How the iced tea calculator works
Good iced tea is brewed stronger than hot tea so it still tastes full once the ice melts. This tool scales the tea leaves to the final glass size you want, brews them in a smaller amount of hot water to make a concentrate, then accounts for the ice you pour it over. The result is leaf, hot water, and ice amounts that land on the strength you picked.
Why brew iced tea stronger
Ice is frozen water, so as it melts it dilutes the drink. If you brew iced tea at normal hot tea strength and pour it over a full glass of ice, it ends up weak and watery. Brewing a concentrate in less water, then melting ice into it, keeps the finished tea balanced. The more ice you use, the stronger the starting brew needs to be.
Hot brew or cold brew iced tea
Hot brewing is fast: steep the leaves in hot water for a few minutes, then pour over ice. Cold brewing steeps the leaves in cold water in the fridge for six to twelve hours, giving a smoother, less bitter result with no need to account for ice melt if you skip the ice. This calculator assumes a hot brew that is chilled over ice.
Sweetening and serving
For sweet tea, stir sugar into the hot concentrate while it is still warm so it dissolves fully, using roughly two to four tablespoons per liter to taste. Add lemon, mint, or peach after chilling. Serve within a day for the freshest flavor and keep leftovers covered in the fridge.
Frequently asked questions
How much tea do I need for a pitcher of iced tea? About 9 grams of leaf per liter of finished tea at standard strength, so a 2 liter pitcher needs roughly 18 grams, or about nine tea bags.
Should I use more tea for iced than hot? Yes. Because melting ice waters it down, iced tea is brewed a little stronger than the same tea served hot.
Can I use tea bags instead of loose leaf? Yes. One standard tea bag holds about 2 grams of tea, so divide the leaf weight by two to get the number of bags.
Related calculators: Tea Steeping, Infusion Strength, Cold Brew.