I was listening to the Splendid Table a few months ago, and someone mentioned his favorite way of making iced tea. He said that you just fill a pitcher with water, throw in a handful of tea, and put it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, the tea is done.

I was pretty skeptical, but I tried it with a Stash black tea bag that I bought at Mitsuwa. I used one tea bag for about 32 ounces of water, and left it in the refrigerator overnight, and the tea I had the next morning was light, and had no hint of bitterness. I think the tea made this way tends to be more mild than if you use hot water, but it's good for iced tea.

Now I just need to try their advice on making rice without a rice cooker: cook it like pasta by boiling some water, throwing in the rice, then draining it when it's cooked. I'm skeptical of that one, too.