I have the iced tea maker and for 3 quarts, I use anywhere from cup to a cup and a half of sugar ( I try not to use the whole cup and a half but it's just so good!) I know this defeats the purpose of the "iced" tea maker but I don't put ice in it while it's brewing. I just let it brew, stir my sugar into it during the process (which makes it dissolve since it's hot) and then when it's through I add cold water to just under the top of the pitcher. No, it doesn't make it cold enough to drink, but you can put a lot of ice in a glass and get your "ice cold tea"