Cold-brewed tea - opinions?

[Vombatus]

I am too damn lazy to brew hot tea (even in a microwave), plus, I prefer my tea cold.

So, lately I found a variety of cold-brewed tea products, from a basic Lipton offering, to several flavors of Twinings and from another company called Stash.

Anyway, I fill a couple of BPA-free bottles of water, pop in some tea bags, stick them in the office refrigerator overnight, and voila, about 64 ounces of cold tea awaits me the next morning.

Then, I reuse the teabags one more time for refills during the day, because, yes, I am cheap enough to reuse a teabag.

Anyone else trying the cold-brew route and liking it?

The four things I like about them are:
1) very easy to do
2) economical
3) I think zero calorie or damn close to it (unless you add sugar, which I don't)
and
4) it gives me a cheap alternative to blasting through four or five K-cups in my Keurig each day.

Thoughts, opinions and suggestions appreciated.

VB

PS. This thread is not meant to have anything to do with Krystals, NOLA or any deviant acts. Although this time last year produced a fun thread on the subject.

 

[Buck]

Have you tried launching a Pinterest channel dedicated to this topic?

 

[Vombatus]

Point well taken, and a good LOL. Figured we were discussing Keurigs... so...

The mere suggestion of Pinterest makes it sound like I have created a wussified topic.

 

[spaceman]

If it walks like a wuss, and quacks like a wuss....

 

[Simon]

I've used this since my family received it as a Christmas gift one year about 15 years ago.

http://www.mrcoffee.com/product.aspx?pid=46

It takes 60 seconds to make and tastes like real iced tea. Sugar or no sugar.

 

[KJIM]

I've used this since my family received it as a Christmas gift one year about 15 years ago.

http://www.mrcoffee.com/product.aspx?pid=46

It takes 60 seconds to make and tastes like real iced tea. Sugar or no sugar.

Same here. I got it, thought, sheesh, what a waste; it's just as easy to brew it on the stove. Ignored it for months, then gave it a test drive. I love it.

You fill the little machine thingy with tap water and the pitcher either to here with ice or to there with water, add a bag and hit go.

 

[Buck]

Point well taken, and a good LOL. Figured we were discussing Keurigs... so...

The mere suggestion of Pinterest makes it sound like I have created a wussified topic.

I'm just joshing.
Feel free to discuss anything that interests you. I am not the judge of what is worthy or wussy.

I'm just a joke maker.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

I can't stand hot tea.

It's gotta be cold, with sugar.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

I like the Lipton Cold Brew bags OK. But I didn't really try anything else to compare them with. After doing fancy loose teas for a few years in the 1990s, I went back to the regular Lipton. I think the regular Lipton is superior to the Cold Brew, but sometimes I'm not in the mood to boil water.

 

[qtlaw]

As a kid, I used to make "Suntea"; get a large jar (64 oz or so), fill with water, stick 5-10 Lipton bags in, screw top on and leave out in the sun to brew for a day or so and VOILA!! Suntea.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

I can't stand hot tea.

It's gotta be cold, with sugar.

And therein lies the rub ... mixing sugar into a cold beverage.

 

[Songbird]

Sun tea, with ice cubes, nothing else.

 

[godshammgod]

I should do this. I buy the big jugs of Tradewinds unsweetened ice tea. It's very good, but I could probably save money by brewing my own stuff.

I like all things cold. I'll drink iced coffee and iced tea all winter long.

 

[Buck]

I can't stand hot tea.

It's gotta be cold, with sugar.

And therein lies the rub ... mixing sugar into a cold beverage.

Simple syrup

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

I use my mother's recipe. Three quarts of water in a pot, bring to a boil. Drop in half a cup of sugar and stir to dissolve, then six decaf teabags and two flavored (I prefer Bigelow's Constant Comment). Let sit for a few hours to cool. Take five or six mint leaves from the garden and put into the bottom of a pitcher. Pour tea into the pitcher, stick in the fridge. Delicious iced tea awaits soon after. I make that year-round.

I am most definitely a loose hot tea person (2-3 cups a night in the newsroom), but it's always a treat at home to have it iced.