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Couldn't you do a cheaper version of this with a regular teapot and a heat-resistant (be it glass or plastic) pitcher? You could probably assemble it for less than $5 at a yard sale, not including the tea of course.

I dunno. My loves of both tea and visually pleasing design are sated by this, but the price makes me cringe...especially when I have a nice glass pitcher and a teapot at home, not to mention a big box of Red Rose tea bags (which, despite the cheap price, make an iced tea I can't seem to match in deliciousness with any other type of tea).

it's beautiful, but the above poster is right. when i haven't planned ahead, i just brew (slightly strong) hot tea and pour over ice (usually just for myself, so i just use a ceramic mug and drink out of that). as a method, it has problems, but none that i can see are solved by that pretty, pricey pitcher.

agreed with the previous two posters. just discovered that my little teapot makes the exact right amount of water to fill up a pitcher. add a bunch of tea bags (i used 3 large tea bags the other day), add (lots of) sugar, steep, pour over a *full* glass of ice, and voila. sweet tea! :) i like visually appealing design, but i also like multi-functional items for my tiny kitchen.

As a displaced southerner, I make several half-gallon batches of sweet tea each week. An article published in Fine Cooking several years ago helped me perfect my recipe, which involves making a tea concentrate, and results in clear, delicious, lightly-sweetened iced tea.

Bring 2 cups of cold water to a boil. As soon as the water reaches boiling point, pour it over 7 regular sized black tea bags. (I like Whole Foods Organic Black or good old Lipton bags, and I use a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup for this step.)

Allow the bags to steep for 12-15 minutes, depending on how strong you like your tea. Remove the bags, then stir 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or to taste) into the hot tea until dissolved.

Pour this tea concentrate into a half-gallon pitcher or carafe along with 4 cups cold water and 1 tray ice cubes (or enough to make 6 cups of liquid total).

My recipe passed from my very southern maternal line sounds very similar to Sarah's, down to the Pyrex. But I'm almost embarrassed to say we've been bred to drink our sweet tea with nearly three times that amount of sugar. Whenever my father drinks it, he says "Tastes like Georgia."

I'd rather spend the money on pretty glasses from which to drink the tea.

I always make my iced tea by brewing it strong and then pouring it over ice to cool/dilute it. I didn't realize there was another way to do it...

Hey Everybody --

Seems like there is a lot of chatter about the Tea-Over-Ice pitchers! The benefit, other than the fact that they look great, is that they create the perfect glass of iced tea. The tea infusers brew an extra strong hot tea in the top pitcher and the bottom pitcher holds exactly enough ice to flash-chill the liquid and dilute it enough so that the flavor is perfect. There really hasn't been a system like this that makes fresh iced tea so quick and easy. I actually work with the company, so I've made many glasses and they are all delicious!

Andrew