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| Science back tea snobs claims - tea brewed in the kettle tastes better than the microwave |
There are two broad categories of tea drinkers: those who brew their tea in the microwave and those who hear about it and try to hold in an audible gasp. Now, science comes to the aid of the latter - the taste of tea does suffer if prepared in the microwave!
Last week, Mashable posted an article (The science that proves making your tea in the microwave is truly an appalling act) that cites a recent study from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China which uncovered the microwave does not uniformly heat the water in the cup. The water may be very hot at the top of cup, but only warm at the bottom. Is that such a big deal? Well, actually - yes, it is!
Traditional tea brewing with the use of a kettle on the stove allows for all the water to reach a consistent temperature (the convection process). There's a "sweet spot" for steeping tea - for time and water temperature to work together - to allow the tea leaves to unfurl and draw out their peak flavor. That minute and a half the cup of water heats up in the microwave doesn't get one to that perfect balance.
So, tea enthusiasts, wave that tea snob flag on this one: brewing tea in a kettle is superior to that of the microwave. However, we are empathetic to the pragmatists and those who need to take a few short cuts in their days. We're well acquainted with those who "cheat" and, perhaps, while incognito, find joys in the convenience of the single-serve keurig to brew up a speedy earl grey.
Keep that one under wraps and I'll take a break from waving my flag. . . for as long as it takes to microwave a cup of tea. :) :)
Last week, Mashable posted an article (The science that proves making your tea in the microwave is truly an appalling act) that cites a recent study from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China which uncovered the microwave does not uniformly heat the water in the cup. The water may be very hot at the top of cup, but only warm at the bottom. Is that such a big deal? Well, actually - yes, it is!
Traditional tea brewing with the use of a kettle on the stove allows for all the water to reach a consistent temperature (the convection process). There's a "sweet spot" for steeping tea - for time and water temperature to work together - to allow the tea leaves to unfurl and draw out their peak flavor. That minute and a half the cup of water heats up in the microwave doesn't get one to that perfect balance.
So, tea enthusiasts, wave that tea snob flag on this one: brewing tea in a kettle is superior to that of the microwave. However, we are empathetic to the pragmatists and those who need to take a few short cuts in their days. We're well acquainted with those who "cheat" and, perhaps, while incognito, find joys in the convenience of the single-serve keurig to brew up a speedy earl grey.
Keep that one under wraps and I'll take a break from waving my flag. . . for as long as it takes to microwave a cup of tea. :) :)
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