Heating water in a microwave oven?

In article "cos" wrote: | | Is there any difference in tea taste between water heated in a microwave | oven and a normal heating in a kettle? | Thanks

Try it and see!

I never found any. If there is, it's substantially less than the difference between water in different cities.

--scott

Apparently it can be dangerous in certain circumstances, i.e. if you manage to superheat the water.

Stefan

Should not be a problem in a wide mouth container, like a measuring cup. Also, one might stick in a wooden skewer to ensure a place for bubble creation and thus minimize super heating---so the story goes.

I do it all the time in coffee cups and measuring cups. My wife heats her teabag in a cup of water (gasp) in the nuker.

For what it's worth, I think tea made with microwaved water tastes "flat" (not as flavorful), but to be honest I've never done a blind tasting to confirm it.

Dean

Are you pulling the water out as soon as it boils, or letting it boil for a while? If you boil any water too long, it will reduce the dissolved oxygen which can make for flat-tasting tea.

--scott

What someone claims microwaved water does to plants:

Personally I'm not a microwave oven abolitionist, but I would keep all microwave use to a minimum. Ours broke down this past January. We were going to replace it, but never got around to it, and rarely miss it.

Scott Dorsey wrote:

For household amusement, it's hard to top what a microwave does to a York Peppermint Pattie. Peeps aren't bad, either.

dmh

Well, I avoid microwaving water for tea, so it's been a while, but when I do I pull it out as soon as the oven is done.

If you boil any water too long, it will reduce the dissolved

I recall an extensive thread here on this issue a while back - there were some, as I recall, who took the position that by the time water reaches boiling temp most of the oxygen is gone anyway, so it's effect on tea taste is irrelevant. YMMV.

Dean

Yes, if you bring it to a boil in the microwave in a nice clean cup, then remove the cup and quickly dump in leaves or a bag to steep, the water will froth way up, and probably spill out.

A second thing to consider is that you are heating the cup at the same time, and this means the water in the cup will be hotter (and stay hotter longer) than it would have if you had boiled water in a kettle, and then poured it into a room temperature cup. Measurements I have taken show that immediately after pouring boiling water into a

Randy

I always think its pretty cool to see the water go ballistic when it comes in contact with just the air outside the microwave, but I guess I'm sick like that. I also know it is going to happen and am not surprised or in danger of being caught unaware by it though.

In Italian hoot food/beverages should be "swearingly hot" - rough translation - and that is how I enjoy my tea, except for delicate teas that need lower temps. When at work though, I only have a microwave and a set of teas that I can be more lenient on with temp/time.

I personally can tell the difference between a microwave and a tea kettle. I've tested it out and I can tell every time. I believe it has to do more with the proper brewing temperature than oxygen though. I never fully buy into the oxygen story. I brew with spring water only, and old school tea would have been brewed with much the same. I can't see them in ancient times throwing out perfectly good water and making another trek for each pot of tea. Most likely they reused the same water until it was gone, reboiling etc. I have read a number of older texts on tea and never have they mentioned reboiling or oxygen anywhere, so I personally believe it is not an issue.

- Dominic Drinking: Dragon Tears

Wow, I never knew. I'll never microwave water again for my Tea.

Microwave Ovens = Evil cancer producing machines.

ah2323 wrote:

Be careful.