What is your tea making ritual

[Avatar]

And plopping ice cubes in your tea? Radical!

Haha, my GF does the same thing. Or adds cold water. Crazy.

I didn't mention that I use an electric kettle. Am I the only one who does?

There are kettles that aren't electric? I thought it went without saying...

--A

[matrixman]

Well, Av, I refer to these posts:

At work (where it's completely unjustified to boil water on the stove when the microwave does it in 3 minutes)

I assume that means at home she does use the stove

Add fresh spring water to kettle and return to stove

Turn on burner. Bring to boil.

Which was why I wondered if I was the only weirdo who uses an electric kettle. Nice to know you're another.

Oh, and back to Alynna's mention of the microwave: heating up water in the microwave is fine if you're using distilled water, but it might be potentially hazardous if you're using water straight from the tap. I remembered an episode of Mythbusters where they brought distilled water to a boil in the microwave and then dropped a spoon in it, and nothing happened. Then they did the same thing to plain tap water and dropped a spoon in...but this time, on contact the boiling water exploded out from the cup. I don't recall the Mythbusters' exact explanation for this occurrence, but it had something to do with the fact that the tap water contained impurities.

[aliantha]

Not to mention -- and it goes without saying -- that you've gotta be careful of the type of mug you're putting into the microwave. I vividly remember my former father-in-law saying one morning, when visiting our house, "Hey, I figured out why they tell you not to put metal-rimmed cups in the microwave!" He'd used one of my mugs with metallic paint around the rim, and got a nice little arc-ing thing going.

Luckily, the mug survived. Or he might not have.

I actually thought about getting an electric kettle at one point. But they're hard to find, and ridiculously expensive, here in the States. You can pick up a cheap, crappy coffeemaker at the drugstore for ten bucks, but an electric kettle requires hunting through numerous specialty stores and perhaps a small loan.

[Menolly]

I actually thought about getting an electric kettle at one point. But they're hard to find, and ridiculously expensive, here in the States. You can pick up a cheap, crappy coffeemaker at the drugstore for ten bucks, but an electric kettle requires hunting through numerous specialty stores and perhaps a small loan.

ali, do you shop online at all? This Proctor-Silex is available through sears.com for $20.00, and you can request store pick-up.

[Cail]

My tea-making ritual?

-open fridge

-grab bottle

-close fridge

-shake bottle

-remove cap

-drink

Works pretty well for me.

[Menolly]

My tea ritual: take the top off the jug, pour it, and drink it.

My tea-making ritual?

-open fridge

-grab bottle

-close fridge

-shake bottle

-remove cap

-drink

Works pretty well for me.

*gasp*

Long lost twins?

[Cail]

Nahh, just didn't read the first page of the thread.

[aliantha]

Yeah, see, I can't stand the taste of sweetened tea. And I've yet to find a bottled tea that has no sweetener in it at all.

(Why, no, I'm *not* from the South -- how did you guess?)

Menolly, yeah, I did shop extensively online for the bloody thing, and either I didn't see that Proctor-Silex model or Sears didn't have 'em then. This was right after we got back from our London vacation, so probably three or four years ago anyhow. It figures that they would have them now.... Now I'm not sure there would be a point to getting one, since a) it's just me, and b) the stove in the new place is electric, so since I'm heating up an element either way, the point is probably moot. But thanks for the link!

[Menolly]

The only pre-made bottled tea I like at all, because I don't like sweet tea either, is Arizona Asian Plum with Ginseng. But, it must be served over ice. There's no way I can drink it straight out of the bottle.

[matrixman]

I love iced tea. On a hot day, it's my beverage of choice.

[Menolly]

I love iced tea. On a hot day, it's my beverage of choice.

I used to be that way, until I was introduce to Simply Limeade over ice. OMGs is that stuff awesome.

But, a fresh, strongly brewed iced sun tea is a very close second on a hot day. I know, supposedly it's not the safest method for brewing tea, but I've been doing it since high school in the '70s, and have yet to ever get sick because of it.

[matrixman]

Simply Limeade? I'll look for it.

And iced sun tea? Don't know that.

[Avatar]

I actually thought about getting an electric kettle at one point. But they're hard to find, and ridiculously expensive, here in the States.

Serious? Weird. I bet you'd struggle to find any other type here. (OK, maybe not strugle, since 40% of the population has no electricity, but every shop has electric kettles in a bewildering array of variety.)

...so since I'm heating up an element either way, the point is probably moot.

Well, the kettle is much more energy efficient. Instead of heating the element, which heats the kettle, which heats the water, it just heats the water directly. Faster too. Especially if, as I do, you only put in enough water for the cup you're making.

As for this:

remembered an episode of Mythbusters where they brought distilled water to a boil in the microwave and then dropped a spoon in it, and nothing happened. Then they did the same thing to plain tap water and dropped a spoon in...but this time, on contact the boiling water exploded out from the cup. I don't recall the Mythbusters' exact explanation for this occurrence, but it had something to do with the fact that the tap water contained impurities.

From what I remember reading about this, the issue is the container, not the water. If there aren't imperfections in the surface where the bubbles from boiling water can form, the water gets super-heated. Heated above its boiling point, and when it's disturbed, like by putting a spoon in, it can "explode." Having the teabag in there would reduce the possibility which is rare ayway.

Hold on...

Microwave Boiled Water Can Explode

Impurities actually make it less dangerous by providing nucleation sites. (As your teabag would.)

But let me just interject that I find Alynna's process to be truly abominable in terms of tea-making. Boiling a cup of water with the teabag already in it...urg. Stick to coffee you guys.

--A

[Menolly]

Simply Limeade? I'll look for it.

It's actually a Coca-Cola product. Same line as Simply Orange and Simply Lemonade.



The limeade is the best of the bunch IMO though.

And iced sun tea? Don't know that.

Uhm...

Brewed sun tea over ice? Have you never made sun tea?

[aliantha]

Oh no, something *else* that's going to kill me eventually. What's wrong with sun tea??

I used to guzzle limeade as a kid -- so much so that for a long time I couldn't drink lemonade because it was too tame. Menolly, if there's a Trader Joe's near you, they have a frozen limeade bar (like a popsicle, but with limeade) that is just fabulous.

[Menolly]

Oh no, something *else* that's going to kill me eventually. What's wrong with sun tea??

Supposedly bacteria growth or some such, ali.

I used to guzzle limeade as a kid -- so much so that for a long time I couldn't drink lemonade because it was too tame.

I still don't drink lemonade. But, I love the Simply Limeade.

Menolly, if there's a Trader Joe's near you, they have a frozen limeade bar (like a popsicle, but with limeade) that is just fabulous.

One of my many regrets of living in Florida. No TJ's nor Aldi's nor Ikea's. We are finally slowly getting Kohl's, but none near me.

[matrixman]

...so since I'm heating up an element either way, the point is probably moot.

Well, the kettle is much more energy efficient. Instead of heating the element, which heats the kettle, which heats the water, it just heats the water directly. Faster too. Especially if, as I do, you only put in enough water for the cup you're making.

I agree, the electric kettle is the fastest way to boil water. In my case I only fill my kettle up to the minimum level indicated, which roughly amounts to two cups. Geez...are we starting to sound anal retentive or what?

Oh, and thanks for clearing up that boiling-water-in-microwave story. Can't believe I got that all backwards.

But let me just interject that I find Alynna's process to be truly abominable in terms of tea-making. Boiling a cup of water with the teabag already in it...urg.

The horror...the horror...

Brewed sun tea over ice? Have you never made sun tea?

I've had an insular existence. (That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it.)

[Worm of Despite]

Simply Limeade? I'll look for it.

It's actually a Coca-Cola product. Same line as Simply Orange and Simply Lemonade.

I've heard good stuff about Simply Orange. How is it different from regular orange juice?

[Menolly]

It is regular, not-from-concentrate, bottled
OJ.

Nearly identical to Tropicana or Florida's Natural not-from-concentrate. However, if you're one of those who will drink straight out of the container, it's packaging is easier to drink from (please don't ask me how I know this).

Again, I don't really care one way or the other for Simply Orange or Simply Lemonade. But, I love the Simply Limeade.

[aliantha]

Oh no, something *else* that's going to kill me eventually. What's wrong with sun tea??

Supposedly bacteria growth or some such, ali.

Oh, pooh. If I worried about bacteria growth on all the stuff I'm supposed to worry about it on, I'd have to live in a plastic bubble.

Menolly, if there's a Trader Joe's near you, they have a frozen limeade bar (like a popsicle, but with limeade) that is just fabulous.

One of my many regrets of living in Florida. No TJ's nor Aldi's nor Ikea's. We are finally slowly getting Kohl's, but none near me.

Bummer. Alternately, I think Edy's makes fruit-juice-flavored popsicles and I *think* they might make a lime-flavored one. Or I guess ultimately you could make your own limeade popsicles. Mmmm, limeade popsicles -- this is starting to sound like a weekend project....