Recommendations on making tea in a coffee brewer

We brew loose tea for ice tea every day in our Mr Coffee. Just be sure to clean it out well before making coffee so the flavors don't mesh.

I agree-clean it out very, very well or you will have an aftertaste of coffee. Why a tea brewer? I am an avid tea drinker, been for over 40 years and have never felt a need for an appliance like that.

Tea is best when made in a tea pot. I don't see the point of an ""electronic tea brewer"". I definitely wouldn't make tea in a coffee machine.

Are you making iced tea or hot? If making iced tea, I just bring water to a boil in a saucepan, turn off the heat, hang about five tea bags in it, cover and let it steep till cooled, and then remove the tea bags and add the strong, steeped tea mixture to cold water in a pitcher.

If making hot tea, I just use a tea bag (or loose tea is a pierced diffuser0 in an individual cup of heated water (it works fine to heat it in the microwave if you like), or put three tea bags or so in a teapot of hot water to steep before serving. There's no need to use a special pot or brewer.

I bought an ice tea maker a year or two ago and we love it. I use family sized tea bags, and make enough tea for several days. Put it in the refrigerator and then we can pour it as we want it. DH likes a different sweetener in his than I do, and so I leave it unsweetened.

I think I paid about $35 for my iced tea maker. It's still working very well. Wouldn't be without it.

My former SIL always makes ice tea in a tea brewer and it's the best ice tea I have ever had.

Edited to add that she uses a Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Brewer....they are very inexpensive.

On 3/14/2015 Jackielee said:

I agree-clean it out very, very well or you will have an aftertaste of coffee. Why a tea brewer? I am an avid tea drinker, been for over 40 years and have never felt a need for an appliance like that.

Jackielee & colliegirls,

I asked this question before on a different forum and was told that this "special tea brewer" knows the correct temperature to brew tea and how long to steep for the correct flavor. Then I had others to say they brew tea in their coffee brewer. My husband and I both enjoy ice tea year round and I would like to make a pitcher/carafe of tea and not individual cups of tea. Just thought that if the Keurig can brew tea and coffee, so can other coffee brewers. Plus the tea brewer is a lot more money than most coffee brewers (including most Keurigs). The Keurig doesn't have the K carafe cups for tea yet, so I would have to make several cups to get a pitcher and then I would have more money in k cups versus loose tea price. So just thought another coffee brewer would be ok. Just wanted second opinions.

On 3/14/2015 GoodStuff said:

Are you making iced tea or hot? If making iced tea, I just bring water to a boil in a saucepan, turn off the heat, hang about five tea bags in it, cover and let it steep till cooled, and then remove the tea bags and add the strong, steeped tea mixture to cold water in a pitcher.

If making hot tea, I just use a tea bag (or loose tea is a pierced diffuser0 in an individual cup of heated water (it works fine to heat it in the microwave if you like), or put three tea bags or so in a teapot of hot water to steep before serving. There's no need to use a special pot or brewer.

I grew up making tea that way but it seems now when I make it that way it doesn't have much flavor no matter how much tea I use or how long it steeps. Have tried all kinds of tea/brands. Just thought brewing it in a machine might be better.

I have to tell you: I'm a Southern iced tea girl, and $269 for a special tea brewer makes me laugh and cry at the same time. I don't know one single Southern iced-tea drinker who has a special pot for tea-brewing! Everybody I know brews tea in an ordinary pot in hot water as described it in #4 and then adds it to a cold water in a pitcher to the desired strength. Keep it simple.