If you have a pot of tea at the boiling point and wish to make iced tea out of it. To get the tea as cold as possible, should you put in ice cubes immediately or at the last possible moment to be fully melted at the time of consumption.

Question

If you have a pot of tea at the boiling point and wish to make iced tea out of it.  To get the tea as cold as possible, should you put in ice cubes immediately or at the last possible moment to be fully melted at the time of consumption.

anonymous · Answer

i would say last possible moment, because initially the temperature keeps falling at a faster rate towrads room temperature anyways..

anonymous · Answer

but you better wait for more answers!

anonymous · Answer

me too at the last moment

anonymous · Answer

How long have you got? Because if you've only got 2 minutes to make all this happen you're going to be hard pressed.  You want it as cool as possible as quickly as possible so throw the ice in right away!

darthsid · Answer

The last moment is the correct answer. The average temperature of the system will be lower if you add cubes later, because the initial temperature of the tea will be lower in this case (while the initial temperature of the cubes will be the same)

anonymous · Answer

Oh you meant mathematically................ right........... not in real life!

anonymous · Answer

also in real life :O

anonymous · Answer

LOL.  I'm glad people have time to sit around and wait for tea to cool.  They're lucky I guess!  :-)))

anonymous · Answer

actually in reality why would anyone make an ice tea out of a boilting tea?? :P

anonymous · Answer

It's the only way to steep it properly is my best guess.  Here's to happy iced tea making!!

anonymous · Answer

if i had a hot cup of tea and had craving for ice tea.. i would be .. ah what the heck and would drink the hot tea instead :P

darthsid · Answer

coffee over tea any day

anonymous · Answer

I'll take either :-)))