It picks up food smells from the walls of the microwave. Make it properly, gun monkey!
Wash your microwave. Checkmate.
Who has time for that shit?
You don’t clean your kettle though? Same amount of time
I only clean the kettle after soup
Please stop making soup in your kettle.
I don’t make popcorn in my kettle.
Apparently I’ve been making popcorn wrong this whole time /s
Cleanliness and grooming? I thought this was just a trope…
Ok how often do you wash the inside of your microwave?
Weekly. Today’s the day.
Me and I’m lazy! Get yourself some clorox wipes my dude.
Believe it or not, i don’t want my lapsang tasting of bleach either.
That doesn’t transfer in my experience though I don’t do it with wet bleach in there. Maybe that is the ticket to my success: Drying it out first.
Microwave a cup with water and vinegar until it boils. Then a single wipe cleans everything
You do this every time you use your microwave? Because we’re talking about making around 6 - 10 cups of tea every day for everyone who happens to be in the room. It’d be a little odd to go and clean your microwave before every round of tea, not to mention microwaves don’t heat things evenly so you can’t do them all at once, it very quickly becomes way more effort than just flipping the switch on a kettle that is only ever used for that purpose.
First, clean your microwave. If things are picking up flavors from your microwave, that’s a you thing, not a microwave thing.
Second, just cover things that you put into the microwave. You can get reusable covers, or you can often use a paper towel.
Third, a kettle is still better than a microwave for water.
Tea is an odour sponge. Russian caravan in it’s original form obtained a distinctly woody smokey flavour just from being too close to a campfire. It’s simulated today by mixing kemun, lapsang soushong, and oolong. But tea will take on the flavour of anything it’s left with.
Oh, I use an electric kettle for tea and coffee for that matter. I was just giving the method I use to clean my microwave. I clean it whenever it gets dirty enough to bother me. I don’t use it often and I mostly cover my food if I do heat it up. So about every 2-3 months?
who has time to wash the benches either ? why bother oneself with vacuuming the floors ?
Do you vacuum the floor 6 - 10 times a day? If so, go get help.
do you cook odorous food in your microwave that often ? otherwise i dont see what your argument means
If it’s not strong tasting/smelling there’s no point in eating it.
Coffee is the only proper hot beverage, reject your dry leaf water, Roast Beef!
I actually agree with you, frog! But the fact is that the majority of Brits don’t.
Lol, I’m a Yank. A displaced yank living abroad, but still.
My favourite derogatory term for the British is Germany’s “Inselaffen” or island monkeys.
Pizza roll tea. YUM
Joke’s on you guys, I keep a red hot iron poker in my kitchen forge at all times. Just quench and cuppa.
It’s only faster because your half ass electrical system is only 120V Also the microwave makes the mug to hot to touch
The electric kettle is still faster on 120v
Nope, we get 240. We just dont put it on every outlet because its safer. One of the few places that DOES get 240 is any electric stove.
And our stoves get 400V. Don’t pretend that your system is superior, it just isn’t.
And safety is a non-issue if you don’t stick your fingers in the outlets!
Even if you do stick your fingers in the outlets, it’s not a problem if you use a good socket
Especially if the entire house is protected by a GFCI.
Not saying its better, just saying it has some pros.
And safety is always an issue to be worried about.
Wait how does the microwave go faster when it’s also on half the supply voltage?
Because resistive heating is inefficient. You need to pump a lot of power through to get a lot of heat. A microwave does not use resistive heating and works on a completely different principle and therefore the amount of power available is much less importance.
Resistive heating is almost perfectly efficient. Where else would the energy go? Using a hot piece of metal to heat water might be slower than using microwave radiation, but that’s a different kettle of fish.
A microwave does not use resistive heating and works on a completely different principle and therefore the amount of power available is much less importance.
Insane troll logic
Resistive heating inefficient? What is the energy wasted as, if not heat?
Yes all the energy goes into being heat but you have to put a lot of energy into the wire before it heats up. Microwaves barely use any energy in fact it takes more power to run the little clock than the microwave itself.
That’s insanely untrue. Microwaves are power hogs up to a 1000 watts or more in some cases. The difference is the heat transmission method. The conduction of heat in a kettle is pretty slow because it forces the heat to propagate through water via convection, which is slower, while the radiation of a microwave antenna distributes the energy more evenly and faster. Consumption is mostly on par but energy transfer differs.
So you mean slow, not inefficient.
don’t the coils glow slightly? I guess light would be mostly wasted energy, no?
I think you are complicating things a tad too much. American kitchens have sockets that provide 240V electricity.
Yeah, but not for countertop appliances. Those are all 110/120VAC. Even things as large as a consumer level refrigerator or freezer are almost always 110/120VAC too.
While I have a kettle for water, there are two issues with them for tea.
- The water gets stale and the reheating drives off the all the excess air that fresh water has. This loss of dissolved oxygen kills the flavor of your tea and makes it taste bad. You should always use fresh water to make your or even coffee.
- A cheap kettle is, well cheap. You can’t make a good cup of green or oolong tea if you pour boiling water on it. Those need to be brewed at a lower temperature. And guessing doesn’t work. And a temperature adjustable kettle will set you back anywhere from $50US to $100US.
They use different methods of putting heat into water.
A microwave turns the electricity into RF radiation that is absorbed by the water. To produce that radiation, the input electricity is converted to thousands of volts by a DC power supply. So regardless of whether it’s 120 or 240 input voltage, it all gets converted to the same high voltage DC to run the magnetron.
A classic electric kettle works by running the current from the outlet through a resistive heating element. Double voltage means double heat.
Induction heaters use a power supply to reduce the input voltage while increasing amps and frequency to heat metal through inductance. So, similar to a microwave, the voltage of the outlet is largely irrelevant.
Tl;Dr: microwaves and induction heaters change the supplied voltage to function, so they work the same in UK and US; resistive heaters work faster on 240v like the UK uses.
So does an oxy acetylene tourch, what’s your point. Leave me with my glowing red hot coffee mug.
For a single mug microwaves are quicker in America. Potentially even for 2 mugs.
BUT in America kitchen appliances have a power limit (usually) of 1,500W. This is usually higher than a standard microwave (1,000W). And since an electric kettle in America is just a heat source in water, it’s very efficient. So if you’re regularly heating multiple mugs worth of water, or just boiling water for cooking often, an electric kettle is definitely better. They are also pretty cheap.
Now in Europe and the UK, electric kettles are faster since they can often be around 3,000W or higher. But that doesn’t mean American kettles are useless. American kettles a way faster than heating water on the stove. And WAAAY faster than heating water on a gas stove.
I love my electric kettle. I can get 5 cups of boiling water in about five minutes (less for less water).
And while a microwave is likely faster, it also heats the container. For a quick, single mug, it’s not an issue. Run that thing for five to heat a lot of water, and the container itself could be scorching hot.
I prefer the kettle every time.
Why wouldn’t a microwave in the UK also be 3000W? Maybe it would instantly vaporize water and kill you when you open it?
It sounds like the issue is that UK may have weak microwaves compared to their kettles.
They absolutely do. Many microwaves in the UK are about half the power of built in American microwaves. (Portable/countertop microwaves are extremely common, being around 700-800W usually)
I genuinely can’t tell if this is a joke or not , but I really hope it is because its so perfect
It would burn your food. Microwaves heat the outermost layer that contains water. That heat conducts inwards. It’s the same reason you don’t bake everything at 500F.
I’m not supposed to bake with oven’s self clean feature?! Huh
I call it Basque Chicken
Kettle is much more convenient. Microwave is overkill, while a kettle is both a simpler machine and turns itself off when the water boils with no guesswork. It’s ergonomically designed for pouring into a cup.
The speed argument is irrelevant, they’re both quick enough.
A microwave cannot be more efficient than an electric kettle with an immersion heating element (rare these days) anyways .
Wait until you see my heat pump microwave checkmate libtards
Most Americans own a microwave, but don’t own a kettle. So going to the store and buying a kettle is a little less convenient.
There’s also the whole “kettles in America take longer to heat up, because America only has 120v electrical outlets while the UK has 240v, and therefore gets twice as much power for the same amperage” thing.
American kettles are significantly worse than British kettles. They run at lower voltage and lower amperage, so they take much longer to boil water.
Given the choice between using a multipurpose microwave to do one more thing, and buying a separate appliance that is no faster, choosing to use the device you already own is entirely appropriate.
If you drink tea or coffee, even irregularly, a kettle is worth having.
And a pour over is better than Keurig crap. I’d recommend using paper filters as well. Most of the time I just rinse the pour over when finished.
Generally I grind 2-3 servings of beans at a time and store the rest in a glass container in the fridge.
In the end, the effort is pretty comparable to a Keurig machine, but better quality, more flexibility, and you don’t have to deal with/buy pods or a machine.
They are still the best option for heating water. At best, a microwave could match its performance if it is nearly perfectly efficient and dumping all it’s energy only into the water, which is what a kettle does. They have the same potential power draw, so they can put the same energy in as each other. A kettle’s design is perfect for heating water though.
Unless you have an inductive stove top, an electric kettle is going to be the best option, even in the US. It’s the most efficient at putting energy into the water and, since all these options have the same power draw, it is consequently the fastest (again, assuming no inductive stove top which can draw more power).
No judgement from me towards anyone who uses a microwave like this. But that’s not a good argument. If you want to get pedantic, the one-time inconvenience of going to the store will be made up for by the hundreds of small conveniences of using it later.
In general I don’t think it’s fair to think about the inconvenience of buying a thing. Even online reviews, which often complain about shipping times which has nothing to do with the product, don’t really complain about the inconvenience of having to buy or order something. It’s not relevant.
You can of course, keep the kettle.
WHAT?! That’s way better than a microwave then! I was getting so tired of buying new microwaves every time I wanted a cup of tea. Thank you.
The microwave is more efficient because you can do all the steps at once. Put teabag in mug, cover with water, microwave, leave and let steep. And if you forget about your tea it’s already in the microwave – just push the “add 30 seconds” button.
I keep my Splenda and non-dairy creamer next to the microwave for added convenience.
Jess christ… this makes me want to poke out my eyes!
You can’t put cold water and a teabag together in a microwave you psycho.
I don’t know what you’ve made there, but it isn’t tea.
I have never seen a thread that is more dangerous to the Special Relationship and I am here. for. it. Brits just sat down to their post-dinner cup of tea and the Muricans just got up from lunch, just raging at each other. Move the nuclear clock one second closer to midnight, please.
The sun is free! 😎
Clearly you’ve never been to Britain.
I have not. ☹️
If its powered by the sun, its a no go.
Does this actually work? Looks amazing. Hope you don’t accidentally put your hand in the focal point.
MFW the colonials butcher your language with the use of “Britishers” when “The British” or “Brits” are perfectly acceptable.
Aww, the britishian hasn’t had their slow tea yet.
It’s ok, once it’s brewed I’ll sip it and watch you do some target practice at your local school or mall.
Introduce the Americans to buckfast tonic wine aka “wreck the hoose juice”. I bet it pairs well with firearms.
You’re just mad because you used to own the world and have now been reduced to a country the size of fucking Michigan.
I’m not mad just having some banter, it’s funny how easily for the Americans it goes from having a laugh to hurt feelings.
Speaking of empire, be sure to enjoy yours whilst it lasts, and good luck with your second civil war.
You’ve never heard “lol you’re just mad…”? You new on the internet? I’m also just fucking with you dingus.
“Empire?” We have no such empire, we have a country and for some reason we call PR and Guam territories iirc but that’s it, and idk why we do even that we could stop any time as far as I’m concerned. The other countries we have bases in are all sovereign, unless I missed one, and even then idt we control Guam and PR the way y’all did India.
2nd civil war may happen, but at least we can do it. If a cult of personality takes your country over what’re you gonna do about it throw crumpets at him?
Sorry I thought you were being literal with the “mad” it’s hard to infer tone over text.
Yes you because the domination of the British empire was leveraged through the pound-sterling being the world reserve currency. Now it’s the US dollar and, when it comes to the energy, the petro-dollar. Not to mention that the US securities markets are favoured over UK or European ones.
And no, we throw milkshakes.
I make fun of your tea and you bring up mass shootings.
I’d say you’re salty but we both know you don’t season your food.
Yes I do because they both occur at about the same frequency. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the US section of BBC news without at least one mass shooting story per day, you guys really should do something about that.
Perhaps more guns will solve the problem, like how in your cuisine adding “cheese” or Ranch Dressing counts as adding flavour.
Who needs guns? That other person made the Michigan joke so you’re already dead.
Britisher used to be fairly popular back in the day. Yanks are usually behind everything so it makes sense they’d still be using it
Sorry mate, American English is more logical. Let them have that at least. I still prefer spoken British English though.
Look at this lil brish crybaby.
If you didn’t want us butchering the language, you should have tried harder in the war.
Well now you butcher the language and your fellow countrymen. I’d say you learnt everything we had to teach you, aside from how to spell properly.
But the molecules are wiggling in the wrong way!
The molecules are jiggling in imperial, not metric.
They will jiggle how I tell them to jiggle.
I’ve microwaved water and there is always this foam at the top. Furthermore I think the kettle takes away some of the Particles since mine always has timescales after a few days.
Using a kettle is not just a British thing, it is always a good idea to boil water, let it cool down and then drink, I recently read that it also reduces micro plastics by at least %70
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They cost like £10
I have an electric water heater. 5 liters of just below boiling (~90c)water available at the touch of two buttons(damn safety unlock has to be pressed before dispense).
If you want it actually boiling it is up to a rolling boil in less time than anything else heating room temp water as it only has to go up 10 more degrees.
I have an induction stove. The microwave isn’t quicker.
I’d rather have a kettle anyways, less dangerous and faster. And it can also be very pretty.
Oh yes I am looking at you Fellow Stagg.
Who wants a shorter tea break? Fuck this noise.
There are very good reasons not to microwave tea, first of all:
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I usually find microwaving anything in a mug adds some unpleasant flavour from the mug. Using glass eliminates this, but worth noting.
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Microwaving the tea itself will break down some compounds and release more tannins, your tea will be worse.
But even if you’re just microwaving the water, the kettle wins (depending on what tea you are brewing). Black tea should be brewed as close as possible to 100°C - when you have a kettle you should pour it just as it comes off the boil, around 90-95°C. By that point the water has actually been boiling for quite a while (at least the water around the element), allowing the rest of it to heat up. It’s very difficult to achieve this in a microwave, and dangerous too since you can just end up spraying boiling water around your microwave.
I wonder about the efficiency too. Wouldn’t the microwave lose more “waves” that don’t hit the mug?
Wouldn’t the microwave lose more “waves” that don’t hit the mug?
Don’t the microwaves keep reflecting off of the inside of the microwaves until they hit a water molecule? If they didn’t, the inside of the microwave would heat up along with the water.
Oh that sounds more plausible thanks
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