Tea Question.

[cupid04]

Some weeks ago my electric kettle ceased to be . I've since been using a hob kettle. Now when I make the tea, the tea goes frothy. Why is this? Is it just because the water boils hotter on the stove? It doesn't do it every single time which seems strange.

[berniecuddles]

are you making cappuccino by mistake lol x

[Peaspeculiars]

If I turn the electric kettle off before it's fully boiled (so as not to 'scald' the coffee) there is always a 'scurf' on top. But of it fully boils, there isn't - could it be the same for your hob one?

[Old_Geezer]

You must have something in the kettle that reacts with the water. Was it a new one ? Did you bring it into a soft water area from previous use in a hard water one ? Not sure about the "not every time" though. That's a puzzle. Maybe it was a different brand tea :-)

[cupid04]

Nope, Bernie I hate coffee! x

[Tilly2]

soapsuds in the kettle?

[cupid04]

It's the tea the monkeys drink:-)

[berniecuddles]

do you have a filter on your kettle?

[cupid04]

It's quite an old kettle. Kept it on standby for when we have power cuts.
It does still have the original descaler thingy in it. Could that be it, lol! It's stopped working.

[Peaspeculiars]

If you shake the cup so the froth turns into mini-waves and add this tea diffuser you could have a good sing along... :o)
http://oi58.tinypic.com/2hwl2li.jpg

[gingejbee]

The water does NOT "boil hotter" on the stove...it boils at 100C . It may be because you are leaving it to boil for longer...

[stewey]

The temperature at which water boils is dependent upon atmospheric pressure which in turn is dependent upon elevation above sea-level. Perhaps there is a difference in height between cupid's stove top and counter top:)

[Sipowicz]

Stewey, you make my blood boil! ;-)

[cupid04]

I always thought that water boiled on a stove boiled hotter, because electric kettles have a thermostat.....


[my kettle doesn't have a filter. It's one of them old whistling ones.]

[stewey]

You're not high are you, Sipowicz?

[Sipowicz]

High tea?

[Old_Geezer]

If it is faulty it may switch off before it boils, but that is about it.

[stewey]

Not to get too technical, cupid; however, if the kettle does have a thermostat that cuts off the heating process, then the water hasn't actually boiled: It's just been heated to a high temperature.

[stewey]

We used to have a little thing for traveling that was for percolating coffee It shut off before the boiling point.