Ice tea makers come in different brands and sizes. They are all very simple to use if you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. You have a choice of whether you want to use tea bags or loose tea leaves. If you use the loose tea you will need to buy coffee filters for your machine.
It is advised to keep the machine unplugged while filling the reservoir with the water and the pitcher with ice cubes. Wipe the counter surface free of any spills before plugging in your machine.
Do not overfill the reservoir. Do not overfill the pitcher with ice. Pay attention to the corresponding marks which will tell you exactly how much water and how much ice you must use. If you don’t pay attention to this not only could you end up with a mess your tea will be either very strong or too weak.
For added flavor, like lemon or sugar you can add that directly into the tea basket. As your tea brews the flavor will distribute evenly throughout your tea.
Be aware that your tea maker will become very hot. Steam may become an issue so use caution so to avoid any burns.
When first using your ice tea maker do not add a lot of flavorings at first. You can always adjust accordingly the next time you make it. Within a few tries you will have your tea recipe perfected.
As you get better acquainted with your ice tea maker start experimenting with different recipes and even sugars and honey.
Try adding a little brown sugar, cinnamon and Tang orange-flavored drink mix to your tea basket for a “Russian” blend tea.
Raspberry flavoring or strawberry flavoring might also be something you would like to try.
Wondering how to keep your ice tea maker clean? It does need to be cleaned regularly. If not odors will build up and your tea will not be safe to drink. Mold and bacteria will start to grow inside the water reservoir.
Your brewing basket needs to be cleaned every time after it is used. The pitcher should be cleaned after using as well. A mild dish detergent works well but if you notice a build up of stains, soak the items in vinegar for about 1 hour. Rinse and then wash. The vinegar odor will evaporate.
Now to clean the inside reservoir. The inside reservoir needs to be cleaned once a week if you use it a lot. Act like your going to brew a pot of tea. No tea bags though. Add vinegar to your reservoir up to the top line on your machine and turn it on. The vinegar will clean out any gunk that has build up.
Throw away the vinegar after brewing and open the lids of your tea maker. Let the odor of the vinegar evaporate before your next use.
An ice tea maker is a great appliance to have. No more waiting for the water to boil or for your tea to cool down.
If you are a tea lover you really need to get yourself one of these time-savers.
