Cold brew tea is the simplest tea there is. No kettle, no timer to watch: just loose leaves, cold water and a few hours in the fridge. The result is a gentle, clear tea that is ready to drink when you are.
What is cold brew tea?
Instead of steeping leaves in hot water for a few minutes, you leave them in cold water for several hours. Cold water draws out flavour more slowly, so many people find cold brew tastes smoother and less bitter than tea brewed hot and then chilled.
It isn’t the same as iced tea, which is usually brewed hot and poured over ice. Cold brew never sees hot water at all.
How to make cold brew tea, step by step
- Measure your tea. Use a little more than you would for a hot cup, roughly one and a half to two times as much. For a 420 ml bottle, two teaspoons of loose leaves is a good place to start.
- Add cold water. Fresh, cold tap water or filtered water both work.
- Leave it in the fridge. See the timings below.
- Remove the leaves. Lift out the infuser or filter, or strain the tea, so it doesn’t keep getting stronger.
- Serve. Pour it as it is, or over ice. A slice of lemon or a few mint leaves are easy additions.
How long to cold brew tea
| Tea | Time in the fridge |
|---|---|
| Green and white tea | About 4 to 8 hours |
| Oolong | About 6 to 10 hours |
| Black tea | About 8 to 12 hours |
| Herbal and fruit blends | About 8 to 12 hours, or overnight |
These are starting points rather than rules. Taste along the way: shorter gives a lighter tea, longer a fuller one. Making it in the evening means it is ready the next morning.
Keep your cold brew in the fridge and enjoy it within a day or two, while it tastes fresh.
What to brew it in
A tea infuser bottle
Our Glass Tea Infuser Bottle keeps the leaves in a separate glass chamber, behind a stainless steel filter. Add the leaves to the small chamber, fill the large one with cold water and screw it closed. Turn it upside down so the water meets the leaves, then put it in the fridge.
When the tea is ready, turn the bottle upright again: the filter keeps the leaves apart and the tea stops brewing. No straining, and you can take it with you. It holds 420 ml and is dishwasher safe. It isn’t suitable for the freezer, and as with any glass, avoid sudden changes of temperature, such as pouring hot water into a bottle straight from the fridge.
A glass teapot or jug
For a larger batch, use a glass teapot or a jug. The Round Glass Teapot has a removable infuser that you can simply lift out when the tea is ready. Browse all our glass teapots for other sizes.
Tea filters
No infuser? Fill a drawstring tea filter with loose leaves, close it and drop it into a jug of cold water. Lift it out in one go when the tea is ready.
Cold brew tips
- Whole leaves work best. They release their flavour slowly and evenly.
- Too weak? Add more leaves next time rather than leaving it much longer.
- Want it sweeter? Cold water doesn’t dissolve sugar easily. A little honey or syrup stirred in works better.
Prefer your tea hot? Our guide on how to make tea covers temperatures and steeping times.