This website is devoted to one thing that I find to be an essential part of a good life. That one thing is good iced tea, more specifically black unsweetened iced tea.
This site started as my way of keeping track of the quality of iced tea that was being served at various restaurants and it has grown from there. For information about the iced tea at well known chain restaurants click here. For smaller restaurants with either one or a few locations use the map feature here. I have reviewed a number of the more popular unsweetened bottled teas which you can see by clicking here and for reviews of teas you would brew at home click here.
I have also compiled some information relating to the effect of tea drinking on health which you can view by clicking here.
Iced Tea Lover 
Finally, I have found someone who understands Iced tea like I do. I usually brew my own by the gallon at home but have an ample supply of Teajava in the garage fridge for travel and emergencies. I would like to email you more freely and discuss some other iced tea issues.
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Sorry about the delayed response, but I am glad someone finds my site/blog useful. We definitely need to discuss “iced tea issues” further.
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Also check back soon for some new content
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Wow, so happy I found this site! Chipotle iced tea is absolutely fantastic. Best I’ve found out there besides making it myself. I do love a fruity unsweetened tea, though.
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Chipotle’s iced tea is great, I agree.
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What type and brand do you like to brew yourself?
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Thanks for the site! I love unsweetened Black tea too. I knew Chipotle had awesome tea before I saw your site and this confirms it. It is delicious. Thanks for the reviews.
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My sister and I share a passion for fresh brewed unsweetened, black iced tea and she just recently shared your site with me! I agree that Panera is definitely the best! Quik Trip “QT” convenience store iced tea is also a favorite of mine! Love your reviews!
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Hey Jenni, I am glad you like the site. I noticed some recent changes to Panera’s iced tea that I am not excited about (at least at the two locations in my area). Here are the details: https://icedtealover.com/2017/06/16/changes-at-panera/
I was curious if the same changes have taken place at the Panera near you. I am also going to try their tea again tomorrow and may revise my 3.5 rating. I feel that I may have been a little harsh to bump them from a perfect rating down to 3.5.
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As a Southern boy, I prefer my iced tea sweetened with sugar, but I still want to taste the tea. I appreciate your post identifying the source of Chipotle’s excellent tea! I’ve already ordered a box from S&D’s retail site!
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I found this website by trying to figure out what type of tea the Habit uses. Thanks!
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I love half sweet and half unsweetened iced tea mixed. Panera Bread was one of my favorites but I just sadly found out they dropped sweet tea and state do it yourself ! With liquid sweetener! That takes a while to do in order to get it just right, pour, stir and sip and continue, too long and troublesome standing at a drink station blocking other customers from getting drinks! Plus wasting my time…why did they do that? Especially for a fast service place. I have had to deal with liquid sweetener in nice restaurants with servers and it never gets it just right in my opinion even when I have the time to mess with it. Really a surprise about that decision and they tell me to drink the green tea, green tea upsets my stomach and I am too old to change the way I like my tea, shame on Panera Bread!
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I agree about the change in Panera’s unsweat ice tea. I am also a fanatic about the quality of ice tea at restaurants. If a restaurant can not make quality tea how can your trust any thing else they serve. For me ice tea is the elixir of life and every day must start out with large quantities of it. It seems the quest for this elixir will be a long and arduous journey.
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Very well said. Let me know if you have come across any restaurants which have particularly good iced tea. Thanks
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I was impressed with corner bakery tea not only in south but in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately they closed the only 2 restaurants in our area. My daughter says I am still morning the loss. I do enjoy Einsteins bagel tea but it is very strong at my location but with some watery and a Yeti cup I am wide eyed all day. I have been making tea at home from left over jasmine tea from Mountain View, very good
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Awesome! Yeah I have enjoyed Corner Bakery tea as well. I will have to try Einsteins Bagel iced tea, looks like there is one not too far from me. Thanks for the tip.
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Do you use an ice tea machine to brew your tea? Or do you do it on the stove top? I’m looking for a new machine and was wondering if you have any suggestions.
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That’s a great question Lindsey. I have only used one actual brewing machine in the past, which is this Mr. Coffee iced tea maker (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001J5FN48/ref=zg_bs_3117950011_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=KN32TJKZ3JHEH6QDGMPT). I would not recommend it. The tea it makes tastes fine, but it is a pain to wash and the plastic parts quickly discolor which I feel eventually affects the taste. If you are going to get a brewing machine I would get one with a glass pitcher and as few plastic parts as possible. Mr Coffee has another model and Capresso has a few models that fit this description. There are also some electric tea kettles like this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003LNOPSG/ref=pd_aw_sim_sbs_79_of_31?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6B8P2ZK3TKCD1QF9XB2C) But these can get pricey and I don’t believe they are worth the cost.
I also considered the Tekeya Flash Chill iced tea maker, which I almost bought before I started brewing my tea on the stove top (see below).
Currently I use a stainless steel pot to heat water (1/2 gallon for a gallon sized tea bag) and add the tea at the very start before the water has heated much at all. I allow this to brew until there is a considerable amount of foam forming on the top. I then remove the tea bag and allow it to boil for about 1-2 minutes. I then pour this into a temperature safe glass pitcher with about equal amounts of ice. This method is described in my “Why I love Chipotle. . . and their iced tea” post (https://icedtealover.com/2017/07/13/why-i-love-chipotle-and-their-iced-tea/)
I feel this method is the most reliable way of not over brewing or burning the tea, but still getting it as strong as I prefer it to be.
Sorry for the lengthy response.
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How have I not found this site earlier? I generally agree with almost all of your reviews, although I lean more toward sweet tea. I had never considered trying Chipotle’s tea even though I have eaten there dozens of times. I tried it for the first time today and was very pleased with both the sweet and unsweet versions. I would never have pegged them as brewing tea that much better than almost any other chain place. Now, I am just hoping they are consistent from day to day and store to store.
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I am glad you are enjoying my site. I have found Chipotle’s tea very consistent in the 6 or so different locations where I have tried it (all in California). Let me know if you have the same experience. But I am sorry I don’t share the same love of sweet tea.
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It seems that Panera’s tea is getting weaker, though I have noted some variation between restaurants. Have they not gotten the message yet.
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Oh… where have you been all my life? This is the web site I’ve been looking for. “Iced black tea, no lemon, no sweetener” is something that just trips off my tongue….
I’m sure I’ll have more to say as I wander around the site!
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Sorry for the delayed responses to your comments. I haven’t been updating my site as much I as would like to lately. I do have some notes on a number of restaurant teas that I just have to organize and should be posting soon.
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No problem — It’s just been a day!
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I couldn’t find a good place to comment about bottled iced teas. Although Tejava is drinkable (unlike other bottled iced teas, whose best and highest use is almost certainly as plant food), the only one I’ve ever had that comes close to actually tasting like a fresh-brewed tea is Republic of Tea’s Darjeeling Black Tea. Originally I got this at a now-defunct restaurant, but I believe I’ve seen it recently in Whole Foods, and of course you can get it online. It’s very expensive for what it is, though.
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I am going to venture over to Whole Foods today to check for that tea.
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I like the site and your rankings are very good. This actually guides me to where I will eat when I am on the road or in a hurry. A great tea can make up for a otherwise ho hum meal.
I do not see Canes on your list however, and it has great tea! If you don’t have one, you are truly missing out on great tea (meals are good too). 5 tea bag rating from me.
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I am glad you are enjoying the site. Canes is on my list of places I need to visit. There isn’t one anywhere close to where I live. I will add it to my list with you as a “special contributor” if you don’t mind. Thanks again
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