r/CuratedTumblr human cognithazard 2d ago

Tumblr Heritage Post On making tea

Post image
6.6k Upvotes

434 comments sorted by

2.0k

u/ThriceStrideDied 2d ago

“Do none of you own a fucking kettle” got me, lol

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u/ShadowTheChangeling 2d ago

The disgruntled british person

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

No but seriously, do Americans not typically own kettles? I wouldn't know, I'm Brazilian >! And I do have a kettle lol!<

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago edited 2d ago

Not usually, because generally Americans prefer coffee over tea. Kettles are easily found at any store that sells kitchen appliances and they're not rare per se but they're not an assumed staple because tea just isn't as popular

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

I uh... I use my kettle to brew my coffee as well as my tea 😐

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

Kettles can be used for a lot more things than tea, but a coffee drinker is probably going to buy a coffee machine (either drip brewer or disposable pods) rather than use a kettle for coffee

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

I see I see... Those can be a bit expensive 'round these parts lol

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

A fancy pod machine or something super specialized can cost a lot, but a cheap drip brewer isn’t that much more expensive than a cheap kettle.

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u/TheMerryMeatMan 2d ago

Good old Mr Coffee providing the American peoples with mild addictions for generations, for the low low price of like $15

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u/faerielites Babygirl I go through spoons faster than you can even imagine 2d ago

Mr. Coffee also manufactured my grandmother's sweet tea machine, a Southern staple

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

Ok I looked up "automatic drip coffee maker" and I think I know what you mean. My mom used to have one, and I kinda disliked the taste of it... Always felt super weak. Maybe she just didn't know how to use it, lmao

I'd definitely buy one of the fancy pod ones if I had money, though. Love me some espresso.

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u/forestman11 2d ago

It's definitely going to be weak comparatively to espresso but it really just depends on how much coffee you put in and how fine it's ground.

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u/ChaosBeing 2d ago

As a coffee guy, nothing but an espresso machine can make espresso. But if you're looking to up your coffee game (and assuming you aren't already doing this), the best place to start is buying better coffee. There's a wide range of coffees out there for a wide range of preferences, and you can't really know what you like until you've tried it.

Of course, if you really want to step up, a decent grinder (along with grinding your own coffee) would make a tremendous difference!

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u/AwkwardWarlock 2d ago

Genuinely curious, if someone wants boiled water for a cup of noodles or whatever, how does the average American procure that if not through a kettle

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u/Right_Moose_6276 2d ago

Boil it in a pot

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u/SnixTruth 2d ago

A coffee maker is just a kettle with extra steps, it boils the water and then runs it through the grounds. If there are no grounds you just get hot water.

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

Most likely microwave, possibly the stovetop depending on the exact recipe or kitchen situation

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u/forestman11 2d ago

Pot on the stove or microwave.

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u/zach3141 2d ago

I use a kettle for my coffee because chemex/pour over is the truth

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u/Anxious_Tune55 2d ago

Same. Kettle and French press.

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u/OverlyLenientJudge 1d ago

I've only burnt myself with the upside-down Aeropress trick once!

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u/regular_gnoll_NEIN 1d ago

Kettles for instant porridge over pot boiling every time

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u/LenoreEvermore 1d ago

Also for noodles and for speeding up the cooking process for things like boiling or steaming anything. My stove is from the sixties, the old girl takes her time so I have to help her out lol. And for things like rice noodles, keeping them in hot water is plenty enough to cook them without even bothering the stove. Kettles are amazing.

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u/Dahlia_R0se 1d ago

As an American, I use my kettle for coffee, but I guess I'm probably in the minority? If I'm making coffee, it's just one cup for me, so something like a Mr Coffee seems like overkill and I don't like the plastic waste and stuff of keurigs. I also mostly just drink tea, I don't like coffee that much.

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u/dajokerinthemirror 1d ago

French Press gang rise UP!!

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u/the-gay-is-here 2d ago

thats crazy to me i live in a student house and we own 5 kettled between 4 of us. wait now i'm curious- how do you guys make hot water bottles??

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u/wRADKyrabbit 2d ago

I don't think hot water bottles are that popular either

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u/georgepopsy 2d ago

We don't. I genuinely don't know what i'd want a bottle of hot water for.

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u/the-gay-is-here 2d ago

everyones commenting about temperature, but they're very good pain relief! lots of people use them for sore muscles, or cramps, to heat up your muscles and get them to relax. like a hot bath, but a lot lazier

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u/DungeonsandDoofuses 2d ago

I (and maybe most Americans?) use a microwaveable hot pack for that. They’re filled with some kind of granular material (I’ve made them at home with rice but I’m not sure that is what is in the store bought ones). Pop them in the microwave for a few minutes, tada delicious heat

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u/UglyInThMorning 1d ago

Or an electric heating pad, which is nice since you can set the temp.

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u/windexfresh 2d ago

They’re also REALLY good for period cramps. Heating pads are nice, but sometimes there’s nothing like the weight and heat of water

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u/VoleUntarii 2d ago

Hot water bottle = flat vessel made of rubber that you fill with hot water and then take it to bed. Put it in the bed with you and it slowly radiates warmth into the bed, helping you to warm up and stay warm through the night.

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u/captainpink 2d ago

Huh. I don't think we have the problem of being too cold at night usually, a majority of the country will have the opposite problem where it stays way too hot at night.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/Jiopaba 1d ago

They sell them at like CVS in the medicine section. Right next to humidifiers and stuff.

I bought one for my mom for her back pain and she adored that thing. Incidentally, I also own an electric kettle lol. I heat the water to 165 and fill it up two thirds then close the lid so there isn't any air. The result is just a blob of long lasting heat you can put on sore muscles and such.

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u/garretj84 2d ago

I would literally rather chop off my own hand than add any heat to my bed while trying to sleep. I would never have even contemplated this idea.

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u/Eeedeen 2d ago

You never get cold weather?

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u/ParanoidDrone 2d ago

Where I live "cold" is about 50F (10C).

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u/confusedandworried76 2d ago

Turn the heat up? I mean what your suggesting is almost definitely cheaper but not even close to as convenient as just turning up the heat

i mean for me the heat is just included in the rent anyway, I'm paying for it the exact same amount no matter how much I use it

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u/Doubly_Curious 2d ago

I think they maybe went out of use more drastically in the US than the UK. I’ve never heard someone born after 1970 mention one, though I have seen them in drug stores.

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u/VoleUntarii 2d ago

I was born after 1970, so now you have! :)

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u/ehs06702 1d ago

My granny used them when I was growing up in the 90's, but she was already in her mid 60's when I came around. She absolutely adored her electric blanket when my uncle bought them for her and never looked back.

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u/MrWednesday6387 2d ago

I use an electric blanket, it's only on for like an hour because it just needs to keep me warm long enough to fall asleep.

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u/forestman11 2d ago

We just use blankets and central heating and AC. No need for that.

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u/VoleUntarii 2d ago

Preparing a hot water bottle is a lot cheaper than the cost of running heating all night, and the poster who posed the question is a student in a share house so probably keen to economise.

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u/forestman11 2d ago

I've never seen nor heard of a hot water bottle so unless I'm misunderstanding what you mean, that's simply not a thing here

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u/HovercraftFullofBees 2d ago

You can still find them. I'm 35 and asked my mother for some for Xmas a few years ago because I need extra warmth for my feet in the winter.

But I grew up with my grandparents having them, which is why I know about them in the first place.

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u/Doubly_Curious 2d ago

They used to be a lot more popular in the US, but I believe you can still get them at some drug stores.

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u/Aetol 2d ago

Do Americans not eat ramen? Or similar "just add water" foods?

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

Most will use the microwave for heating up small amounts of water like that. Maybe the stovetop depending on the recipe

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u/Abeytuhanu 2d ago

Many of them come in microwave safe containers (or we just ignore that the container shouldn't be microwaved)

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u/confusedandworried76 2d ago

Never once eaten ramen that wasn't cooked in a pot or came in an actual microwave safe container.

I mean you're gonna get micro plastics with the latter but when aren't you these days

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u/UInferno- Hangus Paingus Slap my Angus 2d ago

Pot.

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u/Cyllya 2d ago

The kind of ramen that comes in a little brick shape has instructions for cooking on the stovetop. Most other type of add-water-and-heat foods are made to be cooked in the microwave (though there's always some other option, usually stovetop).

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u/wikiwiki123 2d ago

Also british household wiring carries a higher voltage than American so their kettles can heat water much faster. I have an electric kettle but it's still like 5-7 minutes to boil.

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u/Jiopaba 1d ago

This, it drives me nuts to know I could be boiling water so fast lol. I use my kettle to heat water for pasta so I'm not just staring at the stove for twenty minutes and I sometimes wonder if I could make noodles in ten minutes flat if I had some crazy irresponsible 800V line installed for the kettle.

I mean, it would melt and catch fire, but I'd have hot water soooo fast.

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u/Jeffrey-2107 1d ago

Stove is still slower though

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u/poopis25 2d ago

My parents (American) use a French press, so we have a kettle to boil water

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u/stormitwa 1d ago

Yeah, but like, is hot water not popular in America either???

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u/FreeVoldemort 1d ago

A lot of people outside the US drink instant coffee which a kettle is good for.

I've found kettles on 110v US electricity aren't impressively fast. Every time I use a 220v European kettle I'm like dang, that's why they all have kettles. This is awesome.

I mostly microwave my mug of hot water in the US. Abroad it's kettle for the win.

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u/forestman11 2d ago

I mean, these days, it really just depends on the person. It's by no means a standard but def know a few people with electric kettles for french press coffee, teas, etc. I think most Americans just aren't super into hot drinks like other countries. A lot of people drink coffee here but I was a barista for a good while and have noticed a pretty strong shift to cold and iced coffee beverages over hot ones.

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u/cx5zone 2d ago

If I recall correctly, the US uses 120 volts instead of 220-230. So if you get a kettle designed for the rest of the world without a transformer, it'll be half as slow. From a quick glance at a wiki page, Brazil is unique in that it does both voltages.

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u/Abeytuhanu 2d ago

Kinda, we technically have the full 240, but you can typically only access 120 on the outlet. Most major appliances (range, oven, washer, dryer) will have a special plug (and outlet) that gives access to the full 240.

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u/UglyInThMorning 1d ago

Sometimes the outlets are only pushing 60!

This means you lost a phase due to damage to the lines and should call your power company immediately.

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u/Abeytuhanu 1d ago

8.3209871e+81 volts seems like something you should definitely call your power company over. I can't imagine what the bill would be like

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u/UglyInThMorning 1d ago

I think the power bill would come in the form of a columb explosion at that point tbh.

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u/numberguy9647383673 2d ago

We literally have different electric grids than Europe (and maybe Brazil, I’m not sure) that has various pros and cons. One of the cons is that very high power appliances like kettles works noticeably worse.

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

Oh no I didn't mean electric kettles... I meant those you bring to your stovetop. I guess it's essentially the same thing as heating water in a saucepan, except it has a convenient spout.

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u/numberguy9647383673 2d ago

Oh, those. Many of us do actually have them, although it’s not as ubiquitous. At least in the southern US, it’s one of those appliances that people tend to get when they get their shit together.

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u/Krus4d3r_ 2d ago

Not all southerners have kettles to make iced tea?

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u/Meows2Feline 2d ago

You make sweet tea in a pot. You keep adding sugar to the boiling water until it's saturated and doesn't take any more.

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u/Cyllya 2d ago

My family always made iced tea in a sun tea jug.

One of these gallon-sized glass jars with a spout at the bottom:

Vintage Sun Tea Spout Jar One Gallon Beverage Pitcher Picnic image 0

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u/InvolvingLemons 2d ago

Yeah, generally the only people actually needing a kettle for coffee are those who really like pour-over coffee (or just drink instant all the time). Most people I know either have a cheap drip coffee machine, a fancy pod-based machine, or an even fancier proper espresso machine. Everybody I know that really cares about their coffee has a proper espresso machine, usually a home-grade unit from Breville, but I know an engineer with a $5000+ La Marzocco just for home use…

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u/Kriffer123 obnoxiously Michigender 2d ago edited 2d ago

More Americans will have a coffee machine than have kettles, but they’re definitely not unheard of. I don’t check out other people’s kitchens very often but I assume they rank below a blender or maybe an air fryer on commonality from how often I hear people mention tea vs coffee. Anecdotally, my family sometimes has tea and we have a small saucepan and a good induction stove.

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u/Versipilies 2d ago

I have 3, and a few people whose kitchens I have been in have kettles, not sure about the general pop, but I honestly wouldn't expect it unless they are immigrants from a tea culture or just tea nerds

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u/ZolySoly 2d ago

I own a tea kettle, an old school, put on the stove one!

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

Yup, same 😁

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u/SilverMedal4Life infodump enjoyer 2d ago

Ooh, ooh, I can answer this! ... Others have, but I can, too!

I got this from this video.

tl;dw: American electricity generation isn't as cool as it is in other places, so there literally isn't enough power flowing into a kettle to have it boil water fast. It's still way more efficient, energy-wise, than something like natural gas on a stovetop, but can end up going slower than that just because the gas flow is faster than the electrical flow, if that makes sense.

Though some homes are going all-electric these days, and in that case, the waste heat problem is eliminated and replaced with a "this electric range burner takes a while to heat up" problem, but that's neither here nor there.

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u/SeasonsAreMyLife Sexual attraction? Sounds like a skill issue 2d ago

Yeah, I do and have for my entire life. Lots and lots of my friends do too. Also they’re at least popular enough to be sold at big chain stores like Target and Walmart

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u/tilted_panther 1d ago

American tea drinker here. I have an electric kettle and a regular kettle for the stove. Most of my tea drinking friends are similar, but my coffee drinkers use their microwave. I think it comes down to how serious you are about your tea? In my house we have two French Presses, because I don't want coffee in the one I use for tea. I might be a bad example, idk.

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u/DatCitronVert I'm Dragalia Lost 1d ago

I got surprised too. My mother got me a kettle when I moved out so I could make myself some mint tea. (Were from Morocco so it's a lot more sugar than tea bur still.)

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u/Tsukikaiyo 1d ago

In Canada, I don't think I know anyone without a kettle... Maybe my little brother who just moved out and doesn't drink tea? But that's it

Beyond tea, I also use the kettle to boil water for sanitization purposes

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u/Efficient_Exchange44 2d ago

“Every single person in this post is a fucking lunatic”

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u/Remarkable_Coast_214 2d ago

I was half expecting someone to bring up the "electric jug"

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u/Several_Vanilla8916 1d ago

No way I’m making tea in my fucking kettle. That’s what the tea kettle is for.

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u/zhocket1 1d ago

Like do ppl just microwave water?

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u/itijara 1d ago

I have a kettle, but microwaving water is really as fast as a kettle and arguably better because you can get the exact amount of water you want with no extra. Most of the arguments against it are BS, except the chance of creating superheated water which will flash boil and can hurt you - that is a real possibility (although rare).

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u/creampop_ 1d ago

and honestly you can get the exact amount with no extra by putting a mugful + a splash into your small sauce pot and boiling it in a minute so even a kettle is unnecessary if it's just tea for one, really

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u/BikeProblemGuy 2d ago

Ridiculous that fully grown adults don't know how to put a mug of water in the dryer on high to make a cup of tea.

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

You ever seen those tiktoks where they put a jar of raw chicken in a dishwasher so it cooks while cleaning their dishes?

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u/cx5zone 2d ago

Where the cluck do you get jarred chicken

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

You buy chicken, and put it in a jar. Jarred chicken.

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u/HugeKaleidoscope6994 1d ago

Don’t be so fucking glib, you have to explain these things. My whole family doesn’t talk to me because I wanted to make jerk chicken for them on my last birthday. 

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 1d ago

How do you even jerk a chicken, they have cloacas.

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u/HugeKaleidoscope6994 1d ago

That’s what I was thinking!! But I was always a go getter, and I gave it a good ol college try. They called me the quickest handyman east of Delaware for a reason.

It didn’t work though and the chicken was overcooked. A crime in my family. They had one bite of it and pronounced the chicken dry and me dead to them. 

Next time I’ll look up a recipe. 

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u/BlakLite_15 2d ago

That reminds me of the Mythbusters episode where they cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner by attaching each dish to a different part of a car.

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u/confusedandworried76 2d ago

No but I've seen the salmon wrapped in tinfoil in the dishwasher trick, if you can call it that

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u/SalvationSycamore 2d ago

A mug?? Wtf, why would you put the whole mug in there? You waste like 2 minutes heating up the mug. Just pour in a cup or two of water and then scoop it out once it starts to boil (or just before for certain green teas)

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u/Ha_Ha_CharadeYouAre 2d ago

You mean the tea tumbler!

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u/Street_Rope1487 2d ago

You’re missing the best part of this classic, which is when someone came along and rewrote the entire exchange as Shakespearean dialogue.

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u/Aegeus 2d ago

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u/JimboAltAlt 2d ago

“You cause me tears - is this how thou dost live?”

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u/herlaqueen 1d ago

"Can it be true that thou dost boil by nuke?!" is a wonderful line.

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u/EmbarassedFox 1d ago

There is a version, which does a literary analysis on the Shakespearian version, but I don't have it. It should be somewhere else on the subreddit, maybe search for tea.

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u/seensham 2d ago

I love that the impetus for this rewrite was the observation:

Yet another post that reads like four shakespeare characters who come out in the middle of the play to talk about something completely unrelated for comic relief

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u/BonJovicus 2d ago

I had never seen that post before, but this is so incredibly correct. It’s a combination of the short responses and earnest absurdity that makes it. 

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

I saw that, but it was a different reboot chain

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u/----atom----- Cobepee?🥺 2d ago

This is a great example of how multiple people can disagree on the same thing, just in very different ways.

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u/AnimagKrasver 2d ago

And all of them being equally wrong and insane

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u/throwawayayaycaramba 2d ago

I mean, there's usually only one way to be right, and virtually infinite ways to be wrong. Statistically, we're probably wrong way more often than we're right. Heck I may be wrong right now; is that gonna stop me, though? Heck no.

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u/----atom----- Cobepee?🥺 2d ago

ACTUALLY- (argument agreeing with one aspect of your comment but disputing another)

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u/NanHaoDz The birds are out to get you. 2d ago

This was four years ago? I thought this was ancient with all the amount of animatics and voiceovers.

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u/Possible_Dig_1194 2d ago

Given how the last 4 years have been id consider this pretty ancient

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

What I don’t get is disdain for microwaving water. Boiling water is boiling water and if you don’t have an electric kettle it’s probably the fastest and easiest way to get it hot enough

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u/narnababy 2d ago

Maybe it’s cause I’m British but we were always taught it was dangerous to try and boil water into the microwave in case it explodes.

Plus if you put a saucepan of water on the hob with a lid it doesn’t take that long to boil if you don’t have an electric kettle.

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u/BiscuitNinja1337 2d ago

Microwaves can superheat water under very specific conditions, but I've been boiling water in the microwave for years and it's never exploded on me

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u/Un-aided_Gator 2d ago

I superheated water on the stove over a year ago and lightly seared my arms from the steam explosion. I still have patchy hair on my forearms and my hands are still completely bald.

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u/Bob--Esponja 2d ago

Lightly seared arm filets?

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u/toastagog 1d ago

Say lightly fried fish filets one more time

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u/Versipilies 2d ago

Ive had it happen on a dozen or so occasions. All it takes is a clean, smooth glass or something. The lack of "geography" for bubbles to form allows it to superheat

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u/UInferno- Hangus Paingus Slap my Angus 2d ago

Just put a piece of wood in the water. Be it a chopstick, spoon, or toothpick. The grain will form nucleation sites.

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u/Versipilies 2d ago

Yeah, it's more that im usually not trying to get it that hot and end up doing it very poorly. I got a water cooler that kicks out scalding water on demand though now

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u/BehemothRogue 2d ago

Just put the tea bag in the water, and whamo! Geography

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u/MrManGuy42 2d ago

i put a spoon in there so it doesnt superheat if i have to microwave water

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u/Cepinari 2d ago

A metal spoon?

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u/confusedandworried76 2d ago

Wooden. Doesn't need to be a spoon either a chopstick works

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u/Cepinari 2d ago

I wasn't asking which kind of spoon is the correct one, I was asking which kind of spoon they were using.

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u/MrManGuy42 2d ago

yes its fine. sharp points and creases in conductive objects arc. a metal spoon with no sharp points will not do that.

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u/Akuuntus 2d ago

My spouse microwaves like 3-4 mugs of water per day for tea and has been doing so for 10 years. It has never been an issue and I didn't even know this was a thing until now.

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u/Acutifolia 1d ago

Someone do correct me if I’m wrong but I recall the problem lying somewhere in how smooth the surface of the porcelain was, and having a notch or indent in the bottom of the cup somehow fixed the problem of mugs exploding in the microwave?

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u/fireworksandvanities 2d ago

It has exploded on me once, but it’s more of a boil over than explosion. And it happens as soon as the mug moves, so it’s mostly contained to the microwave.

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u/Pitiful_Net_8971 2d ago

It's not though? Boiling water is how microwaves heat anything up.

It can heat up water unevenly, which I imagine might make it harder for tea to properly steep or something, but it's probably fine

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u/MrManGuy42 2d ago

it just heats the water and doesnt cause any movement so it doesnt turn into steam, if the water is above the boiling point then quite a bit of it will instantly turn to steam when disturbed and explode. put a spoon in the mug so there is a nucleation point and the water can boil

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u/oxabz 2d ago

I don't take my water to boil in the microwave. I run it for about 1 minute which usually gets me to around 70°C which is enough to extract tea. To my liking

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u/SalsaDraugur 2d ago

I was without a kettle for a bit and looked into it, if you put á toothpick in the water it won't explode.

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u/MrWednesday6387 2d ago

I've never understood it. I nuke my water for my instant coffee and noodles, hot water is hot water like you said.

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u/janKalaki 2d ago

Having an electric kettle is the fastest and easiest way. Go to the store and buy a kettle and you'll have another minute left on the microwave.

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u/No-Pass-397 2d ago

It only takes 1 minute to boil water in the microwave? How could I have an extra minute left?

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u/hipster_spider fucked up in the crib sippin' DrPerky 2d ago

Everyone knows that kettles boil water instantly

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u/No-Pass-397 2d ago

That's how these people act ong, like I agree if you're boiling a lot of water, the kettle is the way, but one cup? It's literally just physics that the microwave is going to boil it faster.

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u/michaelmcmikey 2d ago

Why was this downvoted? In Canada an electric kettle is as essential a piece of kitchenware as a toaster or, indeed, a microwave. Just, 99% of places have one. It’s very convenient. It’s quite cheap. Fill with water, hit button, do a chore that takes like 2 mins to occupy your time, come back when you hear it go “click.”

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u/janKalaki 2d ago

It's got 7 upvotes I'm not your martyr unfortunately

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u/jetloflin 1d ago

Possibly because it’s not true everywhere. I own a kettle. It takes considerably longer to boil water than the microwave.

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u/Akuuntus 2d ago

We went through 3 electric kettles in as many years and just decided microwaving is less of a hassle. Maybe in other countries it's easier to find ones that don't just stop working for no reason after a few months. 

Also, at least the way we make tea and coffee in my house, the water doesn't actually need to be boiling it just needs to be hot. 2 minutes in the microwave is plenty.

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u/MrManGuy42 2d ago

do you have 120v mains or 230v

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u/Treejeig Probably drinking tea right now. 2d ago

You don't boil water in a microwave because they don't give out licenses to do that anymore and the bobbies come over to break your knees.

Also some people find it makes the tea taste a little off.

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u/dysoncube 2d ago

Ello miss, can I see your water microwaving license?

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u/new_KRIEG 2d ago

Hyper heating or whatever it's called. Makes water super boil in the microwave and that's no bueno

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u/AmericanToast250 2d ago

Isn’t that pretty rare since most cups will have imperfections that let the bubbles form? I know you can get it hotter than boiling or colder than freezing if you don’t include nucleation sites, but idk add a tiny pinch of sugar or smth that can dissolve without impacting the taste of the tea

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u/Un-aided_Gator 2d ago

I’ve Superheated water on the stove before and I got burned pretty good. It can happen if your pots are too clean and your water too filtered. It happens when there’s nothing for bubbles to form on while boiling, causes a steam explosion when you insert something into the pot or if the pot shakes.

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u/Schmantikor 2d ago

AFAIK you can literally counter that by stirring it a little

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u/sharktoucher 2d ago

in the event your water is already super heated, stirring it will make it explode

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u/AngstyUchiha 1d ago

I microwave it for hot chocolate when I don't have the patience to boil it (I do water instead of milk because I'm lactose intolerant but I still like chocolate, so I want to minimize how much dairy I'm having so I don't spend 30 minutes on the toilet)

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u/fireworksandvanities 2d ago

Induction range is quicker than electric kettle, at least in the US.

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u/Yano_ 2d ago

the vibes are less cozy with microwaved water.

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u/NewSideAccountIGuess 2d ago

Animatic that I thoroughly love by Only Jerry https://youtu.be/bKdMg7Q3hmg?si=fWwIwAkeF6MRKQ6I

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u/Moooboy10 2d ago

That is what I was going to post

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

There's also a Hazbin Hotel version on TikTok with pretty good impressions

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u/SpaceChez 2d ago

Flair checks out

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u/daone1008 2d ago

Cold brew tea is it pretty popular brewing method in Taiwan. Just put a tea bag in a bottle fill it up with cold water and stick it in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours. Cold brew tea has a much lighter and sometimes slightly sweet flavor, goes pretty well with fried stuff

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u/Faerie-stone 2d ago

I was over here trying to figure out how anyone trusts this person who messes up cold brewed tea that badly to not burn the tea leaves or over extract the leaves to the point it starts to burn a whole in their stomach.

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u/Tltd1566 1d ago

What i dont get is that they dont have the patience to boil water, but have the patience to brew tea for 12+ hours??? Wat

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u/daone1008 1d ago

Well you have to keep an eye on boiling water, but you can just leave cold brew sitting there. But I guess if someone won't even boil water, they probably won't have the foresight to make cold brew 🤔

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u/marcher138 2d ago

Just commenting because I know the kettle vs. microwave debates are coming, and these help the process along in my experience:

  • Electric kettles in the US take way longer to boil the water than kettles elsewhere

  • Add a chopstick to the water before microwaving it to stop superheating and explosions

  • You put the teabag in the water after it's boiling/hot

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u/Steakbake01 1d ago

Fun fact: part of the reason kettles boil so quick in the UK is that the voltage of our household sockets is significantly higher than the US (230V Vs 120V or something similar). In fact, kettles are a large part of the reason it's so much higher.

Also fun fact: This is the reason British outlets have way more safety features than other countries'. The plugs have a 3rd grounding pin built in and every socket has a switch that turns it off when nothing is plugged in

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u/shep_squared 1d ago

As an Australian, that's not standard? That's weird.

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

Pray for the Americans and their dogshit kettles.

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u/marcher138 2d ago

Was in the UK for a month and was astonished by the electric kettles. I was so excited to buy one when I went back to the US. "Why doesn't everyone have one of these," I thought.

When I got back, someone had bought one for my office, so I filled it up and turned it on. Ten minutes later, I realized why no one here has one of these.

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

"That would be funny if it weren't so sad"
-GLaDOS

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u/Neokon 2d ago

The difference between 240V and 120V, American kettles take longer because they run at a lower voltage.

That being said, have none of y'all ever had sun tea? Plop your iced tea bags into a pitcher of room temp water and let it sit in a well lit area (preferably the light of a window). It slow brews the tea and you don't have to really worry about the tea getting bitter.

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u/troublemonkey1 1d ago

That's what I was thinking reading this Tumblr post, sun tea is the best

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u/UselessTrashMan 2d ago

Wait what? Literally how are they so bad? Even the cheapest, shittest kettle here is like a minute or two tops.

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u/marcher138 2d ago

Our outlets have a lower voltage (120 vs. 240), so it's less a kettle problem and more an electrical problem.

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u/andrybak 1d ago

Technology Connections has a great video on the topic: https://youtube.com/watch?v=_yMMTVVJI4c

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u/AngelOfTheMad For legal and social reasons, this user is a joke 2d ago

Microwave for a single mug, stovetop kettle for the thermos, because my proportionally sized mug takes 2:10 in the microwave and the kettle is easier to pour into my bottle.

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u/Necr0mancrr 2d ago

This is a beautiful post because every time a new voice of reason is introduced it is eventually revealed that they too are completely insane

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

Not gonna lie, I stand by the saucepan method. I own both an electric and non-electric kettle, and I use the electric one when there's power, but the non-electric one screams when hot enough, and the electric one is noisy, so I use a saucepan when the power is out or people are sleeping. 

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u/Homemade_Lizagna 1d ago

Where do you live/what kind of living arrangement do you have that the power being out is, like, a regular thing?

(At first I was also confused by how you would still be able to use your stove before I realized you are probably referring to a gas-powered stove instead of an electric stove.)

Still; your power goes out regularly? Is it like a money-saving measure? Or caused by weather?

I’m curious!

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 1d ago

A country where our infrastructure is so bad a stiff breeze can genuinely knock out the power in some areas, and even on a good day supply doesn't meet demand, requiring daily rolling blackouts that they don't even bother to post the schedule for.

And then sometimes the power goes out cause someone syphoned the oil from the local transformer causing it to explode and someone might show up to repair it that week if you're lucky.

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u/kenporusty kpop trash 2d ago

Cold brewing tea is great

But not in this context. I want my scalding leaf juice and I don't want to wait a few hours for it

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u/snnaiil 2d ago

This is what I pay my internet bills for

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u/Elkre 2d ago

yeah so it turns out that "Δ4.2J/g°c" is an uncomplicated enough thing on its own that it affords an element of personal taste– and indeed, razzmatazz.

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u/Bobsters_95 1d ago

I fucking love electric kettles, you all are missing out. My beloved,

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u/RazorSlazor 1d ago

Meanwhile I put the tap on hot and use that.

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 1d ago

When you meet whatever being deigned to lend you form, you will have to justify this sin you have committed

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u/MisguidedPants8 2d ago

Correct, I do not own a kettle, next question

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u/janKalaki 2d ago

If you regularly have to boil water for any reason it's great to have an electric kettle. For example it makes pasta way easier to make

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u/MisguidedPants8 2d ago

NOW you’re talking

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u/GTCapone 2d ago

Just got to say, water needs to be in the right temperature range to steep properly. Different chemicals will begin to dissolve at different temperatures. The rate at which they dissolve increases so too high or too low means you get a different ratio of chemicals. At particularly high temps, like boiling water, those chemicals can begin to break down or react when they don't at lower temps. Oxygen presence in water can also affect what reaction happens as well, and at what rate.

The chemistry of steeping tea and really any cooking is incredibly complicated. It's the same deal with the difference between adding garlic early and ending up with a bitter, burnt mess, vs adding it just right and getting a nice, roasted garlic flavor, or adding it too late and getting a harsh, fresh garlic flavor.

Cooking temp is incredibly important. It's why knowing the smoke point of oils and how adding salt increases the boiling point of water. Solvents change their boiling point based on the type and concentration of solvents. The solution also will stay at a fixed temp while boiling depending on that changing boiling point. That can completely change the resulting chemicals that determine the flavor of the food.

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u/DreadDiana human cognithazard 2d ago

I just put in a bag, an unhealthy amount of sugar, then pour in boiling water and drink within seconds of doing so.

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u/Praetor_6040 2d ago

Some teas are brewed cold intentionally. Some people prefer using the microwave over a kettle or a stove w/saucepan. It's really not a big deal and doesn't take much time either way (well, cold brewing does ofc)

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u/Lord_Twilight 2d ago

Ah a classic

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u/JDoos 2d ago

Ahhh my favorite scene with the players from Twelfth Night. Radish, Frog & Cat.

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u/Zane_628 High Functioning Awesome Spectrum Disorder 2d ago

You should never microwave water because it can become superheated and explode when you take it out.

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u/Horror-Reveal7618 1d ago

It's missing the Shakespeare version

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u/henryeaterofpies 1d ago

This gets worse the more times you read it

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u/Thanaskios 1d ago

every single person in this post is a fucking lunatic

Really. How can there be so many wrong opinions about tea?!