Review on HomeCraft HCIT3BS 3-Quart Black Stainless Steel Café' Iced Tea And Coffee Brewing System, 12 Cups, Strength Selector & Infuser Chamber, Perfect For Lattes, Lemonade, Flavored Water, Large Pitcher by Heather Hill

Got this to replace my very well used Mr. Coffee 3 Qt iced tea machine, that lasted about 4 years and over 600 brews and they don't make it anymore. This has one advantage over that older design, the brewing basket doesn't cover the reservoir, so you can refill the water without having to move around the basket. This makes it ideal for double brewing to get a stronger tea. The downside to this model is the flimsy plastic lid. The heat from the steam causes it to warp and not lay flat. I have to manually bend the lid back into shape after each brew. My recipe for a strong, refreshing not-so-sweet tea below:Fill with filtered water to slightly above the Max line (don't worry, she can take it!), put a couple ounces of water into the pitcher (no idea if this is necessary to prevent pitcher from cracking from thermal shock, but the manual recommends it).Fill basket with unbleached basket style coffee filter, 3 tablespoons loose mint tea leaves, 4 tablespoons loose black tea leaves. Set brew strength slider to Max (who doesn't do this?)Brew.Leave basket alone, refill water again, brew again.Remove basket and discard contents, add 1/2 cup of sugar to tea. Add enough filtered water to tea to make it 3 Qt. In my experience it's more important to make sure the ratio of sugar to water is correct.