acids, and retains more vitamin C, which can be destroyed in hot water. It can take longer to brew however, so brew in advance if you know you need iced tea on hand at all times. For more information on cold brewing iced tea, read our post: How To Make The Best Iced Tea With Tea Tonic Teas. Iced Tea at Tea Tonic Whether you hot-brew and chill or opt for a slow cold brew, iced tea is a refreshing, flavourful way to stay hydrated all summer. With full control over strength, sweetness and ingredients, home-brewed iced tea delivers genuine taste and benefits—without the sugar and caffeine overload. Check out Tea Tonic’s Iced Tea options, and fix yourself a lovely cold brew today!