Cold Brewing vs. Hot Brewing?
So my usual work day consists of me making hot tea and then turning it into iced tea in my water bottle. But when that runs out I throw a few tea bags into cold water. My question is.. do you still get the same benefits cold brewing it as making it hot? Or do you HAVE to make it with hot water?
I think they both have benefits in terms of flavor (unless I am mistaken, cold brewing doesn’t really mess with antioxidants/caffeine much), though for iced tea I definitely prefer cold brewing. It takes out any bitterness or tannins and the flavors also tend to develop a bit more in my experience, since you steep ’em for so long. My usual cold brew is 12 hours!
I also make iced tea with the old standby “brew it double strength and pour over ice” but I find myself more and more drawn to cold brewing: first for the convenience and then because, well, I just like it more! But everyone has their own tastes, so experiment and see what you like. I think doing a taste-test with the same tea made several ways would be helpful.
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