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Cold brew is the most foolproof way to a smooth, sweet, low bitterness tea drink, because cold water simply does not extract the harsh compounds. This sits in the tea making cluster beside how to make iced tea.
Why cold brew is so smooth
Cold water extracts flavour slowly and barely extracts the bitter tannins and some caffeine, so the result is naturally sweet, smooth and low astringency with almost no skill required. It is almost impossible to over steep into harshness.
The ratio
Roughly a tablespoon of loose leaf (or 1 to 2 bags) per 250 to 350ml of cold water; scale up in a jug. More leaf gives a stronger brew without bitterness, see iced tea for the hot route.
The method
Combine leaf and cold filtered water in a jug, refrigerate, steep 6 to 12 hours (green shorter, black and herbal longer), then strain. That is the whole technique, see water.
Timing by type
Green and white: 4 to 8 hours. Black and oolong: 8 to 12. Herbal and fruit: 8 to 12+. Longer is forgiving here because there is little bitterness to over extract.
Lower caffeine
Cold brew typically pulls less caffeine than hot brewing, which suits afternoon and evening drinking, see caffeine in tea.
Serving and keeping
Serve over ice, optionally with citrus, mint or fruit. Keep refrigerated and use within a couple of days; strain the leaf out so it does not over develop, see cold brew recipes.
In a sentence
Cold water, good leaf, fridge, 6 to 12 hours, strain. Cold brew is the lowest effort, highest reliability tea drink there is, see iced tea for when you want it fast.
Cold brew tea, at a glance
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| Why smooth | Cold water extracts less tannin and caffeine, so it is sweet, not bitter |
| Ratio | Roughly the normal leaf dose into cold water, scale to taste |
| Method | Steep in the fridge, no heat at all |
| Timing | ~6 to 12h by type; greens shorter, blacks longer |
| Caffeine | Lower than hot-brewed, a consequence of cold extraction |
Related on the wiki: Tea for Summer: Cold Brew, Iced and Light.
Stock up via the herbal & fruit infusions and green tea range.
More tea reading
More from the tea wiki
- Green tea
- Black tea
- Oolong tea
- White tea
- Herbal tea
- Caffeine in tea
- How to make tea properly
- Loose leaf vs teabag
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