Helpful Hints - West Bend IT500 Instruction Manual

TEA & COFFEE MEASUREMENTS: Adjust to taste and strength. Green and herbal
teas may require additional amounts to achieve desired strength and flavor. All
amounts are based on making 2 quarts of iced tea or coffee.
Tea:
 Regular size tea bags (2g): 6 to 9
 Family size tea bags (6-7g): 2 to 3
 Loose tea: 1 to 3 tablespoons, depending on type
 Green tea bags (regular size): 6 to 9
 Herbal tea bags (regular size): 6 to 9
Coffee:
 Coffee (drip grind): 8 to 12 tablespoons
 If the brew cycle doesn't start immediately after pressing the power button, or if
attempting to brew multiple batches, unplug the appliance from the wall and allow
to cool for 15 minutes before attempting to brew again.
 The bitterness of the tea may be caused by not using the correct amount of tea or
tea bags. If you find your tea is too bitter, move the steeping control to a lower
setting. You can also adjust the strength of the tea by using more or fewer tea
bags or tea leaves to suit your preference.
 Iced tea brewed from tea bags or loose tea can become cloudy or look milky. Tea is a
blend which is rich in solids, called tannins, to provide a full-bodied flavor. The
hardness of the water used to brew and quick chilling of the hot tea over ice can cause
clouding. If the tea is cooled too rapidly, the tannins in the tea will settle out and cause
the tea to become cloudy. After your tea has brewed, let it sit on the counter and cool
to room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Or, to prevent your tea from
cooling too rapidly, substitute cold tap water in place of ice cubes.
Another common cause of cloudy tea is using tea bags specifically designed for
hot tea versus iced tea. Iced tea blends tend to have fewer tannins, and therefore
less chance of clouding. Brewing iced tea with hard water can also cause cloudy
tea. If you have hard water, use bottled, distilled, or spring water to brew your tea.
 To make sweetened iced tea, add up to 1 cup of sugar to the brew basket, on top
of the tea. Use a basket-style coffee filter in the brew basket, rather than using the
filter basket for tea. Loose tea works better with sugar than bagged tea. There will
be some sugar remaining in the basket after the brew cycle. This is normal.
 Infused teas cannot be made while brewing over ice. After the brew cycle is done,
the cover and infusion tube can be added to the pitcher. If brewing iced tea with
cold water rather than ice, the infusion tube can be in place during the brew cycle.
 In addition to infusing your tea or coffee with fruits and herbs, try making flavorful
combinations of ice cubes to brew over. Add fruit or herbs to your ice cube tray
before freezing, milk, honey water, etc. Experiment to see what works best for you.
 Here are some common ingredients used for tea and coffee infusions. This is just
a platform to begin your experimenting!
Anise
Berries, sliced or crushed
Chamomile
Cinnamon Sticks
Citrus Fruit Slices
 Note: small ingredients may float out of the infusion tube during infusion. This is normal
and will not affect infusion flavor.
English - 5
H H
ELPFUL INTS
Whole Cloves
Ginger
Ginseng
Lavender Sprigs
Lemongrass
Mint Leaves
Nutmeg
Orange or Lemon peel
Rosemary Sprigs