How to Brew Iced Tea (3 Simple Methods: Hot, Sun & Cold Brew)

A well-made iced tea feels easy to drink and hard to forget. Clear, balanced, and refreshing in a way that stays with you.

There’s a moment, usually in the first sip, when you can tell. The flavor is clean. The temperature feels right. Nothing is competing for attention.

At Grace Farms Tea & Coffee, that clarity starts long before the glass. It begins at origin, in the way tea is grown, harvested, and shared. Brewing is simply where it comes together.

With guidance from Frank Kwei, Grace Farms Tea Expert and Educator, there are three ways to brew iced tea well. Each one brings out something different.

Watch: Brewing Iced Tea with Frank Kwei

In this short video, Frank moves through each method as it happens. Water, time, light. 

Three Ways to Brew

All three methods arrive in the same place: a glass of iced tea. What changes is how you get there, and what the tea reveals along the way.

Hot Brew (Frank's Preference)

Best for: Depth and structure, with a quicker path to the glass

How to brew:

• 1 brew bag per 1 quart of water at 195 to 205°F
• Steep for 5 to 7 minutes
• Remove the bag
• Pour over ice or refrigerate until chilled

Sun Brew

Best for: Slower moments and a lighter touch

How to brew:

• 1 brew bag per 1 quart of warm water in a glass pitcher
• Place in direct sunlight for a few hours
• Remove when it reaches your preferred strength
• Chill or serve over ice

Cold Brew

Best for: Smoothness and ease

How to brew:

• 1 brew bag per 1 quart of cold water
• Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight
• Remove the bag and serve over ice
  

Choosing Your Method

There's no single right way.

If you want depth and immediacy, start with hot brew.
If you have time to let it develop, try sun brew.
If you prefer something softer and more restrained, cold brew is often the one people return to.

If you’re exploring where to begin, our best selling iced teas offer a balanced introduction across taste profiles.

Where It Begins

The quality of the cup is shaped long before brewing.

Grace Farms Tea & Coffee works directly with farmers and cooperatives through long-term relationships grounded in craft, sustainability, and fairness. That attention carries through, from harvest to cup.

Learn more about our sourcing and impact as a Certified B Corporation™.

Every purchase supports the work to end forced and child labor worldwide.