What you’ll learn in this article:
- What a commercial iced tea brewing machine does and how it works
- Which drinks you can make beyond iced tea (cold brew, cascara, cocktails)
- How this machine supports health trends and clean label demands
- Why it’s efficient, self-cleaning, and hygienic for restaurant use
- FAQ: Quick answers about cleaning, recipes, and daily use
As we move into 2025 and beyond, consumers in coffee shops, hotels, and restaurants are looking for more than just coffee. They want a range of drinks – everything from matcha to iced tea. This is why investing in a commercial iced tea brewing machine can help you diversify your menu.
Iced tea is growing in popularity; in the US, it was recently ranked the third most popular consumer beverage after water and soft drinks. Because of the range of flavours, its purported health benefits, and its “all-natural” appeal, the iced tea market is estimated to be growing at a rate of 6.4% each year.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of a commercial iced tea brewing machine for diversifying your drinks menu.
What is a commercial iced tea brewing machine?
Commercial iced tea brewing machines such as the Baby Hardtank are designed to quickly and efficiently produce beverages for businesses. They contain a basket in which you can add the tea leaves of your choice. Then, its patented recirculation technology agitates and steeps the leaves, producing iced tea in under half an hour.
Commercial iced tea brewing machines are particularly suited to coffee shops, bakeries, hotels, and other settings that serve beverages to consumers. By using a commercial iced tea brewing machine, you can produce significantly larger yields of iced tea in less time than with manual methods.
For example, the Baby Hardtank can produce green tea in 15 minutes and black tea in 25 minutes, meaning you can quickly turn around batches to meet consumer demand.
Importantly, a commercial iced tea brewing machine also helps your business maximise its margins. Iced tea is one of the highest-margin non-alcoholic beverages thanks to the low cost of tea leaves. This allows you to keep costs low while also offering premium products, as consumers are willing to pay as much as 30% more for food and drink they consider “healthy.”
Crucially, a commercial iced tea brewing machine also removes human error from the process and guarantees consistent quality each time. Some models even have memory systems that record extraction recipes and save them as presets. Once this is done, you only need to select the corresponding recipe for the machine to brew iced tea for commercial purposes.
“From my experience leading national iced tea programs for major hospitality brands, a reliable brewing system is critical. It scales operations while maintaining the flavour profile and quality that today’s customers expect,” says David Enser, co-founder of Futurewrks.
Expand your beverage menu with healthy, high-margin iced tea options
The primary benefit of a commercial iced tea brewing machine for businesses is to expand their existing menu and brand. As the demand for iced tea increases, you can match these trends and adjust your range of beverages to accommodate these needs.
For example, fruit-infused iced teas are growing in popularity. Brands such as David Burke Kitchen have introduced ginger-infused lemon iced teas to differentiate themselves from competitors. It’s simple – once you have a commercial iced tea brewing machine, you can experiment with the ingredients you add to the filter basket.
“Iced tea’s versatility – offering unsweetened, flavoured, or functional options –makes it an essential menu item for operators wanting to capture sales throughout the day,” David adds.
However, the variety of beverages you can produce with an iced tea brewing machine isn’t always limited to just teas. Equipment such as the Baby Hardtank is also capable of producing cold brew coffee, cascara (tea made from coffee cherries), and cocktails. This gives businesses the license to test new products and formulations, gauge customer demand, and expand their menu as they see fit.
By expanding the range of drinks that your brand offers, a commercial iced tea brewing machine also allows you to meet new consumer trends. Organic drinks and “clean label” products are particularly prominent right now, with 15% of consumers looking for drinks that are free from artificial flavours and sweeteners. Iced tea machines allow you to appeal to these concerns by producing low-calorie drinks that are naturally higher in “clean energy” and antioxidants.
For example, Hardtank’s patented extraction method yields 12% more caffeine and 20% more chlorogenic acids. The potential health benefits of these acids, often found in green and black tea, include a reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. As such, your commercial iced tea brewing machine allows you to market new beverages that are healthy and flavourful.
“The ability to consistently offer fresh, high-quality iced tea not only aligns with wellness trends, but enables rapid innovation as consumer preferences evolve,” David adds.
The versatility of a commercial iced tea brewing machine
Another benefit of a commercial iced tea brewing machine is its efficiency. This extends beyond the faster steeping times for iced tea to the minimal maintenance and manual labour required to produce a range of beverages.
Self-cleaning commercial iced tea brewing machines are particularly beneficial in this regard. These remove the need for staff members to manually clean the machine after each use, reducing the margin for human error. Similarly, it prevents any cross-contamination from occurring when switching beverages, which is important both for hygiene and food safety compliance.
“The rise of health-conscious dining and wellness-driven consumer behaviour is accelerating the adoption of iced tea brewing technology,” says David. “Operators are leveraging these machines to meet demand for fresh-brewed, unsweetened teas, botanical blends, and better-for-you beverages – often customised for functional benefits.”
For all of these reasons, a commercial iced tea brewing machine is more than just another piece of equipment at your restaurant or bar. Instead, it provides plenty of opportunity to diversify your drinks menu and appeal to consumer demands for healthy beverages
Ready to upgrade your beverage offering with high-quality, health-focused iced teas? Contact our team to discover how the Baby Hardtank can help you brew faster, serve fresher, and sell more.
FAQ
What is a commercial iced tea brewing machine, and how does it work?
A commercial iced tea brewing machine is a professional-grade system designed to quickly produce iced tea in large batches. Machines like the Baby Hardtank use patented recirculation and agitation technology to steep tea leaves efficiently, delivering consistent results in as little as 15–25 minutes. Just add your ingredients to the filter basket, select your preset, and the machine handles the rest.
What kind of drinks can I make with a commercial iced tea brewing machine?
In addition to iced tea (black, green, or herbal), these machines can brew cold brew coffee, cascara (coffee cherry tea), botanical infusions, and even low-alcohol or alcohol-free cocktails. You can also experiment with ingredients like fruit, herbs, or spices to create custom seasonal drinks.
Is it easy to clean a commercial iced tea brewing machine?
Yes! Hardtank’s commercial iced tea brewing machine is made from food-grade stainless steel and also has an automated cleaning program. This eliminates manual cleaning steps, reduces the risk of human error, and ensures hygienic brewing every time.
How can a brewing machine help my business be more efficient?
These machines significantly reduce prep time compared to manual steeping, allowing you to brew on demand and avoid overproduction. Their consistency also reduces waste and labour, and the ability to save and reuse recipes streamlines staff training.
Is investing in iced tea equipment profitable?
Absolutely. Iced tea is one of the highest-margin non-alcoholic drinks due to the low cost of ingredients and rising consumer demand. With more customers seeking healthy, sugar-free, or functional beverages, offering premium iced tea can boost both revenue and brand perception.
