How to Make Sweet Tea in a Coffee Maker

A long time ago, my aunt taught me how to make sweet tea in a coffee pot. It's something that I use often (so much easier than making it on the stove top in my opinion!), and it tastes just as delicious as making it the old-fashioned way.

Here's what you'll need:

a coffee pot, of course,

and 4 tea bags,

and some sweetener. I like to use Stevia, but you can use sugar or another sugar substitute. I use about 2 cups of sugar or Stevia, but you'll have to sweeten to taste! :)

Okay, so here's how to make it. First things first, it's important to clean your coffee maker. If you use an unclean coffee maker, you'll have coffee-flavored sweet tea! Yuck! 

Put a bit of apple cider vinegar in the water corral and run it through. It takes the coffee stains and the smell out! Easy win!

While the vinegar water is running through, unwrap four tea bags and pull off the strings and tags.

Now, dump out the vinegar water and pour fresh water into the coffee maker corral (It doesn't matter how much water you use exactly--I use about 8 cups). Next, stack up the four tea bags into the coffee filter area.

 Close the lid of the coffee maker and get brewin'!

Looks like coffee, but it's tea--promise!

Now grab your sugar (or sugar substitute--I recommend Stevia), and a large pitcher! Here's where the real fun begins...







While the tea is brewing, measure out the sugar into the pitcher. Two cups for three quarts works for me, but sweeten to taste! (Or leave it as unsweetened tea if you'd like.) This way, the hot tea will dissolve the sugar and the entire pitcher will be evenly sweetened. Once the coffee maker is done brewing, pour the tea into the pitcher with the sugar. 

Using a wooden spoon, mix them together! 

Mine looks frothy because of the Stevia. If you use regular sugar, it won't be quite so bubbly.

Now, you basically have a sugar-tea concentrate. Drink this and you'll be bouncing off the walls for a week straight. It's time to dilute this concentrate with some cold water!

Now all that's left to do is enjoy your fresh sweet tea!

Yum! :) Anyone else have any easy shortcuts in the kitchen?

Get to brewin',