The Original Instant Pot Iced Tea
This quick and easy Instant Pot iced tea recipe is a new summer staple. Use this recipe to make iced tea concentrate in your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
You're outside relaxing comfortably on the lounge chair, enjoying the warm kiss of the summer sunshine. The air is warm, sticky and smells like August.
You're hot, and thirsty, and you totally care about keeping hydrated. Reach down to the shade beneath your chair and grab a glistening, sweating, bottle of home brewed, organic iced tea.
I grew up drinking iced tea rather than pop. I call it pop, because I’m Canadian, I think that’s a pretty Canadian thing? I’d love to know what you call it, and where you’re from! I’ve heard cola, soda, etc
Step aside cold brew coffee – Instant Pot Iced Tea is here. There’s a new sheriff in Drink Town!
This recipe is dedicated to keepin cool. In more ways than one.
Tips + Tricks
No. 1 –> Yes, you need to try this. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it really is great! Brewing Instant Pot sweet tea is quick and totally hands-off.
No. 2 –> Cream sounds a bit weird, but it adds a really rich mouthfeel. Makes it really decadent, like a good cold brew!
No. 3 –> Buy good tea and use good water. There are so few ingredients in this recipe, but it will make a big difference in the final product if you use the good stuff.
BE AWARE: this recipe produces more of an Instant Pot iced tea concentrate than actual iced tea! So just know that it’s like rocket-powered tea, it’s much better on ice, and I preferred it with cream.
Ingredients
- Teabags
- Filtered water
- flavour boosters, optional.
How to make
- Add water to Instant Pot, bring to a simmer.
- Add tea, baking soda, and chopped fruit and herbs if desired.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add sweetener once it’s done cooking
- Enjoy!
Flavour boosters
This Instant Pot ice tea recipe is really versatile, it can handle just about any fruit/ herb combo you wanna throw at it. OR, if you’re into the classics, it can handle no adds too. The world is your oyster!
I’ve done apple, berry, peach, peppermint, and other fruits and herbs! All of them have been delicious. I’ve also added jam, honey, a bit of sugar.
I’ve given you the bones, now you take them and let your creative foodie flag fly!
If you like this Instant Pot recipe, you’ll probably love my NEW Instant Pot Lemonade recipe!
Why Baking Soda
Baking soda is 9 on the pH scale, because of its alkalinity baking soda is able to effectively buffer acidity.
There are a few schools of thought on the acidity vs bitterness vs astringency taste sensations. In totally basic terms, only bitterness and acidity are sense of taste, where astringency is the sense of touch.
- Acidity gives off crisp, sour flavour. Think of lemons, and vinegar.
- Bitterness is sharp and pungent – think of leafy greens or grapefruit.
- Astringency is a sensation – think of a good bottle of red wine, and how it drys your mouth right out and leaves you with a parched feeling. That is astringency! And also a damn good glass of wine!
Does buffering acidity mean that the baking soda can also buffer astringency? Not necessarily, but proponents on both sides swear their side is right.
For me, I just split the difference and add my little pinch and pretend I’m making science! You can decide!
Love your instant pot? Try these!
📖 Printable Recipe
Instant Pot Iced Tea
Ingredients
- 5 tea bags, I used Pure Leaf black tea with vanilla
- 6 cups filtered water
- pinch of baking soda, optional
- chopped fruit or herbs, ex. apple, mint, strawberry
- Maple syrup, or honey, to taste.
Instructions Start Cooking
- Add water to pot of pressure cooker, set to reduce, and bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add the tea bags, baking soda, and fruit/herbs, if using.
- Close lid and valve. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.
- Strain the tea into a large container, add sweetener 1 tbsp at a time, tasting in between. Tea will be a bit bitter when hot, so be cautious not to over-sweeten!
- Chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
- Serve over ice, and add cream if desired.
I’m a little late to the conversation, but i was wondering does this tea get cloudy when refrigerated? I love tea and drink it absolutely every day, but i hate cloudy tea and will disgard any tea that turns cloudy.
I’ve never had mine go cloudy!