So, what is iced tea exactly? Iced tea is exactly what it sounds like - tea served cold, over ice. But the version you can make at home with good loose leaf tea is a very different thing to the sugary, artificially flavoured bottles you'd find in a corner shop or supermarket. Real iced tea, made properly with real tea, is refreshing, naturally flavourful & one of the best cold drinks you can make.
The Simple Definition
To properly answer what is iced tea, it's tea that's been brewed and served cold - either cooled after hot brewing, or made via a cold brewing method & served over ice. The word "iced" refers to how it's served rather than a specific brewing method.
In the UK, iced tea is still relatively niche compared to hot tea culture but that's changing fast. Cold, refreshing tea drinks have grown enormously in popularity over the last few years, driven partly by the rise of cold brew and partly by a growing appetite for interesting, naturally flavoured alternatives to sugary cold drinks or alcohol.
How Is Iced Tea Made?
There are two main methods for making iced tea at home:
The hot brew (concentrate) method: Brew a small, concentrated amount of strong tea using hot water - typically around 100ml rather than a full mug, then pour directly over ice. The ice chills the tea immediately & dilutes the concentrate to drinking strength. This is the fastest method and works brilliantly with bold black teas & chai blends that need heat to fully develop their flavour.
This is the method we use with our Brewdini Gravity Steeper - a gravity steeper designed specifically for making tea concentrates quickly and cleanly. For the full how-to, see our guide to making iced tea at home.
The cold brew method: Add loose leaf tea to cold water and leave it to steep in the fridge for 4–12 hours. No hot water involved at all. The result is a naturally smoother, sweeter drink that’s particularly brilliant with fruit teas & herbal blends. For the full cold brew method, see our complete cold brew guide.
What Does Iced Tea Taste Like?
It depends entirely on the tea, which is one of the things that makes homemade iced tea so much more interesting than the pre-bottled kind.
A strong black tea iced concentrate is bold, slightly tannic, & refreshing in a robust way. A fruit tea cold brew is bright, naturally sweet, and genuinely bursting with flavour. A chai concentrate poured over ice with oat milk is rich, spiced & indulgent. The range of flavour experiences available through good loose leaf tea is enormous & none of them require added sugar to taste delicious.
Is Iced Tea Good For You?
Iced tea made with real loose leaf tea and no added sugar is a healthy cold & refreshing drink. It counts towards your daily fluid intake, contains antioxidants from the tea leaf, & has no added sugar unless you choose to add a sweetener.
Iced Tea vs Cold Brew Tea - What's The Difference?
Now you know what is iced tea, but how does it differ from cold brew? Cold brew tea is a type of iced tea in the broad sense, but the two terms refer to different methods.
The key differences: Cold brew is smoother and sweeter, iced tea (hot brew method) is bolder & faster to make.
Ready To Try Making Iced Tea At Home?
The easiest place to start is our cold brew tea collection, every blend has been chosen specifically for how well it performs cold, making it a brilliant starting point for both methods.
