[imported_Melissa]

Anyone have one? Do you like? Can you use it to make sweet tea? We saw one that specifically said it would make sweet tea but it cost quite a bit more; the cheaper ones didn't mention it.

 

[JollyMolly]

I have one. I guess I dont understand why you need one specific for sweet tea. I just add sugar to the pitcher and as the tea brews into the pitcher it desolves. I just stir it once it is all done. Anyways, I use mine a lot and really like it.

 

[imported_bacatherine]

We have one and use it all the time. DH drinks unsweet but if we want sweet we just do like Laurie said and add it while it's still hot and it disolves.

 

[imported_Melissa]

That's what we figured you would do, but then we saw the one that said it made sweet tea and wondered why it would say that specifically. We got confused!

Which ones do you guys have?

 

[Allie]

Mine looked like the 2 qt mr. coffee model, but I don't know if that was the brand. It emptied into big pitchers, which was nice. I found it was easier just to steep a couple of tea bags on the stove and then dilute it with water. But now we've gone to the ultimate lazy--buying it in gallon jugs at Costco. Denny drinks 5 or 6 a week.

 

[bbbmom]

I have the Mr. Coffee tea maker....LOVE IT! It's under $20. http://www.mrcoffee.com/Products.aspx?cid=43

Yeah, I don't understand why you can't make sweet tea with it. I add my sweetener to the ice and it all gets mixed in when the hot tea pours over it.

FYI, I don't know if anyone else does this but I do not use a filter. I just throw my tea bags in the holder. I think my instructions said to use a filter. Not necessary for bags though.

 

[joflake]

We have one too. It's really old, but my husband uses it a lot. He just puts sugar in the pitcher while it brews if he wants sweet. I like mine unsweetened with lemon.

 

[TangerineFizz]

I use a pitcher and the kettle. I had no idea there were tea makers. I'm gonna go google happy now.

 

[bbbmom]

Seriously, it's the best!!! You just fill up the pitcher with water to the water line, pour that in the machine. Then fill up the pitcher with ice to the ice line. Throw your bags into the machine and in about 5 min. it's done!

 

[imported_bacatherine]

We have a 2qt Mr. Coffee one it works great.

 

[imported_Nick]

Seriously, it's the best!!! You just fill up the pitcher with water to the water line, pour that in the machine. Then fill up the pitcher with ice to the ice line. Throw your bags into the machine and in about 5 min. it's done!

Apparently those pitchers are not (or were not when I bought one) dishwasher safe. It even said so on the bottom, and I proceeded to not read that little cautionary label and melted the pitcher.

 

[JollyMolly]

Seriously, it's the best!!! You just fill up the pitcher with water to the water line, pour that in the machine. Then fill up the pitcher with ice to the ice line. Throw your bags into the machine and in about 5 min. it's done!

Apparently those pitchers are not (or were not when I bought one) dishwasher safe. It even said so on the bottom, and I proceeded to not read that little cautionary label and melted the pitcher.

Yes! I did the same thing! I'm on my 2nd one!

 

[bbbmom]

I have put mine in the top rack of the DW and it hasn't melted! I will definitely not do it anymore though.

 

[Charla]

I used to have one. But it's just as easy for me to brew some tea on the stove in a regular pot and pour it into a pitcher with ice. :embarrass: I don't have enough room for a bunch of gizmos in my kitchen. I had to simplify.

 

[MidwestGirl]

I used to have one. But it's just as easy for me to brew some tea on the stove in a regular pot and pour it into a pitcher with ice. :embarrass: I don't have enough room for a bunch of gizmos in my kitchen. I had to simplify.

Same here

 

[labby]

Pot on the stove, boil the water, throw in the tea bags and let steep. Then add cold water, sugar or anything else you want.

 

[imported_zoezoe]

Pot on the stove, boil the water, throw in the tea bags and let steep. Then add cold water, sugar or anything else you want.

bingo! i have never understood the reasoning behind the ice tea maker. a guy at work had one and used to make tea there...yeh i can see that...we didn't have a stove at work.

i've gotten like allie and buy the gallon jugs at Publix.

 

[imported_Nick]

I have put mine in the top rack of the DW and it hasn't melted! I will definitely not do it anymore though.

I was dumb enough to put it on the bottom rack (wouldn't fit on the top). In my defense, this was back when I was a sophomore in college and didn't even know how to boil water. If it hasn't melted yet, I'd say you're fine.

 

[Bob Pr.]

Many of you are talking about using tea bags. I switched from drinking coffee to drinking tea over 30 years ago. During that time, I've learned to make good tea -- whether to drink hot, cold, or iced.

I get my water to a rolling boil (usually in a 4 cup/1 quart Pyrex measuring cup or in a one cup Hottle) in the microwave, put in the desired # of teaspoons of whole tea leaves for that amount of water, and then cover it and let it steep for 5 minutes. Then pour off through a strainer the desired amount into a cup or glass.

While I CAN drink tea bag tea if I must, it's taste is a disappointment when you get used to whole leaf teas.

I used to like Assams (for breakfast), Darjeelings (some are as fine as fine wine, many different qualities depending on which estate), China Keemuns and Formosa Oolongs. Assams and Darjeelings have more "jolt" in them.

My tastes have changed over the years -- NOW my favorites are China Keemuns (black), Formosa Oolongs (semi-black), and China Gunpowders (green). These are gentler teas with less stimulant.

I never use sugar in my tea.

Chinese Keemun makes a fantastic iced tea as well as great hot tea (or luke warm or luke cool).

It's easy for almost anyone to taste immediately the difference between generic tea bag teas and a good quality whole leaf black tea -- tea bag teas often taste dusty, they're made of very fine particles so they give up their qualities quicker and in water less hot.

I've tried putting whole tea leaves into those pierced metal tea balls and do not like the result -- the water isn't able to circulate sufficiently around all the leaves. For me, it's strictly whole tea leaves into the pot's water, cover, let rest 5 minutes, then strain the desired amount off.

Places I use to buy my teas are:

www.murchies.com/ Victoria, BC, Canada

www.specialteas.com/ New Jersey

Gosh!This has made me thirsty!! I'm going to go make a pot right now.

 

[imported_zoezoe]

bob, check out fortnum and mason in england (london)....awesome teas from there.