Though I'm probably still a "tea newbie," thanks to lurking here and reading about tea preparation methods, I've improved the quality of my tea. Now I have a question that I can't seem to find *any* responses to, in the FAQ or on the web.
Is there any down side to heating water for tea in a microwave? (And then pouring it onto the tea to brew in a teapot).
Currently I use a kettle on the stove to heat water for tea, and I've found that the tea tastes best if I catch the kettle *just* as it's starting to steam - if it builds up a head of steam, the tea doesn't taste as good. My kettle has a very quiet (and inconsistent) whistle, so getting the "sweet spot" is a bit tricky. It occurred to me that if I heated the water in the microwave, I could heat it the *exact* amount of time needed to get it to the right temperature - no mistakes.
Am I missing something? Is there something special about heating the water on the stove?
(This is for black tea, btw, which I like *very* strong, and serve with honey.)
Thanks!
--Holly