I know there are MANY different ways of making a cup of tea.
One way is by using the microwave to "heat" up the water. A friend of mine in America uses this method. I have tried to explain to her that it will never make a good cup of tea as the fusion point is a higher temperature than the water that comes out of the microwave.
Can someone please confirm this information and possibly send me a link that I can send on to my friend to prove my point.
Mind you, what do Americans know about making a cup of tea!!!!!!!!
The water heated in a microwave can actually become much hotter than the water from your kettle. It becomes 'superheated'.
It can happen that if you take a mug of hot water from a microwave and drop a spoon in it, the water will almost explode by boiling violently.
Have a look here
I don't drink tea myself, and was grateful for this when in New York a couple of weeks ago. Whislt in a cafe my friend asked for a cup of tea, she was brought a mug of hot water, followed by a few minutes later the girl bringing over a tea bag. Needless to say it wasn't the best cup of tea she's ever had!
Spudqueen, your experience is pretty universal. I've been convinced for many years that Lipton's Yellow Label tea (also pretty universal) is specifically blended to cover that situation. I.E. can be made with luke-warm water!