How To Make Iced Tea At Home (Using A Tea Concentrate)

If you want to know how to make iced tea properly, it's one of those drinks that should be simple & with the right method, it can be! The problem with most homemade iced tea is watered-down flavour: brew hot, pour over ice, watch the ice melt & dilute everything into something pale & disappointing.

The solution is a tea concentrate & once you've made iced tea this way, you'll never go back.

What Is A Tea Concentrate?

The secret to how to make iced tea without it turning weak and watery is a tea concentrate. A tea concentrate is a small, strong batch of tea brewed with much less water than usual - typically around 100ml rather than a full mug. Because it's so concentrated, it doesn't get diluted when you pour it over ice. Instead, the ice & whatever liquid you add bring it back to the perfect strength.

Think of it like a tea espresso shot. Strong and intense on its own, but brilliant when combined with ice and liquid.

This is the method we use with our Brewdini Gravity Steeper - a gravity steeper designed for making tea concentrates quickly and cleanly. But any small teapot or infuser mug works perfectly too.

How To Make Iced Tea: Step By Step

Here's exactly how to make iced tea using the concentrate method, from picking your tea to the final pour.

Step 1 - Choose your tea

Almost any loose leaf tea from our cold brew tea collection makes a brilliant iced tea concentrate. For our honest picks on which teas work best cold, see the best teas for cold brewing.

Step 2 - Measure your tea

Add 2–4 heaped teaspoons to your Brewdini or infuser. Use more than you would for a regular cup as you're making a concentrate.

Step 3 - Brew your concentrate

With the Brewdini: add your tea, pour 100ml of hot water over it, steep for the recommended time, then drain directly into your glass. Concentrate drains straight through with no mess & no straining.

Step 4 - Pour over ice

Fill a large glass generously with ice. Pour your hot concentrate directly over it. The ice is doing two jobs: chilling the drink while also diluting the concentrate to the right strength.

Step 5 - Top up and enjoy

Top up with your liquid of choice. Try still water, sparkling water, milk or lemonade. Add a sweetener if you prefer things sweet (honey, agave, or vanilla syrup), a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, & any garnishes you fancy like fresh fruit or a sprig of mint.

Our Favourite Iced Tea Combinations

Strawberry Lemonade Tea + lemonade - Make the concentrate, pour over ice, top with lemonade. Garnish with fresh strawberries and a lemon slice.

Sticky Chai + oat milk - Brew a strong concentrate, pour over ice, & top with cold oat milk. A chai iced latte that rivals anything you'd pay £5 for in a cafe.

Mojito Tea + sparkling water - Zesty & minty - perfect for a sunny afternoon.

Lemon Sherbet Tea + sparkling water - Bright, fizzy, & endlessly refreshing. Squeeze in fresh lemon & garnish with mint.

Cherry Cola Bottles Tea + lemonade - The closest thing to a homemade cherryade you'll ever taste. Cold brewed or as an iced tea made from concentrate, it's delicious.

Iced Tea vs Cold Brew - Which Should You Make?

Once you know how to make iced tea both ways, the choice comes down to time and taste. 

Make iced tea (concentrate method) when:

• You want it ready in under 10 minutes

• You're using a bold black tea or chai blend that needs hot water to develop flavour

• You want maximum flavour intensity

Make cold brew when:

• You're happy to plan ahead (4–12 hours in the fridge)

• You want the smoothest, sweetest, least bitter result

• You're using fruit teas or herbal blends

For the full comparison, see our cold brew vs iced tea guide.

Shop our cold brew and iced tea collection

Tag us in your iced tea creations @birdandblendtea. Happy brewing, Teabirds.