How to Make Iced Tea: 4 Easy Methods

Bring water to a boil in a kettle. A gooseneck kettle gives you the most control over the pour, but any kettle works. Drop two black tea bags into a heatproof pitcher or measuring cup and pour the hot water over them.

Let the bags steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Any longer and the tea turns bitter from over-extracted tannins. Set a timer if you tend to wander off - the difference between 4 and 8 minutes is the difference between smooth and astringent.

Pull the tea bags out as soon as the timer goes. Stir in sugar while the tea is still hot - it dissolves cleanly that way instead of pooling at the bottom of a cold pitcher. Start with a couple of tablespoons and add more to taste.

Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Taste it now and adjust before it goes cold, because cold dulls sweetness and you'll want it slightly sweeter than seems right at room temperature. Move the pitcher to the fridge until cold, about 30 to 45 minutes.

For the raspberry version, drop a half cup of fresh raspberries into the bottom of a heatproof pitcher and crush them with the back of a fork or a muddler. You want them broken up, not pureed - chunks release flavor more gradually as the tea steeps.

Add two black tea bags on top of the smashed raspberries and pour over hot water. Steep 3 to 5 minutes, fish out the tea bags, then add lemon and sugar to taste. Strain through a fine mesh sieve before chilling so you don't get pulp in your glass.

For the Earl Grey method, steep two Earl Grey tea bags in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes. Earl Grey has a strong bergamot note that pairs well with fresh herbs and citrus, so this version skips refined sugar in favor of something more aromatic.

Once you remove the bags, stir in mint maple syrup. If you don't have mint maple syrup on hand, make a quick version: muddle a few fresh mint leaves with two tablespoons of maple syrup and let it sit for a minute before stirring it in. Add a squeeze of lime instead of lemon - it cuts the bergamot better.

Green tea is more delicate than black or Earl Grey. Let your boiling water sit for about 30 seconds before pouring it over two green tea bags - water that's actually boiling will scorch green tea and turn it grassy and bitter.

Steep for 2 to 3 minutes only, then remove the bags. Stir in two tablespoons of honey while warm so it dissolves smoothly. Slice a one-inch piece of fresh ginger into thin coins and drop them in. The ginger keeps infusing as the tea chills, so the longer it sits, the more punch it picks up.

Once each pitcher is fully chilled, fill tall glasses with plenty of ice and pour the tea over the top. The glass needs to be cold-shock-resistant, especially if your pitcher came straight from the fridge - tempered glass tumblers handle the temperature swing without cracking.

Garnish each glass to match its method. The classic gets a lemon wedge. The raspberry tea gets a few whole raspberries floated on top. Earl Grey takes a sprig of mint and a lime wheel. Green tea finishes with a thin slice of fresh ginger on the rim. Serve right away while everything is cold.