When it comes to coffee, Mr. Coffee is a brand that is often considered tops in its fields. However, the brand is chartering new territory so to speak when it comes to the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. I have written before about my deep and abiding love of sweet southern iced tea. Imagine my delight when my children offered me a bright shiny new iced tea maker for my Mother’s Day gift.
Now, let it be said that I have been living on Cold Brew Lipton iced tea bags for the better part of a year and doing just fine. However, there is something very heartwarming about a gift from your children that appeals to something you love as much as I love iced tea. My Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker would have to wait a while though as we discovered a very real need for ice cubes in the tea making process. No worries however, while I was out buying ice trays and a bin for all the extra ice I was going to need I planned to buy more tea bags.
The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker did come with two family sized tea bags but that wasn’t going to last long in my house. Let me tell you, finding ice trays in this day and age is not the simple task I thought it would be. The local Target, which is much closer to our house, doesn’t carry them at all so it was off to Wal-mart for the big purchase.
The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker Pros
There are a few things I really like about my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. First of all, I have the option of making 1, 2, or 3 quarts of iced tea. I can adjust the strength for a lighter or darker tea. The ice is included in the process and keeps the iced tea iced long after the brewing ends. The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker comes with two baskets. One is for brewing iced tea and the other allows you the option of brewing iced coffee. This means there is a little more versatility to this nifty machine.
The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker is quite quick when it comes to brewing tea. It has been my experience that a 3-quart batch of iced tea takes about 5 minutes to brew in my Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. I have also discovered, much to my delight that the brewing portion of the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker does not take up an obscene amount of counter top space nor does it require a large amount of space to store. In my home, the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker has a special place of honor on my counter top so that it is easily accessible whenever I need it. In my house, the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker is used more often during the course of a day than the average coffee pot.
The Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker Cons
Call me picky but really, the instructions promise that you can add sugar to the basket for sweet tea in your Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker. By southern standards this is hardly the case. To get around this I put a little less water than the fill line for 3 quarts calls for and add a simple sugar solution (2 cups piping hot water with one cup of sugar mixed in). It works well but it is an extra step that should be noted for die-hard sweet tea drinkers.
Another con for the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker that is worth mentioning is the fact that it is very easy for the picture to become separated from the device during the brewing process. This will leave a big wet tea mess all over you counter. This needs to be cleaned immediately also as tea can do a real number on your countertops.
All in all, my experience with the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker has been a pleasant one. The two problems I have had with the machine have been combated by diligence and the solution I mentioned above. If you have an iced tea lover in your family, the Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker would make a great gift.
