Mr Coffee Iced Tea Pot Instructions

Making Iced Tea With a Mr Coffee Iced Tea Pot

I have been making cold brew tea in this thing for about two years now. The manual is thin, the plastic feels cheap, and honestly it does what it says. Let me walk you through it.

First, remove the lid and pull out the filter basket. That is the part most people get wrong. The basket snaps into place at the top of the carafe. Push it down until it clicks, but do not force it. I cracked the hinge on mine doing that. You can replace the basket for about eight dollars, but you can also skip it entirely if you use loose leaf tea in a reusable filter. Fill the reservoir with cold water up to the line for however many cups you want. One cup equals eight ounces. The markings go from one to ten. I usually do six because the tea comes out stronger than I expect when I follow the manual literally. The water gets heated by a small internal element, similar to how they make regular hot coffee, then drips through the tea basket and over ice in the carafe below. Put your tea in the basket. Coarse ground coffee doesn't apply here. Use tea bags or loose leaf. If you use loose leaf, fill the basket about halfway and pack it gently. Don't stuff it. I learned that the hard way when my first batch came out bitter and watery at the same time, which sounds impossible but the water was channeling through a gap on one side instead of soaking through the leaves evenly. I put a small tea ball inside the basket to keep things distributed and the second attempt was fine.

Course your ice. The pitcher has a measured line for ice too. Fill to that line. Put the basket in, close the lid, and press start. The machine will run for roughly four to six minutes depending on how much water is in the reservoir. Wait for it to finish. Do not open the lid while it is running. You will lose heat and the brewed tea will be weaker than it should be. Once it stops, let it sit for another two minutes. Stir it with a clean spoon. Then drink it. You can refrigerate the rest. It stays good for three days in the carafe, four if you keep it cold and covered. The carafe is glass. It is not tempered. If you set it on a hot surface right after brewing, it will crack. I have seen this happen at least three times in forums. Let it cool on the counter for ten minutes before moving it. The handle stays cool enough to touch after brewing, so you can pour without a second thought.

One thing the manual doesn't mention: descaling. The water reservoir is small, which means mineral buildup happens faster than you might think. I use white vinegar once a month. Fill the reservoir halfway with vinegar and halfway with water. Run a brew cycle with no tea in the basket. Let it sit for twenty minutes. Then run two more cycles with plain water to clear the taste. It takes about ten minutes total and prevents the slow dripping issue that shows up after a few months of regular use. If you prefer a stronger brew, use more tea than the package suggests. One package says four bags for a full pot. I use six and it tastes better without being undrinkable. Loose leaf black tea works well. Earl Grey gives a citrusy note that pairs nicely with lemon. Green tea is risky in this machine because the water gets too hot for it. You can use green tea bags, but the result will be slightly astringent. Chamomile works, though, and so does rooibos. The carafe has a spout that pours cleanly if you pour slowly. Tilt it gradually. Fast pouring makes it drip down the side and stain your counter. I keep a paper towel ready for that. Also, the lid seals tight enough that you can toss it in the fridge without leakage, which is more than I can say for some of these cheap pitchers.

The main drawbacks: the basket is small, the carafe holds about sixty ounces, and the heating element is not variable. You cannot dial in a lower temperature. If you are used to controlling steeping temperature precisely, this won't give you that. It is adequate for casual iced tea, not for precision brewing. For that, you are better off doing cold steep in the fridge overnight. It takes longer but the flavor is cleaner and there is no risk of burning the leaves. Still, for the price and the convenience, it does its job. I keep mine on the counter next to the coffee maker. It gets used two or three times a week in summer. In winter, less so. If you want something that just works without fuss, this is it. Just watch the basket hinge and descale it every few weeks.