We use a kettle or boil it in a pot. I would not even entertain the idea of microwaving the water.
this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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We just have an instant hot water tap. Can't live without it, haha.
I absolutely don't heat water in the microwave! I have a kettle like any other good god-fearing man.
However as a person who recently got into tea I'd love to hear recommendations on tea. I recently got a box of Yorkshire gold that's been pretty good to me
So, I like loose leaf when I can, but will totally use bags, I grew up with Tetley so that'll always be the tea I'll use for some basic iced tea. Yorkshire gold reminds me a lot of Red Rose, which is the other really common bag tea (and I swear is what my grandmother uses for her water intake). Recently, have some bags from Genuine Tea, it's a Canadian brand and some of their blends are pretty good, there's an elderberry hibiscus one that's great to just toss a few bags in a pitcher and cold steep.
Going to mention more types of teas rather than brands that I've liked in the past, there's a lot of variety and tea (like quality coffee) can totally have a wide range of flavours depending on region, age, processing etc. By no means an expert, I just like trying things.
I like Lapsang Souchong sometimes, can have a strong smoky flavour, don't have any more but we had some first flush Darjeeling tea that was fantastic. I had some nice white tea as well, but you need to be careful, turns super unpleasant if you over steep it or have the water too hot, should be floral and lightly fruity, not pine needles.
Otherwise, I personally like oolong and pu'erh tea the best. I tend to brew tea quick with an excess of leaves, but you'll use the same tea leaves multiple times. Pu'erh can have some earthy subtle flavours, and apparently totally changes as it ages (it's fermented if I recall).
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We have a spigot in the kitchen that only puts out boiling-hot water, so I use that. If that's not working, I'd just boil it in a pan on the stove.
Never. Because I don't drink tea.
However, the ones in my household who do use an electric kettle. I've never seen them use the microwave for tea.
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I've always had a stove top kettle, there was no reason to boil water in the microwave for tea. Up until a few years ago, I did not have a microwave. I prefer the even temperature of water boiled in a kettle.
I used to at work. I would do a half filled mug, give it 2-3 minutes of heat so it didn't suddenly boil over, then drop in the tea bag and fill with regular water.
Never as I don't drink tea nor own a microwave.
Takes longer and usually don't get it hot enough.
We don't. Our simple kettle with its whistle is working great, despite its age. And its much nicer to look at than a microwave too ;)
Never tried it. Is it faster than an electric kettle?
In the US a microwave is faster. Your 220v heats things up faster than our 110v.
japanese have 100v and don't have this problem
Yes they do.
V is irrelevant. A determines how much actual power something gets.
Amperage determines how much current something gets.
Voltage times amperage determines the power something draws.
More current needs thicker wires, while higher voltage does not.
Power is what matters, and power (in watts) = current (in amps) times voltage (in volts). US residential power outlets are 110V and typically cap at 15A, for a power output max of 1650W. But it's also pretty common to have 20A outlets in kitchens, which would max out at 2200W. Still, there aren't a lot of 2000W kettles in the US, and it's pretty standard for the ones you'd buy in a store to only draw about 1500W.
Meanwhile, in the UK, the standard outlet is 230V, rated for up to 13A, for about 3000W. And culturally, in terms of consumer expectations in the UK, the kettles are generally designed to max that out to use the full capacity of that outlet.
So on average, the typical US kettle is only about half as powerful as the typical UK kettle. It's a combination of the US electrical norms and the cultural/consumer expectations, because it is entirely possible to have a 2200W kettle on a pretty standard kitchen circuit in the US.
Find an electric kettle in the US that works as well as one in the UK? They don’t exist here.
Microwave can take 2-3 minutes depending on how hot you like it and how shitty your microwave is. They also tend to not heat evenly.
A good kettle might also take about 3 mins, though some can take up to 5 or 6, but you're guaranteed properly heated water.
I've used an electric gooseneck kettle for about a decade, before that I used a stovetop kettle or, if so was really desperate, a saucepan.
Reminds me of a Technology connections on electric kettles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c
And there was a followup on microwaving water: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpoXFk-ixZc
Its very enlightening from both US and European perspectives.
Always for coffee only sometimes for tea.
I don’t drink tea or coffee, but my mom microwaves her water for tea.
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At home, I always heat the water in a saucepan on my stove. I only use a microwave when I’m making tea at the university, where it’s the only way I can get hot water. These microwaves are always a bit dirty because most students don’t clean after themselves, and I can’t fully enjoy my tea because it feels tainted.
Just stick the mug on top of the stove on medium heat n it boils in like two minutes... Less than that is you use a saucepan...
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