While it may be convenient and fast, heating water in microwave for tea is NOT the best way to get a delicious, flavorful, and healthful cup to start off your morning. Here are some reasons why:
1. It Can Get Too Hot
With microwave water for tea, it is very challenging to get the water to the exact temperature you need for a specific kind of tea. We’ve written before on why it is so important to steep your tea at the right temperature. In the microwave, you can’t control the final outcome; if the water is too hot, your tea will get scorched. This is especially a concern for green and white teas.
2. It Might Not Get Hot Enough
For best tasting black tea, pu-erh, and some herbals and oolongs, you need your water to be boiling (around 212 degrees Fahrenheit). If it isn’t hot enough, your tea will be tepid and less flavorful unless you stick it back in the microwave -- once again, risking scorching your tea.
3. Your Cup Could Get Too Hot To Handle
When you pour water into your cup from a kettle, the handle of the cup remains cool to the touch. When you stick your whole cup in the microwave for the time needed for heating water in the microwave for tea, your handle will get hot as well. This may make it intolerably hot when you pull it out, and you could burn yourself.
There is a caveat to all of this though. There is one best way to microwave water for tea: use it to preheat the cup you are using. Preheating ensures that the temperature of your water will not drop when you pour it into your cup. Once again, just be careful not to warm the mug up for too long in the microwave, or it could burn you! Also, be absolutely sure the mug you are using is microwave safe.
If you’re looking for the right equipment to make a delicious cup of tea, check out our variety of teaware and best tea accessories. Still looking for your favorite blend of tea? Chances are you’ll find it in our extensive collection of unique loose leaf tea blends!
