How to Choose the Best Iced Tea Maker for Your Home
A lot of people thought that tea is a British thing just as much as coffee is an American thing, but if you dig deeper in world history, you will find that Asians have already been drinking tea for nearly five thousand years now.
Based on a popular legend, tea was accidentally discovered by a Chinese emperor while he was out to relax. Shen Nung asked one of his servant to give him some hot water. When the wind blew hard, a few leaves fell off from the tree above him and dropped into his cup of hot water.
He wasn’t just an emperor but also a great herbalist. So, he tried the infused water and loved it. From then on, he kept asking his helpers for that herb infused hot water and the rest is history. We now call that drink tea.
Let me ask you, do you like tea over coffee? They say it is more healthful than coffee, but personally I only like tea when it’s iced.
Speaking of iced tea, did you know that you can make iced tea in just few seconds? How? Iced tea maker!
Here, I’ll help you how to choose the best iced tea maker for your home.
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**Below, you'll find more detailed reriews, but you can click links above to see current prices and read customer's reviews on Amazon
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Let’s Talk About Teas For A Second….
Here are some of the basic types of teas and how they differ from each other. All other teas you might know are just derived from these ones:
White tea
Let’s start with the most uncommon one, white tea. It is white because it is not cured or fermented like other teas. Some people prefer it because it has the most amount of antioxidants.
Green tea
Green tea is probably the most popular type. According to experts, drinking green tea helps inhibit gum disease and tooth cavities. It is also great for reducing blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease, stroke, and dementia. No wonder a lot of people love it.
Oolong tea
‘Tea for the Gods’ is what oolong tea is – the most expensive one. Taiwan is the biggest producer of this tea. It is said that oolong is fermented for a short period of time to achieve its fruity sweet taste.
Black tea
Black tea isn’t really black but more of a red-brown. It undergoes oxidation for a couple of hours and has the highest amount of caffeine out of all the other teas. Scientists say that black tea reduces the risks of lung cancer and stroke.
Pu-erh tea
Pu-erh tea is different from other teas because it is made from aged leaves. According to studies, it has some properties that can lower your bad cholesterol level.
Hot Tea vs. Iced Tea
There are two ways to have your tea: hot or cold. For hot teas, you can either use a tea brewer or just pour hot water on a cup and dip your tea bag for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, for cold tea, you can either brew it using hot water then let it cool down by adding tons of ice or just have it cold-brewed in the fridge overnight.
What Is An Iced Tea Maker?
Basically, an iced tea maker will make your tea-brewing process easier and faster. It has features and capabilities to brew tea and cool it down.
Are you an iced tea lover? Here’s your chance to learn more about iced tea makers and how to choose the best one.
Features Of An Iced Tea Maker
Not all iced tea makers are created equal, but here are some of the basic features it should have:
Via www.westbend.com
- Water reservoir lid – covers the water reservoir and keeps the water from contamination.Water reservoir – where you pour the water into. Some iced tea makers have removable water reservoirs.
- Removable tea brew basket – holds the entire inside unit for easier and faster cleaning.
- Adjustable tea steeping control – used to adjust the strength of the tea based on varying brewing time. The longer the brewing time, the fuller the flavor.
- Pitcher lid – covers the pitcher and keeps the iced tea from spilling.
- Pitcher - where iced tea is kept cold.
- Water level window/markings – indicates how much water is needed or poured.
- On/Off button – the button that runs or shuts off the machine.
- Light indicator – light indicates that the machine is on and brewing
- Ice level markings – indicates the amount/level of ice in the pitcher
- Water filtration system – filters the water from chemicals (especially chlorine) that can ruin the flavor of the tea.
- Automatic shut-off – relay that keeps the machine and operator safe.
- Permanent filter – sifts the tea grounds and keeps it from falling into the brewed iced tea
Why Do You Need An Iced Tea Maker In Your Kitchen?
A good question. What perks can you get from purchasing an iced tea maker?
For one, drinking tea can gain you tons of health benefits. Plus, brewing your own tea at home will save you the extra sugar and calories from store-bought ones.
Also, an iced tea maker will save you effort and time from brewing and chilling manually.
Imagine, on a hot summer day (or whenever, really), you can make yourself a glass of refreshing iced tea in just a snap.
Lastly, my most favorite part is that iced tea makers (most units, if not all) are capable of quantifying the amount of tea, water, ice, and brewing time to create the perfect iced tea.
Things You May Want To Consider Before Buying An Iced Tea Maker
Before buying anything, especially if it is your first time, make sure you know what you are really looking for. Here are the things you need to consider before buying an iced tea maker:
1. How often do you drink tea?
I think the very first thing you need to do before deciding which iced tea maker to buy is to ask yourself, how often do I drink iced tea?
From there, you can know which ones would probably do the job.
2. Size and capacity
Knowing how much and how often you drink iced tea will give you an idea on the size and capacity of the iced tea maker you should buy.
If you do not drink as much and as often, then probably a 2-quart will be best for you, but if you think you can chug more than that in a day or your family and friends who love iced tea too, then look for a bigger size – probably 3-4 quarts.
3. How much is your budget?
A very important thing to consider is, how much are you willing to spend on an iced tea maker? To help you out, good quality iced tea machines ranges from $15 to $50. Anything more can either be for industrial or commercial use, or just purely overpriced.
4. Convenience of use
Machines and kitchen tools are made to make our lives easier, so when buying iced tea maker, you need to take into consideration the ease of use of a particular unit.
If you do not have the time to learn all the extra features and what each button or function is for, then go for a simpler design.
Although, if you are more like the meticulous type, especially with flavor and tea strength, then you should choose a design that will fulfill your needs.
5. Programmability
Speaking of extra features, new iced tea maker models can be programmable. Cool, right?
Make sure it has the features that you need or want, and that it is easily programmable.
6. Extra features
I want to talk about two special features that I think are important: auto shut off and water filter.
Auto shut off is great to conserve energy and for safety. Let’s say, you forgot that you turned on the machine and left the house to run some errands. Auto shut off will keep your iced tea maker from overheating that can lead to worse things.
Water filter, on the other hand, is a great feature, especially if your tap water has chemicals like chlorine. Chemicals destroy the flavor, so if your machine has water filter, no worries.
7. Space on your counter
If you only have a small kitchen, you might want to take that into consideration. Should you get a smaller one? Will there be enough space if I want the one with larger capacity?
8. Easy to clean
Before buying, check if the little parts (water reservoir, pitcher, etc.) are dishwasher safe. That will save you time cleaning.
9. Brew strength setting
Strong tea or sweet one?
The flavor/brew strength I want depends on my mood, so if you are anything like me, then I think it is also essential to choose the machine that has a wider range of brew strength.
10. How fast is the brew time?
I prefer iced tea machines that can fill the pitcher in less than 10 minutes.
How To Brew The Best Iced Tea?
Like I said earlier, iced tea makers from different brands have different designs, but here are the basic steps on how to brew the best iced tea in the world.
- Before anything else, make sure that everything is clean and dry before plugging in the machine.
- Fill the water reservoir with water and close its lid to avoid spillage.
- Pour enough amount of tea powder of your choice into the filter. Close the lid.
- Now, fill the pitcher with ice cubes – the more the better.
- Adjust the brewing strength depending on your preferred tea flavor strength.
- Press the ON button and wait for it to finish brewing. It should take about 8-15 minutes depending on the capacity and speed of your machine.
- Once the pitcher is filled, turn off the machine and then unplug it.
To better illustrate, here are some video tutorials you may watch:
5 Best Iced Tea Maker
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1. Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker
Via Amazon.com
This model of Mr. Coffee is also called 2-Quart. It is one of their cheapest ones, but still do well in making iced teas.
What I like most about this is its auto shut off function. This particular machine would be great for a super busy person who multitask all the time. Check out its pros and cons below:
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2. Hamilton Beach 40911 2-Quart Electric Iced Tea Maker
Via Amazon.com
I love this iced tea maker because it looks very classy even if the outer built is plastic. You can totally display it in your kitchen. Although, it’s really pricey compared to the rest of my top picks.
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3. Mr. Coffee 2-in-1 Iced Tea Brewing System
Via Amazon.com
My favorite thing about Mr. Coffee 2-in-1 machines is that all accessories are detachable. What does that mean? It is so much faster to clean and if a part gets broken, it can easily be replaced. You may even want to use your own pitcher if you like.
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4. Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker
Via Amazon.com
If you are after a small built that you can place/stock anywhere in your kitchen, then I suggest you check out Takeya Flash Chill. Here are some of its pros and cons:
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5. Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker
Via Amazon.com
I like describing Breville One-Touch tea maker as a “modern old school”. Wait, what?
One-Touch is unique in a ways that it brews tea just like an ancient Chinese does, but it has so much “techy” features. Here, check it out.
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My Final Thoughts…..
Via Amazon.com
If you were to ask me which one to buy, I would probably say the Mr. Coffee 2-in-1 iced tea maker because it is super versatile, it looks great, and it’s not that expensive.
It is indeed a bang for your back so they say, but the rest of the picks are great too.
Remember to analyze first which one suits your needs more.
I hope you find this article helpful. If you do, then please chare it with your family and friends. Also, leave a comment down below and let me know which one you like the most.
