For tea intended for cold infusion, start with 4 g of leaves and 500 mL of drinking water. Cover and refrigerate at 4°C or colder for roughly 6–8 hours, then strain. When the tea’s directions call for boiling water, follow that preparation and chill the finished infusion instead.
Choose the preparation route before filling the jug
A refrigerated infusion starts with cold drinking water and suitable tea. Hot-brewed iced tea starts with a hot infusion that is cooled afterwards. Both give you a cold drink, but the leaf preparation and extraction are different.
Use tea specifically intended for cold infusion with its preparation directions. A tea requiring boiling-water preparation belongs on the hot-then-chill route. Refrigeration keeps the drink cold; it does not replace the preparation treatment required by that tea.
For flavour, green tea can give a fresh, gently savoury cup. Longjing green tea (dragon well green tea) offers a lightly toasted direction. Begin with plain tea and water so you can enjoy the leaf’s own character before deciding whether to add anything.
| Route | Tea choice | How it begins | How it finishes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refrigerated cold infusion | Tea intended for cold infusion | Cold drinking water; put straight in the fridge | Strain and keep refrigerated |
| Hot infusion, then chilling | Tea prepared with hot or boiling water as directed | Complete the specified hot preparation | Remove leaves, cool promptly and refrigerate |
Set up one small batch
Use a clean food-safe jug with a lid and a strainer that reaches the leaves easily. A broad removable basket makes the finish simple; loose leaves in the jug work too if you strain them afterwards.
The quantities below make a manageable household batch. A lightly flavoured chilled drink is easy to enjoy plain, and a small jug is convenient to finish soon after preparing it. Follow any more specific cold-infusion directions supplied with the tea.
| Item | Starting setting |
|---|---|
| Suitable dry tea | 4 g |
| Drinking water | 500 mL |
| Refrigerator | 4°C or colder |
| Infusion | About 6–8 hours, or the tea-specific direction |
Infuse, strain and keep the jug cold
Wash your hands and clean the jug, lid and strainer. Add the leaves and water, cover, and place the jug directly in the refrigerator. The infusion happens there, rather than on a counter or sunny windowsill.
When the chosen infusion time is complete, taste a small portion and strain the tea into a clean covered vessel, or lift out the basket. Removing the leaves gives you a clear end to extraction and makes serving easier.
Pour a serving into a glass and return the jug to the refrigerator. Prepare an amount you can enjoy promptly, preferably on the day you strain it. A chilled glass keeps the serving cool without the extra water that melting ice brings.
Adjust flavour with a small, useful change
If the strained drink is too full-flavoured, add a little chilled drinking water to the serving. If it is faint, use slightly more leaf for the next batch while keeping the tea’s preparation routine. You do not need to leave a finished jug steeping indefinitely.
Leaves need space even in cold water. An overfilled little infuser can hold the centre of the leaf mass tightly together. A wider basket or loose-leaf jug makes straining easier without forcing extra tea into a small container.
Keep the basic drink plain while finding the strength you enjoy. Fresh fruit, milk or juice make a different drink with different handling needs; add them to a serving when you want that combination instead of changing the entire jug.
Make hot-brewed iced tea when that suits the leaf
Prepare the tea with the water and contact time stated for hot brewing. Remove the leaves when that preparation is complete. Cool the drink promptly in a suitable container, using an ice-water bath around the vessel if helpful, then refrigerate.
Choose a container that tolerates the temperature change; avoid pouring very hot tea straight into fragile cold glass. A smaller quantity cools more conveniently than a large deep vessel.
This route is useful when you want chilled tea sooner or your leaves require a hot preparation. The result may taste different from a long cold infusion, giving you another way to enjoy the same tea break.
For Tea Shops: Cold Tea Storage and Service
Prepare manageable quantities using the route suited to the tea, keep the jug covered under refrigeration, and pour each order into a clean serving glass. Return the jug to the refrigerator between orders instead of displaying it on the counter.
Offer the plain tea first, with ice or another addition chosen for the individual glass. A defined serving size makes the finished drink easier to prepare consistently and avoids changing the whole jug for one request. Keep newly prepared tea separate from the remaining earlier preparation.
Questions & answers
Can this recipe sit on the counter overnight?
No. This is a refrigerator method: keep the covered infusion cold from the start. For tea requiring a hot preparation, use the hot-then-chill route instead.
Is cold-infused green tea caffeine-free?
No. Tea leaves naturally contain caffeine, and a cold infusion can still contain it. A smooth or light taste does not establish a caffeine-free drink.
Do I have to add ice?
No. Tea from the refrigerator can be poured into a chilled glass. Add ice if you enjoy it, allowing for the dilution as it melts.