Learn how to cold brew green tea at home! This simple method extracts a smooth, aromatic, and healthy drink without bitter flavors. It‘s our go-to refreshing iced beverage to cool down and energize us on warm days.
In Japan, especially during hot days, it’s inevitable to run into a vending machine at every corner, beckoning you for a cold drink. More often than not, our family’s choice is bottles of ice-cold green tea. The refreshing and floral green tea cools us down and energizes us on a muggy afternoon. We’ll show you how to easily make cold brew green tea at home.
What is Cold Brew Green Tea?
Cold brewing green tea is very straightforward. Simply steep green tea leaves in cold filtered water and wait for extraction. This brewing method results in less caffeine and bitterness compared to regular brewed green tea. It is also easier since green tea leaves are delicate and require very exact water temperature (176-180ºF, 80ºC) for the correct brewing.
In recent years, cold brew drinks have become popular all over the world. The more mellow flavors and smoother profile is appealing and preferred by the consumers. Both Japanese beverage companies Suntory and Itoen even make a cold brew version of their popular bottled green teas.
Why Cold Brew Green Tea at Home
There are several great reasons to do this at home:
- You can make a lot of green tea at once and slowly enjoy it over time. Hot brewing only allows for a small amount of tea per brew.
- Reduce bitterness, caffeine, and astringency compared to hot brewed green tea.
- More economical than buying bottled green tea.
- You can use your favorite green tea leaves.
- It’s super easy.
Benefits of Cold Brew Green Tea
Based on our research, here are some key benefits of cold brew green vs. hot brew
- The tea retains more antioxidants and phenolic compounds.
- Extract less caffeine.
- Less bitterness & astringency.
- More rounder flavors.
Cold Brew Green Tea Basics
Let’s go over some of the basics of cold brew green tea.
1. 3 Types of Japanese Green Tea
- Gyokuro (玉露) – Unlike most green tea, gyokuro leaves are grown in the shade with specially made mats, which allows the amino acids to get stronger, producing a sweeter and richer flavor. The leaves are rolled and dried into the needle shape. Regarded the best in quality and flavor for making hot brewed green tea.
- Sencha (煎茶) – The “standard” green tea. Grown in the sun and has a characteristic sharp profile. The thinner, delicate leaves in the upper shoots of the tea plant are harvested for sencha. The leaves are steamed, rolled, and dried into the needle shape. Considered lower quality compared to gyokuro. There are several factors that affect the quality of the leaves including where it’s farmed and when it was harvested.
- Bancha (番茶) – Bancha is the same as sencha except the leaves are closer to the stalk and larger in size. During the drying process, the larger leaves do not roll into the fine needle shape. Considered the lowest quality of tea leaves. This type of tea is used to make Hojicha (ほうじ茶) and Genmaicha (玄米茶).
2. How Long to Cold Brew
For each brew, we used the same amount of tea leaves (15 g) for 1 liter (1.05 qt) of water and waited 8 hours for extraction. It was interesting to observe as some of the tea immediately turned green while others stayed pretty light.
We recommend waiting at least 4 to 6 hours for cold brew green tea to completely extract the flavors. When properly refrigerated, it’ll last 3 days and still maintain good flavor.
3. Equipment for Cold Brew
My recommendation for the cold-brewing method is to use a pot or disposable tea bags below.
Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot (1000 ml)
The Experiment: Best Green Tea for Cold Brew Green Tea
When we shared How to Cold Brew Hojicha, we realized we never tested a variety of green tea leaves to see which one was our favorite. Since our family loves drinking green tea, we looked forward to the experiment.
Since we’re in the US, we purchased all the green teas either in our local Japanese supermarket (#1, 2, 3, 5) or online (#4). The tea leaves we tried are:
- Gyukuro (Grown in the shade) – Maeda-en (origin unknown)
- Sencha (Hachiju Hachiya – tea harvested after 88 days; in May) – organic, Okumidori, Kagoshima, Kyushu
- Sencha (Shincha “new tea”, first harvest) – Yamamotoyama, Kagoshima, Kyushu
- Sencha (medium grade) – Hosen from Ippodo Tea Shop (origin most likely Kyoto area)
- Bancha – organic, Shizuoka prefecture
For our taste test, we excluded any tea that has matcha powder added as it covers up the true flavors of green tea leaves.
Our Favorite Tea Leaves for Cold Brew Green Tea
Here are the flavor profiles of each tea:
1. Gyukuro tea was very delicate and had a light aroma. The flavors were mellow and floral, not much of the “bottled” green tea taste. The texture was water-like with a clean finish.
2. Tea leaves picked 88 days smelled like bottled green tea. It had a strong tea flavor, slightly tart, and fragrant finish. This was our favorite.
3. Shincha had a very light aroma. The tea tasted medicinal and herby, slightly bitter with a tart finish.
4. Ippodo Hosen tea had a light aroma and a very refined green tea flavor. It had a slightly tart finish but tasted really clean. This was our second favorite.
5. Bancha was quite horrible. There was no green tea smell and the aroma reminded us of burnt leaves. The drink didn’t taste like green tea at all and left our mouth dry.
So what did we learn from our experiment? Our preferred green tea for the cold brew method is “Hachiju Hachiya” Sencha (tea harvested after 88 days) that has had time to mature. Gyukuro and Shincha are both too light and lacked the deep green tea flavor profile. Bancha was quite awful and we wouldn’t be able to tell it was even green tea.
Green Tea with Matcha Powder 抹茶入り
In addition to the above variety, you can also find green teas that have added matcha powder in the mix. We call it “Matcha Iri (抹茶入り)”. There is even a bottled version of green tea with matcha powder.
The addition of matcha gives the tea a ton more flavors but since the flavor is so strong, it overpowers the true taste of the tea leaves. This is particularly true with Genmaicha which is made with lower grade Bancha.
However, our family does enjoy Genmaicha and sencha with matcha. So it’s really a personal preference. If you want to add your own matcha to your green tea, start with 1 tsp per liter or a quart of water and adjust the amount based on your preference.
We hope this how-to cold brew green tea guide has been helpful for you to make your own at home. If you discover a particular green tea you really like, let us and other readers know in the comment below!
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How to Cold Brew Green Tea
Ingredients
- ½ oz Japanese green tea leaves (15 g; 1½–2 Tbsp, depending on the variety)
- 4¼ cups room temperature or cold filtered water
Instructions
- Gather the ingredients. We use a cold brew coffee/tea maker. Please note that this recipe requires an inactive steeping time of 6–8 hours.
- Put ½ oz Japanese green tea leaves in the cold brew maker. I use a kitchen scale to measure exactly 15 g.
- Add 4¼ cups room temperature or cold filtered water.
- Let it steep in the refrigerator for 6–8 hours.
- Discard the tea leaves from the pitcher. Serve with or without ice. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days.
I would like to make a quiche infused with green tea.
Can I infuse the milk-cream?
Hello, Pamela! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post!
Yes, you can infuse green tea with milk or cream using a tea bag, loose tea leaves, or finely ground tea powder.
To infuse the tea with good flavor and color, the milk should be warm (not boiling). Add the tea to the warm milk and allow it to steep until it cools.
We hope this was helpful!
The information I was looking for, was not really here: should you use room temp water to start, steep it for a half hour, then put in the fridge. or does if affect the taste if you put the tea in already cold water in the fridge. I was wondering of that would affect the taste. I understand that tea should not be kept on the counter for very long (i.e. the old American “sun tea” let it sit on the counter for 8 hours, is a no-no as it gives time for bacteria to grow)
Hi Cat, Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipe.
You may use either room temperature or cold water for this recipe, and both deliver a similar flavor. When compared to hot water, the taste is less bitter and milder, and the caffeine amount is lower. We hope this helps!
I love this ratio! I let my tea brew for 12 hrs in a glass pitcher with plastic lid.
Other recipes I have tried use a ton of tea and are much too strong in caffeine. I am using good quality loose leaf from my local Japanese grocer, so I think you need a bit less compared to using old fannings and bagged teas where the flavor and other compounds have degraded.
I like to add a bit of chopped crystallized ginger sometimes, it really enhances the flavor and adds a faint touch of sweetness.
Hi Rae! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your experience with us!
We are so glad to hear you love Nami’s ratio!
Adding chopped crystallized ginger sounds great! Thank you for sharing it. We will try it soon.🙂
Which teaware is good to have Green tea. Is it ceramic or Glass or Porcelain ??
Hi shivakumar, Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
The Japanese classic teaware is ceramic and Porcelain, but we think all work great for making tea.
We hope this helps!
After fumbling through a few methods from before I think I’ve nailed it with this recipe. Thank you Namiko. Right on as usual. 🙂 🍵
Hi Rick!
We are so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!☺️
What size tea brewer did u use? Which green tea do you use? Thanks
Hi Katherine,
Nami uses 1000ml brewer from Hario – Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot, 1000 ml. (The link for the product is in the recipe card)
Nami’s favorite is #2 “Hachiju Hachiya” Sencha (tea harvested after 88 days), which she bought from Nijiya Market locally here in the Bay Area. Her next favorite is #4 Ippodo (you can buy their tea online – link is in the post).
I hope this helps!😊
Awesome!! Domo arigato!
Will be going to Nijiya soon.
Have a nice day!!
Hi Nami! If I wanted to cold-brew genmaicha (without matcha), how many grams per liter would I need? Thanks!
Hi J,
It will be the same as this recipe. 15 g for 1L
We hope this helps!😉
interesting pitcher. Where is it from?
WAtched an episode of JAPAnese style Originator and learned a lot about
Green tea.
Drink mugi cha often, but would love to try green tea .
Hi Amy,
The pitcher is from Hario – Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Pot, 1000 ml. (The link for the product is in the recipe card)
Yes! Mugi Cha is also delicious, and our favorite tea as well.😊
Hi there!
Where can we purchase the containers to brew cold tea as shown in your episode
How To Brew Cold Green Tea?
Pat
Hi Patricia,
The container that Nami used, we put the link in the recipe card. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I7JKAQ0/?ref=exp_justonecookbook_dp_vv_d
I hope this helps!
Hi Nami,
You said Sencha is your favorite for cold brew. What brand od Sencha are you cold brewing? Where to buy?
Hi Endah!
Nami’s favorite is #2 “Hachiju Hachiya” Sencha (tea harvested after 88 days), which she bought from Nijiya Market locally here in the Bay Area. Her next favorite is #4 Ippodo (you can buy their tea online – link is in the post).
I love your website and love cold brewed green tea as well (I make a quart every morning).
Although it’s a little more work, I use the Ippodo method of 3 separate 10 oz steepings (the Hario Cha Kyusu Maru 450 ml glass Tea Pot is perfect for this purpose).
I place 1 Tbsp tea in the teapot strainer, briefly rinse, and fill the teapot 3/4 full (about 10 oz) with cold filtered water.
The steeping times are 15 min, 7 min, 3 min for the first, second, and third steepings.
I pour the tea into a 1 quart glass serving pitcher after each steeping.
I chose Harney and Sons Japanese Sencha (from the central Shizuoka province) after we did our own taste comparison. This sencha has a particularly clean, crisp and non-grassy or vegetal taste and mouthfeel.
It’s a morning ritual that provides wonderfully tasty and refreshing green tea all day – you will NEVER be able to drink commercial bottled green tea again!
Hi Bob,
Thank you very much for your kind feedback and for sharing your experience/tips with us! 😊
We are so happy to hear you love Cold Brewed Green Tea as well!💕 Green tea is so refreshing!
The cold brew green tea is a good idea for a twist in flavor
Thank you
Hi Dra,
Does it mean to mix different types of tea leaves?
It should be fine, but it’s up to your liking.😊
Hi Nami,
Does exceeding the 8-hour brew time results in any bitterness or detriment to the flavor? I’d love to brew overnight, but I don’t want to ruin the flavor.
Hi Kat,
It is hard to tell because green tea brands/kinds are different and can’t really fit one way.
Before you brew it overnight, we recommend tasting the tea after 6 hours of brewing and make adjustments as you like for the next time.😊
i love the tea container you have there! is that available in united states?
Hi Lynda,
Yes, they are available in the US.😊
You can also order from here: https://amzn.to/33Km8GM
Thank you for the link. I had the same question as the link in the recipe did not work for me. I love green tea but have only drank it hot. Can’t wait to try it iced!
Hi Carol,
We’re so glad to hear you love green tea as well.
The link in the recipe work for us. Please try it again.☺️
I have been making my own Japanese sencha iced tea and enjoy it daily two or three times a day. I have been using the bags. I am excited to try my loose tea as an iced tea! My question would be, with the loose tea, can you reuse the leaves more than one time.
Hi Candy! It’s great to hear that you make sencha ice tea. I don’t recommend reusing the tea leaves after making cold brew. The flavors have been extracted already and they don’t have much taste. Some people dry them to make furikake, some use it to absorb unwanted smell in the microwave… there are interesting ways to reuse the tea leaves. However, I make cold brew green tea often and I have to admit I don’t always reuse them….