How many of you microwave water for tea?

Electric kettles are a waste of space for many people. Limited use, fills up the counter. So then either you use the store or the microwave. We both know which one is faster.

Wait, you guys have microwaves?

Sincerely, Someone who does not own a microwave

I use an electric kettle but remember that in the US outlets are 120V, so they take a lot longer to heat water than in countries with 240.

So the microwave isn't much less efficient than the electric kettle, mainly because some of the energy is heating the mug/container. The least efficient is a stovetop kettle on an electric stove.

But I'm curious, why are Europeans so horrified by the idea of heating water in the microwave? Is it related to power consumption, or is there some other reason?

I am an American. I got a stovetop kettle to boil water for my tea. My fiancée hates it and refuses to use it. My friends think it is weird that I don’t just use the microwave like a normal person.

I live in the US and I heat my tea water in an electric kettle. It probably isn't as fast as yours, but it is still close to microwave speed. And I can heat up enough for several cups of tea and have it keep the rest hot. I usually drink more than one at a sitting.

In the US I bought an electric kettle because I got tired of using the stove. I don’t understand people who use the microwave it just feels wrong.

American electric kettles are also quite a bit slower to boil because our mains voltage is so low. https://youtu.be/_yMMTVVJI4c

In America this is the default method for small amounts of hot water.

Never we have a Quooker. (Instant boiling water out of the kitchen faucet)

No. I put it in the air fryer

My boomer mom will put a tea bag in a mug of water then nuke that until it bubbles to make tea. (Yes, even when the tea bag has a staple).

But, if she is heating up a can of soup, she will dump that into a sauce pan and heat that up on the gas range, on the burner right next to the nice kettle I got her years ago.

PSA: Microwaving water can actually be super dangerous because it’s possible to superheat it. When the surface is disrupted, it can violently boil all at once and hurt you.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown

My wife is a purist from the south of England with several tea brewing options. If I boiled water in the microwave I’d be at real risk of divorce

Not a thing in Brazil

Jesus invented kettles for a reason, only commies and the god forsaken use the stove or microwave :)

I did it when having no kettle,

Main problem is that you don't have a good temperature control, sometimes, you get mid-walm water, sometimes you get boiling water.

Even worse, you have this physical phenomena where water is above 100 degree but doesn't boil, and as soon you move-it it starts boiling. At best it's impressive but it can move into burn quickly.

Yes, if I need only 1 cup of hot water, I use the microwave.

The electric kettle wants a minimum of 2 cups (1/2 liter), or else it makes funny noises.

We just have an instant hot water tap. Can't live without it, haha.

Im not against it, but an electric tea kettle is no slower, and less hassle. Seriously, 2 cups of water boils in under 2 minutes, it's insane.

I used to microwave water for all sorts of things before getting an induction stovetop.

Seriously, it goes from tap water to boiling in 2 minutes. It's a game changer.

I was fighting a cold recently so used the microwave to heat the lemon juice / honey / gin mixture I was self medicating with.

I don't, my water dispenser has a tap for hot water. If I'm out of water in the dispenser I usually boil it in a pan. That being said heating water in the microwave is not an issue for me, as long as it's just the water before adding the tea.

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

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.

We use a kettle or boil it in a pot. I would not even entertain the idea of microwaving the water.

I did that in the past because we had no electric kettle at home. Today it's the over way round: I have a kettle but no microwave

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.

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 ;)

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.

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.

I don’t drink tea or coffee, but my mom microwaves her water for tea.

Always for coffee only sometimes for tea.

Takes longer and usually don't get it hot enough.

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.

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...

Never tried it. Is it faster than an electric kettle?