Re: restaurant style iced-tea (home results dont come close)

"Sanjay Punjab" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]

[snip]

| Does anyone know the blend of teas commonly used in restaurant chains
| for iced-tea and what their secret (if any) for making great tasting
| iced-tea.


[Cross-posted. Follow-ups in  r.f.d.t.]

How we make it in the restaurant:

Load loose tea into auto-drip coffee maker.
Run/cycle hot water over tea leaves.
Pour this concentration into tea urn containing cold water.
Mix well.
Dispense into glasses and pitchers containing ice.

More and more restaurants are using concentrates available on the wholesale
market.


How we make it in our home:

Boil water (about 1-1.5 quarts - exact does not matter - 3/4 fill your
kettle).
Place one family-sized bag (Lipton, Tetley or Luzianne - I prefer Luzianne)
into plastic or ceramic pitcher.
Pour in boiling water.
Allow to steep until water is warm-to-cool.
Remove teabag (pressing to get all the tea concentrate into the pitcher).
Fill pitcher to top with cool water.
Dispense into glasses containing ice.
Store unused tea in refrigerator (it's good for a couple days).

You will figure out over time how much water you should add to dilute the
tea you brew (given how much ice you like also). It's something you must
perfect to your taste.

My wife liked to concoct with a Mr. Tea machine using 8 personal-sized bags
poured over ice cubes. I hated the taste and took over the responsibility of
making iced tea in our home. Visitors enjoy my iced tea at our house more
than at the restaurant.