this post was submitted on 14 Mar 2025
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And no, the microwave is not a valid option.

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[–] Retro_unlimited@lemmy.world 4 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

First step is to gather sticks under the bushes.

Start a fire using paper, newspaper, cardboard, then add sticks and make a larger fire.

Heat up water until boiling.

Add tea bags to thermos and pour the water inside. Now we have 2 days worth of hot tea.

Optional delicious step: pop popcorn

[–] VaxHacker@programming.dev 3 points 18 hours ago

I usually drink coffee so the water goes in before the teabag, although to be fair the teabag never goes in.

[–] CheeseToastie@lazysoci.al 7 points 1 day ago

Thankyou for preventing microwave comments. Its an abomination

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 16 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Take your hatchet and slash some leaves in the misty fields of Kerala. Make sure it's monsoon flush, so roughly july to september. Then, chop up an old Ginkgo Biloba that looks wise. Leave it to dry in a Kenyan plain for three years, and head for Nepal. There, you will gather the purest glacier water there is. By then, your tea leaves will be dust. Go buy some Lipton and microwave tap water, it's all you can do at this point. And, uh, teabag first

[–] frosch@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Sounds like that guy who made a sandwich from scratch: growing wheat, raising chicken etc. He said it was „okay“

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 1 points 17 hours ago

Heh, I'd like to read this

[–] fum@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Tea bag first, then freshly boiled hot water.

[–] CheeseToastie@lazysoci.al 4 points 1 day ago

This is the only answer

[–] qwerty_bastard@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

This is how you scold the tea

[–] fum@lemmy.world 4 points 19 hours ago
[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Teabag, honey, hot water and then milk (almond in my case)

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 1 points 21 hours ago

Honey first you don't get it on the tea bag Obviously

[–] CheeseToastie@lazysoci.al 1 points 1 day ago

You know I've never tried honey in tea... I may do it

[–] YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca 64 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I put the teabag in first so the hot water will hit it and move it around and release the flavour.

[–] AwkwardPea@lemm.ee 17 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] NoSpotOfGround@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That's a great way to make the air inside the teabag expand but not be able to escape through the wet paper, making the teabag float on top of the water like a confused little fish that just escaped a dentist's aquarium.

[–] other_cat@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 day ago

That's why you dunk it a few times until it sinks!

[–] nichtburningturtle@feddit.org 25 points 1 day ago (7 children)

The teabag. Otherwise it would float on top, similarly to why you put cerial in before milk.

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[–] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 40 points 1 day ago (37 children)

I'm not sure why the hate for microwaves exist. It's literally just another method for making water move fast. It has absolutely no impact on the final product, as hot water is hot water no matter the heat source.

[–] azertyfun@sh.itjust.works 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

Lol at everyone in the replies inventing crazy conspiracy theories.

As someone who has microwaved tea a bunch of times because my workplace didn't have a kettle, let me bestow upon you the ~~~truth~~~:

Microwaved water is slow to boil (especially compared to a 2500 W kettle for us chad 230V enjoyers), about 2:30 for one cup IIRC and the cup will be uniformly heated including the handle which is annoyingly hot to the touch (and I'm not particularly squeamish with hot things).

Tastes the same though.

[–] Nemo@slrpnk.net 29 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Heating water in the mike is fine. Heating already-made tea in the mike is fine. Heating water with a teabag in it in the microwave is the vilest act.

[–] earphone843@sh.itjust.works 13 points 1 day ago (1 children)

But boiling a tea bag is wrong no matter what your heat source is.

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[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 21 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Yes, this is one of the more bizarre cultural differences. I have seen people from the UK object strongly to Microwaving water.

Microwaving food definitely affects the way it tastes because it heats unevenly. Cooking foods different ways affects the outer browning, moisture levels, etc.

Heating water in a kettle on the stove, an electric kettle, a sauce pan, or a microwave doesn't change the water! If you don't want to seep tea in boiling water, then let it cool slightly first.

[–] AmidFuror@fedia.io 8 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Lots of comments on superheating, mostly to the parent comment, but I'll put a response here.

You can avoid superheating by putting a reasonable time on the microwave based on the amount of water you're heating. Especially for something you do again and again, you should be able to quickly get experience with this.

[–] blackbrook@mander.xyz 6 points 1 day ago

Common sense like this does NOT belong on the internet.

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[–] Condiment2085@lemm.ee 7 points 1 day ago
[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 4 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Neither. Tea bags are for chumps. It's so much tastier to use fresher loose tea leaves of whatever mix you prefer (and you can control how strong you make it, plus you end up with less waste). I just boil the water in the microwave then when it's hot I take it out and add the tea.

[–] Gold_E_Lox@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

unfortunately, i believe the microwave was not an option.

[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 5 points 1 day ago

Does it make a difference that the tea is never in the microwave? It's only the method for heating a single cup of water, not of heating the water+tea set.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

You can buy empty tea bags to fill with loose tea...

[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

A tea bag floats though. It's better to use the traditional balls or anything else metal that will make the tea sink so it soaks better. Alternatively, there are ceramic teapots that keep the tea leaves below the water level.

[–] beeng@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Tea bags got many microplastics...

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 1 points 15 hours ago

There are definitely companies that use non plastic bags. Usually even compostable. Teapigs, Traditional Medicinal, Buddha Teas, etc.

[–] frosch@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Those that are made from this mesh-stuff like that „premium“ Lipton shit? Yeah, I wouldn’t use them. Afaik, paper-teabags are safe?

[–] GrumpyDuckling@sh.itjust.works 1 points 14 hours ago

Who knows, they might soak the paper in arsenic or some shit

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I recently learned this and bought one of those sieve tongs , but because I still have a bunch of tea bags left over, I opted to just rip them open and put the tea in the tongs. Works like a treat, once you figure out how to rip them without spilling everything lol

[–] beeng@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 21 hours ago
[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Water.
If the cup is not full enough, I'll top it up (and spill the amount again once I get to my table).

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Set the bush on fire, toss a bucket of water on it, drink the hot bush broth drippings

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[–] Brewchin@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (5 children)

They're designed to deliver the maximum amount of flavour in ~20 seconds.

So: bag first, then just-boiled water. Wait/steep for 20-60 seconds, fish out the bag with a teaspoon and squeeze against the cup, and then milk.

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[–] recursive_recursion@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

For me:

  1. Cup.
  2. Reusable metal tea infuser.
  3. Loose leaf tea.
  4. press button on Japanese instant hot water dispenser
    • (^this was probably the best $200 I've ever spent, fucking worth every dollar).
[–] kozy138@lemm.ee 6 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Depends what tea I'm making. For green and white teas I will add water first (175-185F) then steep the tea bag for 3-4 minutes.

If I'm making black tea or some fruity/herbal tea, I will toss the bag in first, then pour in boiling water and steeping for 3-5min depending on preference.

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[–] ThisIsAManWhoKnowsHowToGling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Microwave the water on high for ten minutes, drop the teabag in, and run for my life

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