Brewing herbal teas with at home iced tea brewers is not only possible, it’s very easy. However, some tea brewers will work better for this than others. If you like to make herbal iced tea at home, here are a couple of things to think about before you run out and purchase a special iced tea brewer.
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Types of Tea
If you typically brew straight herbal teas in your brewer, you want to avoid the electric tea makers. These are great for a fast tea, but they can scald delicate flowers. If you make cold chamomile tea for instance, the hot water being forced down on top of the chamomile blooms will cause the blooms to break apart. The tea won’t turn out too well either and the electric iced tea brewers don’t allow the water to steep long enough to pull the flavors out. If you are looking at making tea with blooms, you would be better off with infusion style iced tea brewers. These are very simple by design. The tea leaves or blooms are placed in a filter or chamber. This is then dropped down in to the hot water in the iced tea pitcher. This allows the water to flow freely over the herbal blends. It’s a gentler process so it won’t damage delicate blooms. It also allows plenty of time to release the fragrance and oils that give the tea flavor.
Iced Tea Brewers for Leafy Herbs
If you like to make herbal teas with mints and other leafy herbs, the electric tea brewers can work very well. You can even use fresh leaves right out of your garden. You will want to use special filters if the iced tea brewers require paper filters. Paper can absorb a lot of the oils in fresh herbs. You can find filters that are made of materials like hemp that will allow the herbs to release the oils without trapping them in the fibers. You can also use the combo coffee maker/ tea makers for these types of teas. The coffee brewers work in the same way as the iced tea brewers do. They force water through the filter, brewing the tea through this process.
French Press
The same French presses that are used as coffee brewers can also be used as iced tea brewers when you’re making herbal tea. With these you will place the tea at the bottom of the press, and add hot water. Place the lid on the top of the press, and just allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Once the color of the tea has brewed to your liking, you simply press down on the plunger in the lid. This presses the leaves flat against the bottom of the device. As the plunger is depressed, the oils from the herbs and tea are pressed out in to the water. The plunger also acts as a filter. When you pour the tea in to the iced tea pot over the ice, the plunger holds the leaves in the bottom of the press. When you’re done, you simply rinse the press out and go about your business. A French press is a great idea for anyone who would like simple iced tea brewers but won’t brew tea for a large number of people.
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