this post was submitted on 24 Jan 2024
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As an American (and filthy microwaver of tea, though I do have a kettle now) I just stopped scrolling in the hopes of witnessing some rage at the idea, but everyone's being really reasonable. My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.
Dude, I've been experimenting with different mixes of ginger and cinnamon. People obsess about water temperatures. Tea drinkers like nothing but ideas for more posh things to do to their drinks. "Pinch of salt" is just snobby enough that I can't wait to try it and tell it to all my friends next time I'm complaining about a lackluster café order.
The big issue I see, and it's a PR thing, is it coming from the US. That alone may disqualify it. We'll have to see.
As a Brit this is genuinely the exact opposite of how most tea drinkers are here. The less shit you do to it the better is the general view.
So... milk is out, then?
Don't be ridiculous.
I'm an American. I drink a lot of tea throughout the day. Different kinds for breakfast, midmorning, lunch and mid afternoon. I've never had a tea I thought would be improved with milk. I just don't get it.
That's because you're American. Don't feel bad.
I don't even know what some people call "tea" in this context sometimes. It could be they're having Ceylon in the morning and Earl Gray in the afternoon, but sometimes what they mean is they're soaking some weeds in the morning and some dry fruits in the afternoon and calling it tea. I lived in a place for a while where all infusions are referred to with the word for "tea", so you'd ask for cup of tea, be given a camomile infusion and be expected not to murder your host.
"Improved" is the wrong word, in my opinion. It's not that the tea is made better with the addition of milk, it's just that it's good in a different way. I drink my tea straight at work, no additions. But on a Saturday morning, with flapjacks and bacon, a lavender earl grey with a hint of sugar and a small splash of cream is just. Mmm. The cream can mute some of the stronger flavor profiles and allow some of the more subtle ones to shine. I love it both ways, neither is better than the other. They're just different good.
Oh, yeah, I know. Brits will just throw a bag of the crappiest tea they have around in a teapot and move on with their day.
Which is a luxury you can afford when even middling supermarket tea is drinkable. Over where I am if you're doing tea you have an... affectation. Plus even if you don't want to, finding drinkable tea is hard enough that you end up going to the fancy stuff by default.
Yeah I literally take tea bags on holiday haha just not the same elsewhere
Yeah we're not exactly known for our tea here, unless it's in a harbor or so full of sugar it's not even really tea anymore, so I can see it not going over that well. I just made a cup but it's one of my favorite kinds and I'm too afraid to try the salt in case it ruins it.
See, this is why I love the internet, it allows me to find my kin. I relish in learning enough about a niche thing that I have enough discernment that I can be a bit of a snob, if I wish.
Hah. This is me respectfully nodding in your general direction.
Although I'll admit that in my case this mostly manifests as me buying literally any food I haven't eaten before and putting super gross stuff in my mouth, no matter how transparent of a marketing scheme it is. I bought that coke they asked ChatGPT to formulate. This is a real problem.
Also, if anybody is curious I put a pinch of salt in my tea today. It was fine, not noticeable. I'll try a bigger pinch next time.
Temperature is a state function. It is completely irrelevant if you boil or microwave you water.
We will continue to microwave because science
Does your microwave have an in-built thermometer which stops the heating at the right temperature like a kettle?
Most Americans don't get kettles with temp settings because we're fucking plebs. Ask an American what they think a kettle is and 7 times out of 10 they'll say it's a busted, dented piece of metal with a strange flippy lid that their mom used to put on the stovetop for some reason.
I mean, I'm not. I have one with 6 different temps on it. Because tea is serious business. But most Americans, you know. 😂
We're not exactly high-tech about it, our kettles are usually a basic plastic thing, and the temperature setting is just "if boiling then turn off"!
I've read that water oxygenation is affected by microwaving water, so there is some difference to standard boiling. Whether this matters for tea or not is a different question, and I can't find anything decisive on the matter.
Temperature affects dissolved oxygen.
To be honest, the microwave thing outrages me far more than the salt thing.
But why? The water will be hot either way. Who cares how it gets that way?
I've tried it. It tasted weird and I felt like I'd committed a crime.
Apparently microwaving affects levels of dissolved oxygen in the water, which may affect flavour, but I don't know
I suspect that's some sloppy writing. I think we are being cautioned against microwaving the water with the teabag in
Nope!
I’m 100% against microwaving water to heat it up. And it’s completely unreasonable! But I really won’t do it at all and scoff at those that do 😁
I’m also perfectly happy to use a microwave for any other purpose. As far as I understand, it’s actually one of the healthier methods to cook food.
I mean, I don't do it either - but rationally, I can't see why it would make a different what method was used to get the water molecules ajiggling.
Microwaves don't hurt the water any.
Microwave tea?!?!?!?!?
No, microwave water to make tea.
shudders
What's wrong with the kettle? Or are they not commonplace in the states?
American power is too weak for kettles.
Winner winner chicken dinner!
Nothings wrong with the kettle, but nothings wrong with the microwave either. I use a kettle and it’s fine.
Electric kettles are indeed less common, I understand that it’s because the 120V power is less effective for heating
They are pretty common in America, and have been for quite a while. Less so than in the UK (which is probably your point). But still pretty easy to find in my experience.
I got one about 20 years ago from Target - nothing too fancy, just an Oster or something. It finally died a couple of years ago and I got a new one from Amazon, where they had a very wide selection.
No disagreement. They’re available but less common than other heating methods. I feel like stovetop is probably the most common but microwave is certainly in there too.