Free iced tea batch calculator. Enter servings to find the water, tea bags and sugar you need for a batch of iced tea.
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Enter the number of servings. This calculator allows 250 ml of water, half a tea bag on average, and 10 grams of sugar per serving, with tea bags rounded up to whole bags. Brew the tea strong, sweeten while it is warm if you like, then chill and serve over ice.
One iced tea serving in this calculator uses 250 ml of water, half a tea bag on average, and 10 grams of sugar. Four servings therefore need 1000 ml of water, 2 tea bags, and 40 grams of sugar. The half bag average reflects the common concentrate method: brew strong in half the water, then dilute with cold water.
Competitor guides agree on roughly one standard tea bag per cup of finished iced tea, which means 8 to 10 standard bags per gallon, or 2 to 3 family size bags for the same gallon. A gallon gives about 16 eight ounce servings. For a stronger pitcher that will be poured over lots of ice, use the top of the range rather than steeping longer.
The cleanest iced tea method brews a concentrate first: steep the bags in half the water, remove them, stir in sugar while the tea is warm, then add the remaining cold water. This avoids pouring hot tea over ice, which melts the ice and waters the drink down. Chill the pitcher fully before serving, and add ice to glasses, not to the pitcher.
Steep black tea bags for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove them without squeezing hard, since squeezing releases extra tannins that taste bitter. If the tea tastes weak, add more tea next time instead of steeping longer. Green and herbal teas need their own temperatures and shorter or longer steeping times, so follow the packet for those types.
A classic Southern sweet tea recipe dissolves 1 to 1.5 cups of sugar into a gallon while the tea is still warm, which is about 12 to 18 grams per serving. This calculator uses 10 grams per serving, a lightly sweet level, and you can leave the pitcher unsweetened and offer simple syrup at the table for mixed tastes. Honey also works if stirred into warm tea.
To serve a crowd, scale by servings: 16 servings need 4000 ml of water, 8 tea bags, and 160 grams of sugar in this calculator. Homemade iced tea keeps best for 3 to 4 days refrigerated in a covered pitcher, and flavour fades after the first day. Wash the pitcher between batches instead of topping up old tea.
Take 8 servings. Water is 8 times 250 ml, which is 2000 ml, tea bags are ceil of 8 divided by 2, which is 4 bags, and sugar is 8 times 10 grams, which is 80 grams. Brew the 4 bags in 1000 ml of hot water, sweeten, add 1000 ml of cold water, and chill.
About one standard tea bag per cup of finished tea, so 8 to 10 bags per gallon, or 2 to 3 family size bags per gallon.
About 250 ml per serving in this calculator, brewed as a concentrate in half the water and diluted with cold water.
About 10 grams per serving here, a lightly sweet level. Southern sweet tea runs higher, at roughly 12 to 18 grams per serving.
Steep black tea bags for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove them. Longer steeping adds bitterness rather than clean strength.
Bitterness usually comes from oversteeping or squeezing the bags. Common cloudy iced tea causes are compounds released during steeping, and cloudiness alone does not mean the tea is unsafe.
Yes. Refrigerate it covered and add ice and garnishes when serving, rather than storing it over ice in the pitcher.
About 3 to 4 days in a covered pitcher, with the best flavour on the first day. Discard any batch with mould, odd smells, or a slimy texture.
A strong brew made in half the water, sweetened warm, then diluted with cold water. Concentrate keeps measurements simple and avoids weak, over diluted tea.