How to Make Instant Pot Iced Tea: Your New Summer Drink Obsession

I’m not going to lie. I consume an obscene amount of black tea on a daily basis. Some people love their coffee, I enjoy a strong cup of black tea and a splash of cream. When the summer months start rolling around and the temperature inches towards 100 degrees, I move from drinking hot tea all day to iced tea. Iced tea can become very expensive if you are buying it pre-made. When I purchased our Instant Pot a few years ago, I started thinking about how I could make a pretty powerful iced tea that would not take forever, like the stove top method. A quick google search showed that I am not alone in my thinking. 

It is a super easy recipe and takes no time at all really, but it delivers the most potent, yet not bitter, iced tea. The best part is that you can make it to your liking and have a heaping batch of it to last you a while. 

What You’ll Need:

  • Instant Pot

  • 5 Black tea bags (I use organic English Breakfast Tea from Mighty Leaf) You can pick it up at Whole Foods, Peet’s, and our local Safeway has it as well sometimes.

  • 1-2 fruity flavored herbal tea bags (I use Mint Watermelon Flavored Back Tea from Trader Joe’s)

  • A pinch of baking soda (it helps to keep the tea from getting bitter)

  • 1.7 Liters of water (or about 7 cups)

How You’ll Make It:

  1. I have a hot water kettle, so I boil my water first. If you don’t have a kettle, turn your insta pot on to the sauté setting and click it until it says “More.

  2. Next, pour in the water (I use filtered tap water) and let the water come to a simmer. Note: this can take a few minutes, so find something else to do for about ten minutes.

  3. Add your tea bags and a pinch of baking soda and turn the instant pot to pressure cook.

  4. Cook for 5 minutes.

  5. Allow the tea to come to a natural release.

  6. Wait for the tea to cool, add ice to a glass and pour over.

  7. Enjoy!

Add-Ins to Try:

  • I have used fresh fruit from our garden such as lemon, cherries, apple, peach, and berries with success.

  • Another thing I love adding in is fresh herbs from our garden. I like to add mint, I have added rosemary (use sparingly) and thyme. All added a delicious hint of flavor.

  • You can also add in some homemade simple syrup to make your tea sweet. Simple syrup is a breeze to make. If you can boil water, you can make simple syrup. Just boil equal parts water to granulated sugar. Add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

  • My favorite add in is half and half. It provides a creamy texture that I just love when drinking tea.

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