How To Make Tea In A Coffee Maker And Should You Do It?

Making tea in a coffee maker? Yes, that’s right! Tea can be made in your coffee maker with minimal effort and time. You don’t need to use any unique brewing accessories, and you can use any tea you’d like.

To make tea in a coffee maker, add one tea bag to the filter and pour the same amount of water into the coffee pot as you would for a single cup. Then turn on the coffee maker as normal, and wait for the brewing process to complete. After the tea has been brewed, you can also put your tea bags in your teacup to let it steep longer.

The question is, should you make tea in a coffee maker? Is it safe? And will the quality of your tea be compromised by using this method?

In this article, I will explain how to make tea in a coffee maker and whether you should do it or not.

Can you make iced tea in a coffee maker?

Yes, you can make tea in a coffee maker. A coffee maker is an appliance that works by running hot water through a filter and the coffee grounds to make coffee. In the same way, you can make tea by brewing hot water and then letting it pour over the tea bag or loose-leaf tea.

This method will save you the trouble of heating up water on the stove and then steeping your tea in a separate pot.

However, just because it is more convenient does not mean that brewing tea in a coffee maker is a good idea.

Why making tea in a coffee maker is a bad idea?

Using a coffee maker for making tea is not recommended because you cannot control the brewing temperature and the resulting cup of tea that is under-brewed, weak, and bland. Plus, tea leaves and leftover coffee residue can mix up, and the next time you make coffee with that machine, you might end up with a cup of tea-flavored coffee.

You can’t control the brewing temperature.

One of the most significant issues with making tea in a coffee maker is that you cannot control the temperature of your tea, which is the most important factor in determining the quality of your tea.

You may have heard that you should heat water in a pot first before pouring it over your tea bag, but if you’re using a coffee maker to brew tea, this isn’t really possible.

You can’t just look at the water and say, “Yep, that looks about right.”

Instead, you have to keep a close eye on it to ensure that it does not become too hot or too cold. This isn’t always easy because some machines shut down after a certain amount of time.

You will get a weak-tasting tea.

Great-tasting tea requires you to steep it in hot water for a certain amount of time. If you’re making tea in a coffee maker, chances are it won’t taste as good as it could because your machine isn’t designed to steep tea properly.

The hot water only passes through your tea bag once, but this is not enough to fully extract the tea’s flavor. As a result, the cup of tea tastes weak and watered down.

Tea leaves and leftover coffee residue can mix.

If you don’t clean your coffee maker properly before making tea, the coffee residue in the machine will affect your tea flavor.

In addition, there’s a good chance that mold or bacteria could grow inside of it and cause serious health issues.

To ensure this issue won’t happen, read this guide from Good Housekeeping on cleaning a coffee maker.

However, if you still want to use your coffee maker to brew tea because you don’t have another option, such as a tea maker or a tea kettle, here’s how you can do it.

How To Make Tea In A Coffee Maker: 7 Super Easy Steps

If you love the taste of tea, but don’t want to worry about getting water in the way of your enjoyment, then there’s no reason not to make your own.

Here are seven easy steps to make tea in a coffee machine:

Get all the equipment together
Add coffee filter
Add tea bags directly to the filter
Add water to the coffee pot
Press brew and relax
Put your tea bags in your teacup to let it steep longer
If you want iced tea, consider adding ice as well!

Now, look at the steps in more detail to help you make the best cup of tea in your coffee machine.

1. Get all the equipment together

The first thing you’ll need to make tea in a coffee maker is a coffee maker and other equipment.

Coffee maker

The most important piece of equipment is the coffee maker itself, which should have a heating mechanism that will allow it to brew hot water quickly and efficiently without using a lot of energy.

Tea bag

You can use any loose-leaf tea you enjoy, including green tea, black tea, white tea, herbal tea, and oolong tea.

Coffee filter

The next piece of equipment you’ll need is a filter. One popular choice is a permanent metal filter that sits over the opening of your coffee maker, or if you prefer using a disposable paper filter, you can also use those. The important thing is that you select one that fits your machine.

Sweetener of your choice (Optional)

To flavor your tea further, you’ll also need sweeteners. There are many different sweeteners, such as sugar, but if you want to keep your drink healthy while adding flavor, I recommend whipping cream.

Ice cube (Optional)

If you’d love to have a cold drink on a hot day, nugget ice cubes are a great way to cool off without diluting your drink.

Once you have all the necessary equipment, it’s time to start!

2. Add coffee filter

This will help keep the tea leaves from getting into your drink. The filter will also help prevent sediment from reaching the bottom of your cup.

3. Add tea bags to the filter

After you’ve added the filter, then get some tea bags!

You can use any flavor you want—we recommend a strong-tasting one like jasmine or chamomile so that you can taste the flavor as it steeps.

Add your tea bags directly to the filter, and make sure to remove the tags from the bags before putting them in.

4. Add water to the coffee pot

Now we get to add water to the coffee pot—but don’t do this just yet! Instead of pouring water directly into the pot, pour it into a measuring cup or pitcher first so that you’re sure not too much or too little ends up in there.

A rule of thumb is about 1/2 cup of water for every two tea bags. (If you’re using loose tea, use about one teaspoon per bag.)

5. Press brew and relax

Sit back, relax, and wait for your perfect cup of iced tea to cool down. The tea brewing process will take about 3~5 minutes; you can also use this time to think about what kind of milk or sugar would taste best with your favorite tea.

6. Put your tea bags in your teacup to let it steep longer

Once your iced tea is ready to drink, take out the tea bags from the filter basket and put them in your teacup. This will help the tea bags to steep longer and release more flavor.

7. If you want iced tea, consider adding ice as well

If you are a big fan of making iced tea, add ice cubes and let it sit for a few minutes longer to cool down even more before drinking.

At this step, you can even add milk or any sweetener you love and give it a good stir to make your tea even more delicious.

And now…you’re done!

Making tea with coffee makers is simpler than you might think. All you need is a little patience and time on your hands, and you’ll have a cup of tea in no time.

FAQs

It depends on the size of your coffee maker, how strong you like your tea, and the type of tea used. The general rule of thumb is to use one or two tea bags per cup.

But remember not to put too much tea into your coffee maker because it can overflow and make your tea bitter.

Yes, you can use a coffee machine as a kettle. It’s not ideal, but it will work. All you have to do is wait until your coffee machine has finished running the water, and you will have a flavorful cup of tea. Make sure you keep an eye on the steeping time and don’t let it sit for too long, or else your tea may become bitter.

Coffee filters work well for both coffee and tea. They’re porous enough to let the flavor of the tea come through but fine enough to keep loose-leaf tea from escaping into your cup.

Final thoughts

There ya have it! Brewing tea using your coffee maker is possible and is actually a viable option.

Although this is not a good idea, it still does the trick and may save you time when you’re in a rush or when you have no other options.

If you’re looking for a more traditional way to make tea, then try other methods like steeping tea leaves in hot water or using an electric tea kettle.