Instant Tea

part of: Tea

Instant tea is a convenience product that eliminates the steeping step of traditional tea preparation. The powder or granules dissolve directly in hot or cold water, producing a cup of tea in seconds. Unsweetened varieties offer a relatively clean tea flavour, though they typically lack the depth and body of freshly brewed leaf tea.

Instant tea is more popular in some markets than others — it never gained the same foothold in Australia as instant coffee did, partly because tea bags are already quite convenient. It’s more commonly encountered as an ingredient in commercial iced tea mixes, chai blends, and flavoured tea products than as a standalone pantry item.

The product works well for iced tea, where it dissolves readily in cold water, and as a flavouring ingredient in recipes, smoothies, and baked goods.

Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Tea leaves are brewed in large quantities to produce a strong tea concentrate. This concentrate is then reduced and dried, typically by spray-drying (atomising into hot air) to produce a fine powder. Some products use freeze-drying for better flavour retention. The resulting powder is soluble and reconstitutes instantly when mixed with hot or cold water.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 1kcal
Protein 0.1g
Carbs 0.2g
Fat 0g
Fibre 0g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 serving 6 fl oz is about 178 g.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈17.07kg
Freshwater ≈4333.73L
Land ≈13.73m²

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

Made from
Tea, leaves

In the kitchen

Used as

quick-brew hot beverage

Goes well with
lemon honey milk mint
Classic dishes
  • Sweet Tea
  • Iced Tea
  • Chai

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

Where to next

made fromTea, leaves goes well withlemon goes well withhoney goes well withmilk goes well withmint shares a sourceBlack Tea shares a sourceGreen Tea shares a sourceIced Tea (Ready-to-Drink) shares a sourceKombucha shares a sourceOolong Tea shares a sourceTea Leaves & Plant Parts shares a sourceTea Seed Oil
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