Must I put hot water in when making tea?

Question

specifically, can I do it with just cold water?

Answer 1

must be boiling!

Answer 2

For "English Breakfast" style teas, the water must be boiling when poured, this helps the brewing process.

For herbal teas, boilnig water is not necessary and can in some cases cause a bitter taste.

Brewing tea with cold water would require a tea for that purpose.

Answer 3

Depends on what kind of tea you are making. If it's from scratch, 6 tea bags in a large glass pitcher in the microwave for 4 minutes, add sugar to that, wait til tea looks like the way you like it and stir, add to ice in pitcher 2 qt. Stir and add water as needed. If you are using an artificial sweetner, just use cold water, but the point is to force the tea out using hot water and sugar mixes better in hot liquid. Got it?

Answer 4

Are you using tea leaves? Or are you using powder? If you're using leaves [either loose or in bags] it needs to steep in either hot water or in the sun. Sun tea is becoming very popular. If you live in an area that gets good strong sun, take a clear glass jug and the tea, place it in the sun for a couple of days. The brew is not bitter as it can be when done with fire heated water. Don't put a tight cap on the container in the sun. Either prop it loosely or use cheese cloth.

Answer 5

it's about how the tea steeps. the molecules in hot water travel very fast, going in and out of the tea bag very quickly which turns the water into tea... while cold water does the opposite, not getting very much flavor or nutrients from the tea due to slow-moving molecules. to test this out, get a glass of hot water and a glass of cold water and put a drop of food coloring in each at the same time... see which one's molecules spread the color around faster.
and i would definitely suggest boiling over the microwave... because the hotter the water, the better.

Answer 6

The Late Great Author Douglas Addams (Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy) Told me the proper way to make a pot of tea the English way at a book signing in Portland Oregon. Americans don't do it right which is why he was drinking coffee.
Start with a pot of boiling water-fill the teapot and wrap it in a towel to hold the heat while you refill the pot with (COLD) water and bring it to a rolling boil. Then you dump out the teapot and your tealeaves or bags and immediately fill it with the fresh boiling water. Cover it with the towel again and let it steep for 10-15 minutes.
Try it- it makes a difference.

Answer 7

Yes, If you're willing to wait longer for it. The heat speeds up the process. Like a couple hours.

Also Lipton now makes cold brew tea bags that only take a couple of minutes in cold water.

Answer 8

The water should be boiling unless you are making Long Island Iced Tea

Answer 9

Sure! Make sun-tea,cold water in a pitcher,tea bags,put it out in the sun,it makes itself.

Answer 10

No,
You may put tea bags in a jar and put in the sun for suntea. Or you can put the tea bags in a jar and set in your fridge overnight. I use to do both in the early 1980's before getting married. I do not remember the amount of teabags I used but, for 1 gallon I believe it was 7 bags.

Answer 11

To get the full flavor of the tea, it should be boiling hot water, then steeped for a few minutes, and then drunk.