A good cup of tea is a wonderful thing, but if you don't have a hot water tap or a kettle nearby, you may be tempted to toss your mug in the microwave to get some hot water. That may not be a great idea, according to Slate—microwave ovens inevitably lead to less than ideal tea water.
Our friends at Lifehacker Australia shared this tip with us from an article at Slate. The real problem—one that Slate glosses over—with using the microwave to heat water for tea is that you have absolutely no temperature control when you use it. We've talked about the perfect times and temperatures for steeping tea before, and how to make a great cup before, but when you use a microwave you get none of the control that really makes a good cup great, and you end up with water that's too hot or cold for the tea you're brewing.
The Slate article incorrectly asserts that microwave ovens will produce water that may be too hot in some places and too cool in others, making for an overall less enjoyable cup of tea. Slate says that this is part of the nature of microwave radiation, and that microwaving tea will result in pockets of water that are warmer than others. That's not true—after all, microwave wavelengths are about 4-inches, so unless you have a really huge teacup, you're getting pretty even heating, especially if you remember to put it on the edge of the carousel, so we don't think that's much of a problem, especially if you stir after heating. Temperature control in general is the issue at hand.
Is it fine in a pinch or when you have no other options? Sure—just make sure to bring the water up to temp in the microwave, then stir and let it calm down before brewing so you get the right temperature for your tea. Then again, Slate also suggests using a rolling boil to make tea, so your mileage may vary.
Food Explainer: Why Does Microwaving Water Result in Such Lousy Tea? | Slate via Lifehacker Australia
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