Erin said

Pitcher for iced tea

Summer is coming and I want to be able to make a whole pitcher of iced tea at once instead of just a glass! But I have no pitcher D:

Even though I’ll probably be cold-steeping a lot, I also want to be able to do the “brew double strong then pour over ice” method. But I don’t want a plastic pitcher to be leaching bad stuff into the hot water and I don’t want a glass pitcher to shatter from the temperature change.
I know I could let the tea cool and then pour it into the pitcher, but I think that would alter the flavour?
Does anyone know what kind of material I should be looking for/where to buy one? What do you use? I think around 32oz should be good for size.

9 Replies
jones5874 said

I think this is a common issue. This is what I ended up getting last summer after realizing it was probably a bad idea to brew piping hot tea in an old plastic pitcher. It’s 50oz, which is slightly smaller than many regular-sized pitchers out there, but works well for one or two people who want iced tea for a few days.

It’s made of a “new glass-like plastic called acraglass.” (BPA-free) Supposedly it’s safe, but then some new products turn out not to be safe in the long run. I’ll take my chances.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/dining-and-entertaining/pitchers-and-decanters/airtight-pour-store-pitcher/s167943

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http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/tea-makers-infusers/p/blue-infusion-tea-pitcher

I use this – its plastic, but but BPA-free, and I’ve never noticed any taste from it. It’s 24oz, which may be small, but it’s jus the right size for me. I think Teavana has – or used to have – a 50oz, but I can’t find it on their website.

Usually, I pour hot water instep for the required time, and then pull the brew basket out before I stick it in the fridge. Or, if it’s an herbal, I’ll leave the basket in while I put it in the fridge.

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SimplyJenW said

I have a Fiestaware Large Disc Pitcher. Works great for hot and cold. (Mine is red.)

http://www.fiestafactorydirect.com/c-145-large-disc-pitcher.aspx?pid=211

It is a bummer that it is not see through, but it is very sturdy. I am sure there are many places to buy it.

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momo said

I found a big glass pitcher for the hot tea method. It was the thickest glass I saw, and when I asked someone who worked there if they thought it’d be good, they told me that it’d probably work just fine but if it broke I could get a refund, lol.

It’s similar to this one but patterned: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3596142

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tigress_al said

I use a Takeya jug. They sold them last year at Davids Tea in the summer, so they might be coming back. I got mine at Winners. It is heavy duty BPA free plastic. It also has an infuser. I make the big 60 ounce jug and leave it in the fridge for a few days.

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I also have a Takeya pitcher I picked up last summer and it rocks! Double bonus…you can lay it down in the fridge (when lid is secure) to save space! I really suggest picking one up!

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We actually have three of the 66 oz takeya pitchers.

First we bought one from Amazon, and it actually comes with a semi-decent infuser, so you could brew in the pot itself:

http://www.amazon.com/Takeya-Airtight-Drink-Maker-Pitcher/dp/B004TJ3ZUA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337213900&sr=8-3

Then Costco was selling the two pack for sub $20:

http://www.amazon.com/Takeya-Airtight-Drink-Maker-Pitcher/dp/B004TJ3ZUA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337213900&sr=8-3

They’re awesome. They’re BPA free, so no plastic leeches, and they feel like they’d actually hold up if I dropped one on my tile floor (though, I’m NOT testing that!).

They’re good enough that even though we now have three, I thought about picking another two-pack up from Costco just to have them around.

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Erin said

Those Takeya ones look great! On Amazon it says it’s 12 inches tall which is just barely too tall to fit in my fridge, but since it’s vacuum sealed I guess you could store it on its side? Is it really leak-proof? And since it’s not glass it won’t shatter with the temperature change, right?

Missy said

I have stood them upside down and waited for a leak. I have set them on their sides for a while again waiting for leaks. So far I have no leak show up. I didn’t believe they wouldn’t leak either. They are also thin enough to fit in my refrigerator door. Some times you get more room in between shelves on the door.

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