How to cold brew tea: Easy steps for a smoother sip

How to cold brew tea: Easy steps for a smoother sip

If you haven’t tried cold brewing your tea yet, you’re in for a treat.

 

Cold brewing is one of the easiest ways to make tea, resulting in a smoother, less bitter flavour that’s perfect for hot days. And cold days. Any day really.

 

As we discussed in a previous post, Does tea count as water intake?, you can healthily replace a lot of your water intake with tea so cold brew is a genuinely excellent choice for chugging down a lot of delicious, cold fluid at the end of a workout.

 

Plus, the whole process takes just a little patience (and a bit of fridge space), so let’s get down to the details.

 

Steps to cold brew tea

 

In short: bang a load of teabags into a body of water and leave it in a cold place for quite a while.

 

In long, here are some more detailed steps:

 

1. Pick your tea

Doug Hastie picking tea for a record breaking batch of cold brew


Cold brewing works for every tea we’ve ever tried it with from Rooibos to Earl Grey so take your pick and get creative with your combinations.


The rule of thumb is to use 1 teabag per 250ml of water, or about 1 tablespoon of loose leaf tea per 250ml. For a larger batch, like a 5 litre pitcher, 8 teabags will do for 5 litres of tea.

 

2. Fill with cold water

 

 

 

Grab a jug or jar (make sure it has a lid!) and fill it with cold, filtered water.


Using filtered water makes a noticeable difference, especially since you’re not boiling away any impurities.


Add your teabags or loose tea straight into the cold water.
Let it steep… slowly

 

The key to cold brew tea is time, not heat.


Pop that pitcher into the fridge and let it sit for 6-12 hours.


You can go longer if you like a stronger brew, but around 8 hours tends to give you a good balance of flavour.


Let it chill overnight, and you’ll wake up to a refreshing brew in the morning.

 

3. Strain it

 

If you used loose leaf tea, you might need to strain it before serving. 


Use a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to get all the leaves out. If you’re using one of those massive jugs with a tap underneath, the tea leaves should sink to the bottom, so you probably won’t need to strain it.


If you used teabags, just fish them out and toss them in the compost.


4. Serve & customise

Pour your cold brew over ice and enjoy as is, or add your favourite extras—whether that’s a squeeze of lemon, a spoonful of honey, chunks of ginger or a sprig of fresh mint.

 

Cold brew tea is naturally smooth, so even the bitterest of people find they don’t need to add sweeteners.

 

5. Store the rest

 

 

In the unlikely situation that you don’t finish it within four days, you can freeze them into ice cubes. A great addition to cocktails or future cold brew batches.

 

The science of cold brew tea: Why it’s smoother and less bitter

 

Cold brew tea isn’t just a trendy way to make tea—it’s a method rooted in chemistry, one that changes how flavours are extracted from the leaves.

 

When you steep tea in cold water over an extended period, the process works differently than with traditional hot brewing.

 

Here’s what’s happening under the microscope:

 

Slower extraction of tannins


Tea contains tannins, the compounds responsible for that bitter, astringent taste you sometimes get from hot-brewed tea.


When you use boiling water, these tannins are released rapidly, leading to a more intense flavour that can sometimes be overpowering.


Cold brewing extracts tannins slowly and at a lower rate, resulting in a smoother, less bitter taste.


It’s a gentler process on the tea leaves, giving you a more balanced flavour profile.


Lower caffeine extraction

 


Cold water also extracts caffeine more slowly than hot water, meaning cold brew tea typically has less caffeine than its hot-brewed counterpart.


If you're looking for a refreshing, less buzz-inducing option, particularly good in the afternoons, then yank the fridge open and enjoy the favour that past-you did for present-you.


Preserving antioxidants


Tea is rich in antioxidants, especially catechins and flavonoids, which are known for their health benefits like reducing inflammation and improving heart health.

 

Go read our blog: Antioxidants in tea.


Cold brewing helps preserve these antioxidants, as the cooler temperatures prevent them from breaking down as quickly as they might in hot water.


This means your cold brew tea retains more of the tea’s natural benefits.


Different flavour compounds


Cold brewing also alters the balance of flavour compounds that are extracted.


Some of the volatile compounds that give tea its aroma and flavour dissolve better in hot water, but others, like certain amino acids and sugars, are more readily extracted in cold water.


This means that cold brew tea can highlight sweeter and more delicate flavours, which can sometimes be overshadowed in a traditional hot brew.


No heat-induced bitterness

 


High temperatures can sometimes over-extract the tea, giving that harsh, bitter taste.


Cold brewing avoids this completely by gently coaxing out the flavours over time.
Without the risk of over-steeping, you get a clean, smooth tea every time—no bitterness.

     

    Final thoughts

     

    Is it slightly more faff than just banging the kettle on as and when you fancy a brew? Yes it is.

     

    But to coin a phrase - good things come to those who wait. The resulting brew is genuinely delicious and different enough from hot brewing to be well worth digging around on your hot drink shelf in the pantry and doing some experimentation.

     

    When summer’s here, it’s a lovely thing to be have a cold, refreshing, healthy alternative to a can of pop or a beer in the evening.

    Back to blog