How Do You Make Your Tea? New Research Proves That One Method Is Better Than All the Others
How Do You Make Your Tea? New Research Proves That One Method Is Better Than All the Other
Scientists from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China set out to determine which method—microwaving water or using a kettle—makes the best cup of tea.
If you're a tea drinker, you know just how soothing a mug of the warm drink can be at the end of a long day. While the blend of tea you like best ultimately comes down to individual preference, the best method for preparing your warm beverage is now universally acknowledged. While most people use either a microwave or a kettle to heat up the water for their tea, new research from a team of University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) scientists found that the latter method yields the best results. In their study published in the journal AIP Advances from the American Institute of Physics, the researchers reported that microwaves heat up beverages unevenly. In fact, the liquid at the bottom of your cup will be colder than the liquid at the top when it's heated using this appliance, CNN reports.
Getty / damircudic
The scientists went on to explain that a stovetop or electric kettle warms liquids from the bottom up since the beverage is less dense in the process. This makes the whole beverage warmer.
Related: Science Says Drinking Tea Can Improve Brain Health
However, if you're not ready to give up the convenience of your microwave yet, don't worry: The university's scientists suggest a new style of cup in the microwave to ensure you end up with a more evenly heated drink. A silver plate added to a rim of a cup or container can help combat the microwave's heating technique. The silver helps guide the waves from the microwave and limit the electric currents from the top. But is that safe to use in a microwave?
Baoqing Zeng, professor of electronic science and engineering at UESTC and one of the authors of the study, noted that this invention is still safe despite overarching advice to avoid putting metal in microwaves. This type of metal is often seen in rice cookers and microwave steam pots. "After carefully designing the metal structure at the appropriate size, the metal edge, which is prone to ignition, is located at weak field strength, where it can completely avoid ignition, so it is still safe," he added in a news release.
