Ingredients
Black iced tea
- 4 regular black tea bags single-cup size, not family-size or gallon bags
- 2 cups water freshly boiled
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar optional; about 25 g
- ice cubes for serving
- lemon slices optional, for serving
Equipment
- Kettle or small saucepan
- Heatproof pitcher or large measuring jug
- Measuring cups and spoon
- Timer
- Covered refrigerator pitcher
Instructions
Brew, dilute, and chill
- Place the tea bags in a clean heatproof pitcher or measuring jug rated for boiling liquids. Bring 2 cups water to a full boil.
- Pour the boiling water over the bags and steep for 4 minutes. Lift out the bags gently and let them drain without squeezing. Stir in the optional sugar while the tea is still warm until completely dissolved.
- Stir in 2 cups cold water. Transfer to a clean covered refrigerator pitcher if needed and refrigerate promptly until cold, about 1 hour; chilling time varies with the container and refrigerator.
- Taste the chilled tea and add a small splash of cold water if you prefer a lighter brew. Divide among four ice-filled glasses and add optional lemon slices. Keep the remaining tea covered and refrigerated.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup
Video
Notes
Use regular single-cup black tea bags. Family-size bags are stronger and are not a one-for-one substitute. Four cups is the tea yield before serving ice.
Nutrition is an estimate for plain unsweetened tea, excluding optional sugar and lemon, based on the Lipton single-cup tea label. Two tablespoons (about 25 g) of sugar add approximately 25 calories and 6 g sugar per serving. Caffeine varies by brand and brewing.
Cost is an ingredient-portion estimate: four bags from a 100-count package listed at USD $5.69, about $0.23 total. Optional sugar costs about $0.04 for 25 g from a 4 lb bag listed at $2.97. Prices vary; water, energy and optional lemon are excluded.
Video credit: Fork in the Kitchen, “My Go-To Classic Iced Tea – Ready in 5 Minutes!”, published May 27, 2025. The video hot-brews a larger batch using large black tea bags and chills it over ice. This card uses regular bags, cold-water dilution and refrigerator chilling; follow the quantities here.