We love any excuse to try out some new recipes. On a sunny day, when we’re sitting outside in the garden, we love to treat ourselves to a jug of homemade iced tea.

A few years ago, Iced tea was a big drinks trend, and ever since, it’s popularity has remained unwavering. It’s easy to see why, though - these sweet, refreshing drinks are full of flavour, and look really impressive (despite being deceptively easy to make).

They make a great addition to the table if you’ve got guests round, or a fun way to add some class to your weekend at home. Plus, you can get the kids involved in the making, too.

At Smarter, we’re experts in the world of homemade drinks (if we do say so ourselves). From coffees and teas to chagaccinos and cocktails, we know exactly how to make delicious drinks at home.

So, in this series of Summer-inspired blog posts, we’ll be showing you how to make the perfect tea for a hot day. Below, you’ll find five of our favourite Summer iced tea recipes. We’ll cheers to that.

1. Iced Peach Ginger Tea

Ingredients

• Ripe peach, 1, pitted and sliced
• Green tea, 2 bags
• Fresh ginger, 4 1cm discs
• Hot water, 700ml
• Raw honey, to taste

Method

• Add the peach, green tea, ginger and honey to a large jug.
• Using your iKettle, boil the water to 95°C. Then, pour into the jar.
• Allow the ingredients to infuse into the water for 15-20 minutes (depending on how strong you like it).
• Remove the tea bags, then leave the jug to chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

2. Blackberry & Mint Iced Tea

Ingredients

• Fresh blackberries, 65g
• Fresh mint, 6 leaves
• Green tea, 2 bags
• Hot water, 700ml
• Raw honey, to taste

Method
Add the blackberries, green tea, mint and honey to a large jug.
Using your iKettle, boil the water to 95°C. Then, pour into the jar.
Allow the ingredients to infuse into the water for 15-20 minutes (depending on how strong you like it).
Remove the tea bags, then leave the jug to chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

3. Real Thai Iced Tea

This one is great for all you foodies, who are keen to try something different.

Ingredients

• Loose-leaf black tea, 2 tbsp
• Star anise, 1
• Cardamom pods, 2
• Cinnamon stick, ½
• Vanilla extract, ¼ tsp
• Tamarind powder, to taste
• Almond extract, ¼ tsp
• Hot water, 240ml
• Sugar, 1 tbsp
• Sweetened condensed milk, 1 tbsp
• Coconut milk, 2 tsp

Method

• Using your iKettle, boil the water to 100°C. Then, pour into a large pan.
• Add the tea, star anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, tamarind powder, and almond extract to the water. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes.
• Use a fine sieve to strain the liquid into a large jar (in order to remove the spices).
• Stir the sugar and milks into the mixture.
• Leave the jug to chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

4. Pineapple Iced Tea

Ingredients

• Hot water, 950 ml
• Tea bags, 7
• Sugar, 2 tbsp
• Unsweetened pineapple juice, 240 ml
• Lemon juice, 70 ml
• Pineapple chunks, a handful
• Lemon slices, 4
• Fresh mint leaves, 4

Method

• Using your iKettle, boil the water to 100°C. Then, pour into a large jug.
• Add the tea to the water. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bags.
• Add the rest of the ingredients to the jug.
• Leave the jug to chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

5. Iced Honeydew Mint Tea

Ingredients

• Hot water, 950 ml
• Fresh mint leaves, 25
• Green tea bags, 8
• Sugar, 70g
• Diced honeydew melon, 650g

Method

• Using your iKettle, boil the water to 95°C. Then, pour into a large jug.
• Add the tea and mint to the water. Allow to infuse for 5 minutes. Then remove the tea bags.
• Add the sugar to the jug.
• In a blender, blitz the melon. Pour into the jug and give everything a good stir.
• Leave the jug to chill in the fridge for 4 hours.

These flavourful recipes are perfect for the Summertime. Not only are they super healthy, but they are also quick and easy to make, using affordable, easy-to-find ingredients. They’re the ideal choice for a picnic, a trip to the park or a glam garden party.

To make these iced tea recipes even easier, our iKettle is an essential device to have on-hand. With it, you can carefully boil the water to the precise temperature required. Most of the recipes require the water to be heated to 95°C. This is because it’s the optimum temperature at which the full flavour of the ingredients can be extracted, without over-extracting the tea, and causing the drink to have a harsh or bitter flavour.

Plus, to heat the water in the iKettle, all you need to do is click a button on the Smarter app, or ask your Alexa, Siri or Google to do it for you. It’s like having an extra helper in your kitchen!

To find out more about our smart kettle, head over to the Smarter website, where you can read the full list of its impressive functions, or order one for yourself.