Mr. Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea and Iced Coffee Maker, Blue

Why didn't I buy this iced tea maker years ago? I love it and can't imagine going back to the old fashioned way of making a big pot of tea on the stove in a stew pot. I bought this during a week when my whole family had been sick with the early flu of the season, and we were drinking liquids by the gallons to stay hydrated. After finishing off the two pitchers of iced tea from the fridge, I went without tea for a couple of days because I didn't have the energy--with 102 fever--to make a big pot of tea the old fashioned way. I figured there had to be a quicker, easier way to do it, so I did some online research and then ordered this Mr. Coffee 3-Quart Iced Tea Maker. It's the best thing since sliced bread!!!! However, the recipe they provide for sweet iced tea is a disaster! Don't try it. After my first two disastrous sweet tea batches, I searched the Internet for customer recipes. This only takes about 15 minutes. SUPER SWEET SOUTHERN ICED TEA I grew up in North Carolina where super sweet Southern Iced Tea is served at every restaurant and in nearly every home. It's too sweet for my taste, but I accidentally made some when trying my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker recipe the first time. 1.) Fill pitcher to 3 Qt water line. Take basket out. Pour water into reservoir. Replace basket. 2.) Put 3 Luzianne Family Size tea bags (fluffed) in the basket. Close the basket. 3.) Fill pitcher to 3 Qt. water line. 4.) Add 1 1/2 cups sugar to pitcher. 5.) Put lid on pitcher (open part facing machine). Slid pitcher to tea maker. 6.) Plug in. Turn on. 7.) 5 minutes after the Tea Maker's brew light goes out, take lid off and stir until sugar dissolves. 8.) Fill pitcher with handfuls of ice until it is full. Stir to melt ice. 9.) Let pitcher sit on counter for another 5 minutes or so until the ice melts. 10.) Then put pitcher in fridge for cold iced tea that is ready to drink right away. LIGHTLY SWEETENED ITALIAN-AMERICAN MINTED ICED TEA WITH LEMON My Italian grandmother, who was born and raised in New York City, always grew a pot of mint during the summer for her favorite summer drink--Lightly Sweetened Italian-American Minted Iced Tea with Lemon. It's the best iced tea in the world!!! My mother and I learned to make it, and followed in the tradition of making this tea all summer from a potted mint plant in the back yard. During college, I grew a massive mint plant during an Organic Gardening course. Twenty years later, I still have that pot of mint and use it for my iced tea. Now that my mother and I live in Florida, the mint plant grows year round which means we get to make this delicious iced tea year round! 1.) Fill pitcher to 3 Qt water line. Take basket out. Pour water into reservoir. Replace basket. 2.) Snip a generous handful of fresh mint, lightly crush it with your hands, and put it in the basket. 3.) On top of the mint, add 3 Luzianne Family Size tea bags (fluffed) in the basket. Close the basket. 4.) Fill pitcher to 3 Qt. water line. 5.) Add 1 cup sugar to pitcher. 6.) Add 1 Tbsp. lemon juice to the pitcher. 7.) Put lid on pitcher (open part facing machine). Slid pitcher to tea maker. 8.) Plug in. Turn on. 9.) 5 minutes after the Tea Maker's brew light goes out, take lid off and stir until sugar dissolves. 10.) Fill pitcher with handfuls of ice until it is full. Stir to melt ice. 11.) Let pitcher sit on counter for another 5 minutes or so until the ice melts. 12.) Then put pitcher in fridge for cold iced tea that is ready to drink right away.

This was a replacement for an ancient Mr. Coffee 2 quart model we used for almost 20 years until the pitcher shattered. This model cost only about a dollar more than a replacement pitcher and totally outperforms our relic. Buying this updated gem was a no-brainer. You can brew using tea bags or loose tea (using a paper filter), adding to its versatility. The brewing process is quick and easy, and the end result is perfect, once you disregard the instructions and markings on the pitcher. I use as much water as the reservoir will hold and about 25% less ice, with the strength lever on "strong" and get a perfect pitcher of tea using 3 family-size black tea bags (my preference). The price is right and the tea is quick and delicious. Some people say it lacks aesthetic appeal, but to me, the beauty is in the tea.

This Ice Tea maker is easy to use. The ice tea brews consistent every time (once you choose your strength). This was the main reason I wanted an ice tea maker. I don't have to watch the clock to make sure to take the tea bags out at the right time. Tea tastes the same no matter who makes it also. Tea is ready in 10 minutes. I have made tea 2 ways. In both situations, I add the water to the water line (this is the water that goes into the machine). 1st way is to add ice to the 3qt ice line before brewing. This option the ice teas is cold when it finishes brewing. However, for me it is too strong at first because the ice has not melted down to dilute the tea. 2nd way, I brew the tea. When it is finished, I add cold water to up to the 3qt ice line. Then I pour it over ice if I want to drink it right away. This is my preferred method because the tea strength is consistent from the first glass. PLUS, 3qts of ice will use up most of your ice in the freezer. The cold water added (from the tap) is cold enough to cool it down that a few cubes of ice will make it the perfect temperature. I use 3 Lipton ICE TEA (bigger bags) for 3 qts.

I live in South Florida where we drink iced tea like water. I saw this item after having trouble finding a heat-proof container to make tea with and decided to give it a try. After using it a couple times, I like it! The iced tea is excellent and it's much less trouble than boiling the water and brewing it manually. I do, however have a couple things that you should know about this product before you buy it. Some reviewers have complained that it's flimsy and that it leaks. Well, it is all plastic, it's very light weight, and it does feel flimsy. Having said that, it works fine and makes very good iced tea. The dripping problem is because the filter basket, which should keep the remaining wet tea bags from dripping after the pitcher is removed, doesn't work well. The trick is to leave the pitcher in place for a couple minutes after the brew light goes out to let the basket completely drain, or remove the filter basket first so it won't drip down the front of the brew unit. It is also important to have the entire unit on a flat surface and not have the power cord interfere with the pitcher docking with the brew unit. The whole thing is so lightweight that it doesn't take much to have the pitcher not dock correctly, hence (I think) the complaints about the leaks. I'm not sure what rocket scientist at Mr. Coffee decided to make the filter basket white, but it's about as dumb an idea as you could have. This is TEA, and tea STAINS things. I can already see that keeping the filter basket clean over time will be a challenge. Please remember that you should never use soap and water on a coffee or tea maker as the residual soap will ruin your brew. You should only rinse it with fresh water and clean it with vinegar once every few months to remove any stains. If the filter basket had been black, the staining wouldn't even be an issue. The instructions call for the use of a 4-cup filter basket. None are included with the product, so you'll need to make a trip to the supermarket to purchase them. Making iced tea in this unit is a two-step process. First you fill the brew unit with water, then you fill the pitcher with ice. If you're making 3 quarts (the maximum you can make in this model) you'll need a lot of ice. You can certainly make less, but be prepared to empty out your icemaker if you are making 3 quarts. The good news about this method is that the iced tea is ready to drink when you're finished brewing it. No other cooling is necessary. The bad news is that it takes a lot of ice to do it. I'll report back after using the Mr. Coffee iced tea maker for a few months and see if I find anything else that you should know. In the meantime, for the price, this is a pretty nice item.

Great appliance, I replaced the same model I have had for 15 years. Reliable and sturdy.

For an iced tea drinker, this is the machine to get. I have had the 2 quart Mr Coffee but can drink through one of those in a day or less. Other tea makers have at best a 2 quart capacity. I did make sun tea until there was the salmonella warning. For instant iced tea, add ice cubes to the pitcher when making. I've taken to using cold tap water for the brewing water and the pitcher. I have multiple pitchers and make a new pitcher when the in use one is getting low, leave out the new pitcher to cool then refrigerate. I make decaf tea using 3 quart sized tea bags or loose leaf flavoured tea in a coffee filter. If your water is hard/has minerals the lines will clog eventually. I clean mine a couple times a year with a vinegar run or Des Cal. The cost savings in brewing my own tea over buying prebrewed tea, especially as I drink mine without sugar or with only a bit of raw sugar, is incredible. The maker is extremely durable, getting multiple uses per week for years before getting worn out. A very reliable, very inexpensive, extremely easy to operate way to make iced tea. One warning: Once the 'on' button has been depressed and the machine is plugged in, it will start the brewing process, so be sure to have the tea ready to brew unless you know the 'on' button hasn't been pressed. No way to double press it to stop.

Almost a decade ago, some friends gave me a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea maker for my birthday. I used it several times a week, every week, from then to recently. Alas, perhaps that's too much or perhaps it's just bad luck, but it stopped functioning properly. Unable to subsist without my daily iced tea (and having banned sodas to get my disobedient triglycerides back under control), I rushed over to my PC and popped onto Amazon. And, here we are. If it wasn't morning, I would be sitting here typing this with a glass of iced tea on a coaster next to me. I love this contraption! Now, I see lots of reviews on here related to teabags. I'm a loose tea guy, so this is for those of you who like that style of "cooking". For my purposes, using 3-quarts as the basis, I put in three tablespoons of loose tea and then top it with three tablespoons of sugar - all in the filter inside the brew cup. No mixing later, thank you. My setting is just a smidgen below the strongest setting. I use the full amount of ice cubes, coincidentally exactly the amount my LG fridge produces, and let it sit for a while to get all the dripping done. Then it's off to the fridge. Interesting tidbit about my new version: The original one I owned had a tall round container. It was unwieldy in the fridge and I ended up usually just making 2-quarts at a time and using cleaned half-gallon plastic milk containers. When I first saw this squarer version, I thought, "meh", but the shape fits perfectly on my fridge shelf and now I can make 3-quarts at a time. Sweet! It's a great product in any style and makes a superb "pot" of iced tea. Because of its speed, I can also use it for parties and BBQs, because it brews so fast (several minutes, allowing for a good drip). If you love iced tea, this is your machine. If you only like iced tea, well, this is still your machine!

NEVER BUY THE ONE WITH THE SQUARE CARAFE. There is a reason pitchers ors not made square. They do not pour well.

Love this cold tea maker. Before making first batch, run some water through it first.

What a piece of crap. Cheap plastic

Will not work on 240V power - it'll break the first time you attempt to use it. Better to make the tea by hand and just find a good pitcher.

Love it reminds me if GA sweet tea