Recently, the weather has warmed here in Philly and the balmier days have me craving big glasses of iced coffee and tea. I’ve been dashing out to my favorite coffeeshop for the java (I really need to get my cold brew habit restarted) and I’ve been using a Takeya Flash Chill Iced Tea Maker for my hit of iced tea.
The folks at Takeya sent me this iced tea maker month or so back to try out (along with a couple boxes of tea). I’m well and truly smitten with it because it allows me to make iced tea without an overnight wait or extended cooling time in the fridge (and sadly, I rarely have room in my fridge for such things as pitchers of iced tea. It’s a little crammed in there most of the time).
The way it works is that you load the tea into the infuser and fill the container halfway up with appropriately heated water (temperatures vary for different styles of tea, so it’s always good to consult a tea brewing chart like this one). Once the tea has steeped, you pull the infuser out of the pitcher.
Then you fill the pitcher up with ice, screw on the lid tightly and shake the whole apparatus to cool down the tea. The lid is designed so that the pitcher should not leak at all (which also means that you can store it on its side, another plus for my overstuffed fridge).
Takeya has put together a really nice line of teas designed to work with these tea makers, as well as recipes to fancy up your basic iced tea.
You should use more ice than I show here. I just happened to be low on ice at the moment I was making this batch and so skimped a little (such is life). Still, it was quite good with a splash of rhubarb syrup (from a recent batch of this guy) and a little sparkling water.
Thanks to the nice Takeya folks, I have one of these pitchers to give away, along with one packet of tea. Here’s how to enter.
- Leave a comment on this post and share your favorite way cool down in the warmer months.
- Comments will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2013. Winner will be chosen at random and will be posted to the blog that evening.
- Giveaway open to US residents, only (so sorry, further-flung friends, I’m not in charge of the shipping).
- One comment per person, please. Entries must be left via the comment form on the blog at the bottom of this post.
I’m from the Midwest – so with iced tea and a run through the sprinklers of course!
Ice tea with lots of mint and ice.
For me, iced coffee is the way to go, but my husband is an iced tea man, through and through!
Love my iced tea! I have to admit….I have never seen one of the “tea makers” shown.
Love a nice cool glass of iced tea or water with a slice of lime, sit on my screened in porch and look at my gardens!
I drink a lot of tea and water, especially when it’s warm. I really like it fresh brewed with a slice of lemon or lime. No sweetener for me! If I won this I would definitely use it all the time.
I’m constantly making iced tea, my family goes through at least a gallon a day. This Takeya iced tea maker would be a wonderful tool to have.
It’s fantastic to cool down on a warm summer night with a tall glass of iced tea in front of the fire pit. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a long hot day.
Iced Tea is definitely my FAVORITE way to cool down in the summer months — Especially with Mint, Honey & Lemon added to my cup! YUM! I can’t wait!
In the summer we make mint sun tea… Lovely and refreshing!
I love the cold coffee method you posted before, it’s wonderful! This looks like a great way to make it also.
Thanks!
Debi
I plop my feet in the wading pool with the kids and golden retrievers. I only put my feet in because the dogs and kids end up splashing me anyway.
lime chiller and a cool fan
I love ice tea all time of the year! In Texas we drink a ton of ice tea. I like mine with mint.
frozen grapes are a great way to get a cold, sweet treat!
Spring has been so slow to come here and just the other day I was dreaming about iced tea on the back deck. I love to read a magazine in the sun while the kids play in the yard. Sigh….
Ooh, I love iced tea. It’s too chilly here for it to be a big craving yet.
I’m from Texas….when the temperature busts 100, water-wter-water is the answer. Drink water, play in the water, sweat out gallons of water.
I just bought a new house and I am looking forward to sipping ice tea on the front porch.
fresh iced tea with lemon is a great way!!! also me & the kids spend a lot of time at the lake…thank goodness it is only a mile away!
I love the occasional summer nap with the fan on high. Indulgent and cool. 🙂
I love to eat chilled watermelon. It hits the spot everytime!
I like to take a cold shower when it’s especially hot and sticky.
My favorite way to cool down is to use the flash chill maker. I just bought one and love the speed at which you chill out. I want to win one for my daughter to give her a great summer
my favorite way to cool down in the summer is to jump into a cold creek. Cole beer and iced tea are also good.
Me and my mate love tea, I’m sure this would be a hit!
Popsicles, no question.
sprinklers of course, and we would definitely make use of an iced tea maker!
I love frozen fruit!
Iced coffee. By the pitcher. Can’t make it fast enough.
Iced tea for sured!
I live by the ocean so swimming and smoothies for me!
This looks like a great product.
Nothing is more refreshing that drinking a tall glass of sweet tea with peach puree ice cubes.
My favorite way to cool off is iced chai tea or water with so much lemon, it is practically unsweetened lemonade.
A mojito. Or a green smoothie. Or a peel lemon/lime + ice + sugar blender treat. Shade from a big tree and a good book help, too.
Pimms or Sun tea
I generally stick with either lemonade or cold beer. But only rarely do I do a shandy.
I drink a ton of iced tea and like to make flavored lemonades like watermelon and cucumber lemonade.
Lemon water & fresh pineapple juice over ice. Yum.
Iced coldbrew coffee with sweetened condensed milk for hot days inside, and a reused glass juice bottle full of lime slices and mint leaves with water and ice when I’m working in the fields or greenhouse.