Absolutely Easy Unsweetened Iced Tea

Step 1: Fill your 2-quart iced tea pitcher with cold water.

Step 2: Pour some of the water from your pitcher into a medium saucepan; don't measure - just enough to fill your pan halfway.

Step 3: Add teabags to the pan and turn the heat on to medium-high (#7 on an electric range dial); set a kitchen timer for 7-9 minutes and allow the water to just come to a boil, which should happen right around the 8 minute mark, give or take a minute.

Step 4: Using a slotted spoon to hold the tea bags in the pot, carefully pour the hot tea into the remaining cold water in your pitcher, adding more cold water if necessary to bring it to the full 2 quarts; stir.

Step 5: TO SERVE: If you would like to have a glass right away, fill an individual glass to the top with ice, add a metal spoon (this is to temper the glass), and pour the still warm tea directly over the ice, stirring.

Step 6: If you do not wish to serve the tea immediately, allow the tea to sit on the counter about 30 minutes to cool slightly, then chill in the fridge (NOTE:do not add ice to the pitcher itself - just to the glasses you pour).