# How do you boil your water for coffee and tea?



## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

*stove top tea kettle *










*electric tea kettle *










*thermo pot*










*microwave*










*coffee maker*










*espresso machine*


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## yesterdays (Dec 31, 2013)

Coffee maker, electric tea kettle/water boiler whatsitcalled


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## millenniumman75 (Feb 4, 2005)

I have a coffee maker.


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

Coffee maker for ground beans and microwave for instant coffee


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

lol at all the UK responses being electric kettle. Yeah, I was surprised to see people didn't really use them in a lot of other countries at first for some reason, makes sense though really.


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## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

I only drink one cup of instant coffee in the morning, so I just put my coffee cup full of water in the microwave, then add coffee and a splash of milk when it's hot.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Persephone The Dread said:


> lol at all the UK responses being electric kettle. Yeah, I was surprised to see people didn't really use them in a lot of other countries at first for some reason, makes sense though really.


They use electric kettles a good bit in Japan but actually thermo pots are more popular. Hot water on demand. I like electric kettles cause they are way faster than stove top ones.

Americans....so many people don't even have stove top tea kettles. They use a regular pot. :no


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## march_hare (Jan 18, 2006)

Usually an electric kettle. Though I did used to use a stove-top one when living in a place with a gas hob.
I currently live in a house with none of these things. Microwaved water is a travesty but I need tea asap in the morning these days :'(


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## gunner21 (Aug 4, 2012)

I use a regular stove pot.


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## nothing else (Oct 27, 2013)

Figures the example with the microwave had to have water in a glass. Priceless.


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## Amphoteric (Sep 11, 2011)

Coffee maker for coffee, microwave for tea.


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

march_hare said:


> Usually an electric kettle. Though I did used to use a stove-top one when living in a place with a gas hob.
> I currently live in a house with none of these things. Microwaved water is a travesty but I need tea asap in the morning these days :'(


You can buy cheap ones for like 5 pounds from Asdas though? Unless you have the problem I had once which was no spare plugs in tiny kitchen in flat (and one was used up for fridge/freezer and the other near impossible to get to behind fridge.) I ended up getting an extension lead though.



> They use electric kettles a good bit in Japan but actually thermo pots are more popular. Hot water on demand. I like electric kettles cause they are way faster than stove top ones.
> 
> Americans....so many people don't even have stove top tea kettles. They use a regular pot.


I think sometimes older people here sometimes use stove top ones but most people use electric. I've never used one of those termo pot things but it looks interesting.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I was thinking of getting this one before until I saw it in the store. Has some weird metal thing inside of it and is not as easy to take off and on as I'm used to. Uses 1000 watts.

http://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex...TF8&qid=1390246264&sr=1-1&keywords=tea+kettle

So now I'm thinking to get a Japanese one (similar to one I sort of inherited at a previous shared apartment) but it uses 1750 watts.

http://www.amazon.com/T-fal-BF6138U...TF8&qid=1390246264&sr=1-2&keywords=tea+kettle


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## march_hare (Jan 18, 2006)

Persephone The Dread said:


> You can buy cheap ones for like 5 pounds from Asdas though?


I'm in Spain so no Asda  They probably do sell them somewhere but I will have to do some searching I guess.


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## Evo1114 (Dec 9, 2012)

My Keurig takes care of all that stuff for me.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Evo1114 said:


> My Keurig takes care of all that stuff for me.


They have one of those at my job. Pretty cool but expensive.


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## Evo1114 (Dec 9, 2012)

komorikun said:


> They have one of those at my job. Pretty cool but expensive.


I got mine for about $110 at Target. It has been worth every penny.


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## Relz (Oct 31, 2011)

Those kettles look awesome, but I can't imagine spending hundreds on something like that, especially since I have so little counter/storage space to keep it in. I just heat some water in the microwave, then toss in a tea bag.

I also did not know people could be elitist about their water boiling methods. :/


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Relz said:


> Those kettles look awesome, but I can't imagine spending hundreds on something like that, especially since I have so little counter/storage space to keep it in. I just heat some water in the microwave, then toss in a tea bag.
> 
> I also did not know people could be elitist about their water boiling methods. :/


Electric kettles are only like $20. But yes, I do look down on those who use regular cooking pots.


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## Marakunda (Jun 7, 2011)

I use the electric tea kettle thing. Got a really good one for Christmas actually. Water boils in seconds, it's got a purifier, and it's super quiet. Love me some tea!


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> They have one of those at my job. Pretty cool but expensive.


 I want one but I'll wait until they come down. The variety is really nice.


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## Serephina (Apr 13, 2010)

Up until today I have boiled all water in my lovely rosy-red electric kettle, but this morning I took delivery of a teapot-shaped kettle(white with red roses on the side!), that I'm going to use solely for spring water(for drinks and cooking veggies in).


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

WillYouStopDave said:


> I want one but I'll wait until they come down. The variety is really nice.


I think the problem is similar to printers. They make their money off of the coffee/tea thingies.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> I think the problem is similar to printers. They make their money off of the coffee/tea thingies.


 Yep. You can buy the ones you fill yourself but if you're gonna do that you might as well use a normal coffeemaker. Cleaning them out is probably a PITA.


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## crimeclub (Nov 7, 2013)

How do I prepare my tea? By throwing it overboard.










'Merica!!


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## Lacking Serotonin (Nov 18, 2012)

I didn't know there was such a thing as electric tea kettle.


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## Ally (Jan 12, 2007)

Right now I just use a coffee maker but I'd love a Keurig one day


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## Serephina (Apr 13, 2010)

Evo1114 said:


> My Keurig takes care of all that stuff for me.


Haha! When I first read this ^ ^ I thought a Keurig must be a _butler!_


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## Ape in space (May 31, 2010)

I just rub the water with my hands until it's hot. I use it to cook the leaves I gather during my foraging. Also I don't drink coffee or tea.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Damn no one has a thermo pot or an espresso machine. Anyway here is another pic:

*Keurig*


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## changeme77 (Feb 22, 2013)

Plus sometimes use the pod coffee maker when I couldn't be bothered making it on the stovetop.

Both make a nice short black.


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## hoddesdon (Jul 28, 2011)

I make the finest boiling water in the history of all time.


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## inerameia (Jan 26, 2012)

I have an electric tea kettle


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## Resonance (Feb 11, 2010)

Do people genuinely _microwave_ their water??


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## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Damn no one has a thermo pot or an espresso machine. Anyway here is another pic:


The only people using those thermo pots are in prison and they aren't able to participate in this poll since they don't have the internet.


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## Testsubject (Nov 25, 2013)

I've never tried hot tea. I can't imagine sweet tea being hot. odd...


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## Persephone The Dread (Aug 28, 2010)

Resonance said:


> Do people genuinely _microwave_ their water??







^ not always a good idea.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Damn no one has a thermo pot


 I want one of those too.


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

I have an electric tea pot at my office I use to make tea.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

JH1983 said:


> The only people using those thermo pots are in prison and they aren't able to participate in this poll since they don't have the internet.


In prison?


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## blue2 (May 20, 2013)

i have a stove kettle and an electric kettle ....i've never microwaved water ....but i have a solid fuel stove , so if it's not lit i use the electric kettle....i love tea , has to be best quality tea bag's though , i drink coffee sometime's also....


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## TryingMara (Mar 25, 2012)

For tea, I use a stove top tea kettle. If I make coffee at home, I use a Keurig coffee maker. I usually pick up coffee at McDonalds on my way to work though.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

TryingMara said:


> For tea, I use a stove top tea kettle. If I make coffee at home, I use a Keurig coffee maker. I usually pick up coffee at McDonalds on my way to work though.


They don't have coffee at your work?


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## TryingMara (Mar 25, 2012)

komorikun said:


> They don't have coffee at your work?


It's horrible. Plus you have to pay for it. If I'm going to pay, I'm gonna get what I like. Love McDonalds coffee.


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## PandaBearx (May 26, 2013)

I use the stovetop for tea and the coffee maker for my morning cup. But personally I think the best coffee is made from a percolator <3 so good.


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## Steinerz (Jul 15, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Damn no one has a thermo pot or an espresso machine. Anyway here is another pic:
> 
> *Keurig*


I got one of those. I use it for coffee though mainly.

I use this one instead.










Someone gave it away.


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## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> In prison?


That's where you see those hot pots at. They aren't allowed to have their own stove or microwaves in their cells. That's how the water is heated to make instant coffee and ramen noodles and all that.


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## scooby (Jun 24, 2009)

Is it true that most americans don't have electric kettles? If it is true, then my mind is totally blown.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

scooby said:


> Is it true that most americans don't have electric kettles? If it is true, then my mind is totally blown.


 I think it's getting more common than it used to be. I see them more often in the stores now than I did a few years ago. When I first started looking for one for myself, I couldn't find a decent one for a good price anywhere.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

JH1983 said:


> That's where you see those hot pots at. They aren't allowed to have their own stove or microwaves in their cells. That's how the water is heated to make instant coffee and ramen noodles and all that.


But why would a hot pot be any safer than an electric tea kettle?

I used hot pots for many years in Japan.


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## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

How do you clean inside a stove top tea kettle? I used to use one, but now I just use a stove top pot for tea.


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## derpresion (May 17, 2012)

i love tea, i can drink tea all day nonstop! Px i use metalic tea pot to boil water and then pour into either cup either tea pot with tea, let it steep. easy peazy. dont plan to get anything fancy at all


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

rdrr said:


> How do you clean inside a stove top tea kettle? I used to use one, but now I just use a stove top pot for tea.


 Fill it halfway with water and halfway with vinegar and boil. Then rinse.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

mark101 said:


> That's how it's done in the UK


 Who is Russell Hobbs?


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## Pierre1 (Apr 25, 2013)

Electric kettle...



WillYouStopDave said:


> Who is Russell Hobbs?


My Dad, he owns the kettle company we're rich


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## nubly (Nov 2, 2006)

scooby said:


> Is it true that most americans don't have electric kettles? If it is true, then my mind is totally blown.


I've never heard of them before this thread. The people on my life are more into Mexican and Filipino/Hawaiian culture though.


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## thewall (Feb 1, 2009)

Stovetop kettle, coffee maker


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## AceEmoKid (Apr 27, 2012)

Electric tea kettle, which sits atop my shelf in my dorm room.


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## Greenleaf62 (Aug 1, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Americans....so many people don't even have stove top tea kettles. They use a regular pot. :no


:um


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## JH1983 (Nov 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> But why would a hot pot be any safer than an electric tea kettle?
> 
> I used hot pots for many years in Japan.


I guess because they don't boil. It's not hard to rig electronics like that to get hot enough to boil anyway, so it's probably not safer.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

You electric Kettle-agnostic Americans haven't really lived till you've used one!





*well not really. But they are incredibly useful..


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## straightarrows (Jun 18, 2010)

there r still people who use Charcoal to make coffee! they say it has a better taste


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## Greyx (Jan 25, 2014)

I use an electric kettle if I'm having tea or coffee but other drinks like ovaltine I warm milk up in the microwave first.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

I broke down and bought this one. Hope it comes soon. First time to use this new amazon locker thing. The doorbell doesn't work at this apartment, so apparently you always have to go to the post office but they close at 5pm. The nearest amazon locker is less a block away at 7-11. Cool. Open 24/7.

I like t-fal. Small and cheap. I don't need one of those expensive, crappy, huge 1.7 liter American monstrosities.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086UJQN8/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## Steve French (Sep 17, 2012)

In a pot on the stove, can't be bothered to go buy a kettle, coffee maker's are just too damn slow(the affordable ones at least). Gets the job done.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> I broke down and bought this one. Hope it comes soon. First time to use this new amazon locker thing. The doorbell doesn't work at this apartment, so apparently you always have to go to the post office but they close at 5pm. The nearest amazon locker is less a block away at 7-11. Cool. Open 24/7.
> 
> I like t-fal. Small and cheap. I don't need one of those expensive, crappy, huge 1.7 liter American monstrosities.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086UJQN8/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1


 If that's plastic on the inside you're probably going to spend days trying to boil the plastic stink and taste out of it. Even though mine is almost all stainless on the inside it had this horrible smell/taste when it was new. I probably rinsed and boiled it 50 times before it got close to drinkable.


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## copper (Nov 10, 2003)

scooby said:


> Is it true that most americans don't have electric kettles? If it is true, then my mind is totally blown.


I have one at the office I bought at a local store here. It is my second one. The first one started to leak from the bottom for some reason.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

WillYouStopDave said:


> If that's plastic on the inside you're probably going to spend days trying to boil the plastic stink and taste out of it. Even though mine is almost all stainless on the inside it had this horrible smell/taste when it was new. I probably rinsed and boiled it 50 times before it got close to drinkable.


Maybe. I'm not very sensitive to plastic smell. I think almost all electric kettles are made of plastic. I had an old one of this brand (left behind by previous roommates) before and I didn't smell anything.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

komorikun said:


> Maybe. I'm not very sensitive to plastic smell. I think almost all electric kettles are made of plastic. I had an old one of this brand (left behind by previous roommates) before and I didn't smell anything.


 It goes away after some use. But it's usually pretty strong when they're new. I've had two kettles. Both Aroma brand. The first one was glass with a stainless element and a silicone gasket. I think it might have been the silicone that caused it. I assume my newer stainless one has a gasket as well. I just can't see it.

I see a lot of plastic kettles in pictures of kitchens so I guess people use them once they get them broken in. I just bought a new plastic coffeemaker and it also had the plastic taint that took quite a few cycles to get rid of. My coffee just started tasting like coffee again a day or two ago.


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## Dane (Jul 27, 2009)

PandaBearx said:


> But personally I think the best coffee is made from a percolator <3 so good.


Yeah, you forgot one, Komorikun:https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...=X&ei=ZEjnUpnaL4nMsQTplIG4Ag&ved=0CMABEPICMAM


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## zomgz (Aug 17, 2009)

Yeah, I just use a regular ol' pot. Nothing fancy for me.

My ex used a tea kettle and they seem kind of cool, I've just never gotten one myself.


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## WillYouStopDave (Jul 14, 2013)

Dane said:


> Yeah, you forgot one, Komorikun:https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...=X&ei=ZEjnUpnaL4nMsQTplIG4Ag&ved=0CMABEPICMAM


 Actually, I have read many times that percolators are the worst way to make coffee. I have no idea if it's true but many coffee aficionados seem to think so.

On the other hand, you have to kind of take that kind of thing with a grain of salt. For example, many tea snobs will tell you that loose tea is the only way to drink tea and bagged tea is undrinkable swill. The truth is somewhere between. Bagged tea can be very decent, assuming it's made of decent tea. Loose tea is a pain in the butt if you drink a lot of tea and you might as well forget buying it locally if you live in the US.

Brands like Numi make perfectly acceptable bagged teas. They're more expensive but they're miles better than something like Lipton.

As far as coffee, I tried the whole buying fresh beans and grinding it fresh every day and I eventually came to the conclusion it was more trouble than it was worth. Dunkin Donuts ground coffee is just fine. It's inexpensive, it's convenient and my unrefined palette really can't tell the difference. I can spend more time enjoying the coffee.

Mr Coffee is the best way to make a large volume of coffee if you don't like to fuss with all the paraphernalia.


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## komorikun (Jan 11, 2009)

Dane said:


> Yeah, you forgot one, Komorikun:https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...=X&ei=ZEjnUpnaL4nMsQTplIG4Ag&ved=0CMABEPICMAM


Oh yeah. Forgot about that one. I don't know how those work but I have seen them before. Didn't know the name either. Usually they look like this though:


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