Name: Microwave Iced Tea
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 5 tea bags of your choice; 1 quart spring water (see note); 1 - 6 tablespoons granulated sugar or natural cane sugar (depending on desired sweetness); 1 quart ice cubes (see note), plus additional cubes for glasses

Why This Recipe Works

We determined that a good iced tea recipe depended on doing a lot of little things right. The key to strong but not bitter flavor was water temperature. And unless the quality of your tap water is very, very good, spring water is the way to go; it produced tea with the freshest, cleanest, clearest look and taste. We found that a ratio of 5 teabags to 1 quart of water worked best in our iced tea recipe. The amount of sugar can be varied from 1 to 6 tablespoons, depending on taste.

Before You Begin

Depending on the quality of your tap water, you may want to use bottled spring water to make both the tea itself and your ice cubes. Doubling this recipe is easy, but use a large saucepan and expect the water to take a few minutes longer to reach the proper temperature. For a slightly stronger iced tea, reduce the amount of ice to 3 cups. Garnish with a thin lemon wedge to squeeze into the tea, if you like. Using a 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup makes this tea a one-pot drink from brewing to pouring. Exact heating time will depend on the power of your microwave and the starting temperature of the water.

Instructions

Heat tea bags and water in 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup or other large microwave-safe bowl covered with microwave-safe dinner plate, on high power until dark colored, very steamy, and water starts to move but not boil (an instant-read thermometer will register about 190 degrees), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from microwave and steep 3 minutes (no longer or the tea may become bitter). Remove plate; remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar, if using, until dissolved; stir in ice until melted. Serve in ice-filled glasses.