Generally, it takes 30 seconds to microwave water for tea. Once you have heated water in the microwave, about 2 tablespoons of water should be added to a microwave-safe cup along with a teabag. Once it is done, you need to cover the mug with a microwave-safe lid and let it sit inside the microwave for another 2 minutes.
Now, it’s time to remove the teabag and add any flavor according to your taste like sugar, honey, or cinnamon powder.
The tea is ready to drink. If you prefer to drink a piping hot cup of tea, it is advised to microwave for another 30 seconds after adding the flavors.
For making milk tea, you need to add two tablespoons of milk with 2 tablespoons of water in a large bowl that is microwave safe. Then, add a tea bag, some grated ginger, and sugar and microwave it for 2-3 minutes. Let the bowl remain inside the microwave for about 1 more minute with the lid on the bowl and the tea is ready.
Most of us require a good cup of tea every morning to feel fresh and gain energy for the entire day. Microwave can be used to make a healthy cup of tea in less than 5 minutes and it is very easy to make as well.
It is suggested in a study that as compared to other tea brewing methods stronger effects are obtained when tea is made in a microwave. It indicated that while brewing tea in a microwave, 80% of caffeine, polyphenol, and theanine get activated.
This cannot be achieved when the teabag is put in hot water for some time.
Is it bad to microwave water for tea?
Yes, it is bad to microwave water for tea as there are many cases reported where people have injured themselves from the microwaved water. Also, it destroys the flavor of the tea.
There are some problems witnessed when water is microwaved for tea and these are –
Uneven Heating
There is uneven heating of the microwaved water. In some spots, it becomes too hot whereas in others it is too cool and thus, you get a poor cup of tea. In a microwave, there are random places where waves are formed in the water due to which water molecules at those places witness rapid vibration.
If water is not heated for a long time, isolated pockets of hot water are formed in larger, cooler portions. Also, the steam formed in the microwaved water is a moist vapor that evaporates from the liquid surface and as soon as it touches the cooler air, it condenses into a mist.
Not able to control temperature
While heating the water in a microwave, you are not able to control the temperature and the water becomes either too hot or too cold. Thus, the temperature of the tea is not perfect.
Does boiled water stay hot longer than microwaved water?
Yes, boiled water does stay hot longer than microwaved water. It is always better to heat the water for tea in an electric kettle or on the stove. When it is done, water boils evenly which is not achieved in the microwaved water.
While microwaving water, you get hot spots only when the microwaves hit the water, and thus, there can be many cold spots throughout the water.
Due to the presence of cold spots in the microwaved water, it gets cooled down soon as compared to the water boiled on the stove or in the kettle.
In a kettle, water gets heated by convection in which the warmer liquid having fast-moving molecules rises as it is less dense and the cooler liquid drops down. Eventually, water mixes and a uniform temperature is maintained.
On the other hand, in a microwave, the heating effect is brought by the presence of a magnetron, and an electron tube that produces microwaves. Due to the microwaves, the water molecules get excited and begin to vibrate.
Since the vibrations produce heat, the faster is the vibrations of the molecules, the hotter is the food/water.
Since these microwaves do not come only from the bottom but come from all over the microwave, convection does not occur and thus, water at the top is hot than the water at the bottom. Thus, it cools down easily as well.
Are teabags microwave safe?
Yes, tea bags are microwave safe as long as a staple in it is submerged in the water while microwaving. There is a risk of spark if a metal is left exposed in a microwave as the metal tends to deflect the microwaves.
But, when it is submerged in water, there is a dissipation of the microwaves and they get absorbed in the water. This indicates that when tea bags are used in a microwave, the staple should be completely submerged in the water.
Microwave iced tea?
Yes, you can microwave iced tea and it is very easy to make in a microwave. To make it, you need a glass pitcher which is microwave-safe (a pyrex glass pitcher is recommended), and add 4 cups of water to it.
Add family-size tea bags or 4 regular-sized tea bags and cook for 5-6 minutes in a microwave. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then take it out and enjoy a good ice tea. You can even add ice cubes if you want them to be chilled.
Tea kettle vs Microwave
To make tea, it is often better to use a tea kettle as compared to a microwave. Kettle heats the water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and that too evenly. When the bottom of the kettle is heated, a natural convection current is formed due to which hot water rises and the cool water goes down.
This helps in uniform heating of the contents of the kettle and the water gets boiled. At this point, an electric kettle switches off automatically, and a stovetop kettle whistles.
On the other hand, there is no even heating of water in a microwave due to which it is difficult to control the boiling process. Microwaves generated leading to the formation of tiny waves in the liquid at random locations due to which there is rapid vibration of the water molecules.
This leads to the development of isolated pockets of hot water along with larger portions of cooler water. At this point, it is often misleading and we think that water has reached the boiling point but uniform 212 degrees Fahrenheit is not achieved.
At this point, you may notice steam coming out from the mug of microwaved water but it is the moist vapor evaporating from the water surface and condensing into the mist while coming in contact with cooler air.
At the same time, it is an easy method to use the microwave for tea and if you are in a hurry, or not in a mood to spend more time brewing tea in a kettle, a microwave is the best option.
Can you microwave green tea?
Yes, you can microwave green tea. It is suggested in research that when green tea is made in a microwave, more beneficial nutrients and caffeine get extracted as compared to green tea made from conventional heating.
It is also revealed in the study that the level of catechins in the microwaved green tea is higher than conventional heating.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, the water can be boiled in the microwave to make tea and it takes approximately 30 seconds to do so. For this, you need to add the tea bag to a cup of water. Once the water is boiled, you can add any flavor of your choice.
It is an easy method to make tea and does not take much time as well as compared to the traditional method of making tea on the stove or kettle.
So, what are you waiting for? Make a piping hot tea in a microwave in just a few minutes.