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 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 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 4 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 6 points 9 hours ago

Thankyou for preventing microwave comments. Its an abomination

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 16 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours 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 10 hours 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 2 hours ago

Heh, I'd like to read this

[–] fum@lemmy.world 11 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Tea bag first, then freshly boiled hot water.

[–] qwerty_bastard@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

This is how you scold the tea

[–] fum@lemmy.world 3 points 5 hours ago
[–] CheeseToastie@lazysoci.al 4 points 9 hours ago

This is the only answer

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 6 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

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

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago

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

[–] CheeseToastie@lazysoci.al 1 points 9 hours ago

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

[–] beeng@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 15 hours ago (3 children)

Tea bags got many microplastics...

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour 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 9 hours 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 18 minutes ago

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

[–] meekah@lemmy.world 2 points 12 hours 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

[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 4 points 18 hours 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 18 hours ago (1 children)

unfortunately, i believe the microwave was not an option.

[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 4 points 18 hours 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 15 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

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

[–] Bilaketari@reddthat.com 2 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 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.

[–] Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours 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).

[–] 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.

[–] Apytele@sh.itjust.works 2 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago)

if you do the characteristic "teabagging" motion it saturates quickly. tbh I do it whichever way is most convenient since I'm almost always brewing on the way from one task in one part of my work area to a different one somewhere else. What I put into the travel mug first has much more to do with which one I get my hands on first than it does with any personal preference.

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[–] YurkshireLad@lemmy.ca 63 points 1 day ago (3 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 16 points 1 day ago (1 children)
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[–] Condiment2085@lemm.ee 7 points 21 hours ago
[–] 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 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour 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.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 2 points 19 hours ago

To avoid the uneven heating just turn down the microwave power! No one does this and everyone complains about uneven heating! I get great reheating results from my microwave just by turning down the power and running it for longer.

This is how microwaves used to work decades ago when they were lower power by design. Over time the microwave power arms race resulted in them getting much too powerful for even reheating.

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[–] 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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[–] 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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