Iced tea is the easiest way to keep drinking good tea through an Australian summer, when a hot cup is the last thing you want at 3pm in January. The method below is the one we use at O2H TEA: brew the tea hot so it keeps its full flavour, then chill it instantly over ice. You don't need special equipment, and it works with loose leaf or tea bags.
If you would rather steep tea slowly in cold water overnight, that is a different method — see our cold-brew tea guide. This guide is about hot-brewed iced tea, ready in minutes.
Iced tea ratios for six O2H TEA blends
Each recipe makes one 300 ml glass. Use 150 ml of hot water and about 150 g of ice for every tea. The temperature and steep time match each tea's product page, so you brew it exactly as you would a hot cup — only with twice the leaf.
| Tea | Loose leaf | Tea bags | Water temp | Steep | Iced, it tastes of |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Crisp Vineyard Tieguanyin oolong, green grape, jasmine |
5–6 g | 2 bags | 90–95°C | 3 min | Grape and jasmine with a clean oolong finish |
|
Peach Mountain Oolong, peach, rose petals |
5–6 g | 2 bags | 90–95°C | 3 min | White peach with a soft floral finish |
|
Sakura Blossom Oolong, strawberry, sakura and rose petals |
5–6 g | 2 bags | 90–95°C | 3 min | Strawberry and sakura over a smooth oolong |
|
Gardenia Moonlight Gardenia green tea, jasmine |
5–6 g | 2 bags | 90–95°C | 3 min | Gardenia and jasmine florals, green tea finish |
|
Citrine Grace Fuding white tea, lemon leaf |
6 g | — | 80°C | 2–3 min | Soft white tea lifted by lemon leaf |
|
Velvet Petal Green tea, grapefruit, jasmine |
5–6 g | 2 bags | 80–85°C | 2 min | Pink grapefruit zest and jasmine, bittersweet and clean |
All six: 150 ml hot water, poured over about 150 g of ice. Citrine Grace comes as loose leaf only.
How to make iced tea, step by step
- Measure the tea. Weigh 5–6 g of loose leaf — about two heaped teaspoons — or use 2 tea bags.
- Heat 150 ml of water to the temperature in the table. A kettle with temperature settings helps; otherwise let boiled water stand for a minute or two for the oolongs, and a little longer for the green and white teas.
- Steep for the time in the table, then strain the leaves or remove the bags. Keep to the same time you would use for a hot cup.
- Fill a 300 ml glass with ice — about 150 g.
- Pour the hot tea straight over the ice and stir. Pouring it while it is still hot chills it in seconds.
- Taste after a minute. If it is too strong, add a little more ice or cold water; if it is too light, use more leaf next time.
Making a jug for four
Multiply everything by four: 20–24 g of loose leaf (or 8 tea bags) in 600 ml of hot water, poured over about 600 g of ice. Use a jug made for hot liquids — ordinary glass can crack when hot tea meets ice. Iced tea tastes best on the day you make it, so brew what you will drink and keep any extra covered in the fridge.
Choosing a tea for iced tea
For something fruity: Peach Mountain (white peach and rose on an oolong base) and Sakura Blossom (strawberry and sakura petals on oolong) both carry their fruit clearly when cold.
For something crisp: Crisp Vineyard pairs green grape and jasmine with a Tieguanyin oolong from Fujian, and finishes clean.
For something floral: Gardenia Moonlight is a gardenia-scented green tea with jasmine. Read more in what gardenia tea is.
For something citrus: Citrine Grace is Fuding white tea with dried lemon leaf — a softer citrus than a squeeze of lemon. Velvet Petal is bolder: pink grapefruit and jasmine on green tea, with a gentle bittersweet edge.
Want to try several? Four of the six — Sakura Blossom, Peach Mountain, Crisp Vineyard and Gardenia Moonlight — come together in full-size boxes in The First Pour Tea Set.
Sweetening and serving
Try the tea on its own first. These blends already carry fruit and floral notes, and many people find they don't need anything added. If you do want it sweeter, stir honey or sugar into the hot tea before you pour it over the ice — it won't dissolve properly once the tea is cold.
A slice of lemon or a few mint leaves suit the oolongs. With Citrine Grace and Velvet Petal, taste before adding lemon: they already have citrus in the blend. When you serve a group, put sweetener and garnishes on the side so everyone can adjust their own glass.
Iced tea FAQ
What is the quickest way to make iced tea?
Brew the tea at double strength and pour it straight over ice. For one 300 ml glass, steep 5–6 g of loose leaf or 2 tea bags in 150 ml of hot water at the tea's usual temperature and steep time, then strain it over about 150 g of ice. It is ready to drink in under five minutes.
Can I make iced tea with tea bags?
Yes. Use 2 tea bags per 300 ml glass in place of the loose leaf, with the same 150 ml of hot water and 150 g of ice. Crisp Vineyard, Peach Mountain, Sakura Blossom, Gardenia Moonlight and Velvet Petal all come as tea bags; Citrine Grace is loose leaf only.
What kind of tea works for iced tea?
Teas with clear fruit or floral notes keep their character when they are cold. The six O2H TEA blends in this guide — three oolongs, two green tea blends and a white tea — are the ones we brewed over ice and would serve iced.
Is iced tea the same as cold brew?
No. Iced tea in this guide is brewed with hot water and then poured over ice, so it takes minutes. Cold brew steeps the leaves in cold water in the fridge for several hours. Our cold-brew guide covers that method separately.
Why does my iced tea taste weak?
Ice dilutes the tea as it melts, so iced tea needs more leaf than a hot cup. Add more leaf rather than steeping for longer — a longer steep mostly adds bitterness, not flavour.
Does iced tea contain caffeine?
Yes. All six teas in this guide are made from the tea plant and contain caffeine. The amount in a glass depends on the tea and how you brew it.
Ready for summer? Start with the tea you like hot — Crisp Vineyard, Peach Mountain, Sakura Blossom, Gardenia Moonlight, Citrine Grace or Velvet Petal — and pour it over ice.
