topic Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary? in Kitchen

Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

pommom — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:12:39 GMT

I have always boiled water in a saucepan and then added tea bags, covered it and let it sit for about 6 minutes before adding it to water to make ice tea. However, the last couple of times I noticed the taste was off. Then I wondered if it had anything to do with the fact that I simmered apples & cinnamon to freshen the air in my home and the taste somehow lingered even though the pot had gone through the dishwasher a few times.

Then it dawned on me that perhaps I need to buy a tea kettle, so I started pricing them. Some, IMO, are ridiculously high especially if all I'm doing is boiling water.

Finally, I've just about decided to buy a small sauce pan and use it exclusively for boiling water in preparation for making ice tea.

Any advantages to using a tea kettle over a pot?

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

pattypeep — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:16:57 GMT

We use our microwave to heat water.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

stevieb — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:22:48 GMT

I just like having a tea kettle. I doubt it matters what you boil water in for tea, but I've just always had a kettle sitting on the stove and just enjoy the look of a kettle.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

house cat — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:23:33 GMT

Okay, this is going to sound very superficial, but there's something about a pretty teapot that makes me smile. Can you get by without it? Yes, but I just love them.

I use the microwave for tea when I'm at work and have no choice, but I try to avoid using it at home. The jury still isn't in regarding the dangers of microwave cooking.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Lacey1 — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:24:30 GMT

I use a stainless steel kettle that I got from a garage sale. I use it strictly to heat water. I like it because the lid is wide enough to get my hand in to wash it. The whistle is pretty worn out, but it would just make my dog bark. I use it for tea, (steep in a tea pot), some recipes, adding hot water to soup, (so it doesn't cool down), and hot water for washing dishes, hand washing clothes etc. Only use it for water, and keep it clean-tap water will put mineral deposits in it.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

house cat — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:29:48 GMT

On 2/2/2014 stevieb said:
I just like having a tea kettle. I doubt it matters what you boil water in for tea, but I've just always had a kettle sitting on the stove and just enjoy the look of a kettle.

You were probably typing your comment while I was typing mine! I agree. I just love tea kettles… and coffee pots, too.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Tigriss — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:35:14 GMT

I have an electric tea kettle that I love. I have one at home and one at work. I don't boil my water for tea but bring it to a nice steam, as boiling water is too hot for a properly brewed cup or for sweet tea. I picked up both of mine on clearance, one at Lowe's and the other at WM. One for around $20 and the most recent one at WM for $10 (it has pre-set temps and will keep it at time for over an hour as I drink hot tea for cup after cup). I think it is Hamilton Beach. They are also great for cooking, hot chocolate, and steaming my sinuses when I have a head cold.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Deadeye Daisy — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:43:38 GMT

I use a kettle, a teapot and a cozy if making more than one cup, even for myself. I often have 2 or 3 cups, so the cozy keeps the tea hot.

Tea is always best with fresh drawn water. It needs the oxygen. If you use a Brita or Pur pitcher, draw fresh water, then filter right before putting in the kettle. Never use distilled water for tea or coffee. Never use water that's been sitting in your Brita or Pur pitcher. If your filter is on the kitchen spigot, let some run through the filter before drawing the water for your tea.

With most teas, you NEVER use boiling water. Most teas do better with lower temperature water, especially light and green. Darker oolongs and black teas are fine with hotter water. The lighter the tea, the lower the water temperature and lesser amount of brewing time. Light & green teas - 160° to 175°, steep only a minute or two. Oolong up to 184°; black teas - just under boiling point, steep for 2 - 3 minutes. Herbal teas also just under boiling point, but steep up to 5 or 6 minutes.

While the water is heating, I warm the teapot with hot water. I do use a fine mesh filter in the teapot.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Snowpuppy — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:53:36 GMT

Daisy, thanks so much for those tea brewing tips!!

I keep iced tea in the fridge year round. I do have a tea kettle but it's not large enough for a batch of brewed ice tea so I use a stainless open pot to heat water and then add a large Lipton tea bag for iced tea.

I don't care for a cup of tea from the microwave. Just isn't the same as a brewed tea.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

pinkcrystal — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 17:56:05 GMT

Electric tea kettles are wonderful and so easy to use. We got ours relatively inexpensively online. I prefer it to microwaving or boiling on the stove.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Tigriss — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 18:23:57 GMT

On 2/2/2014 pinkcrystal said:
Electric tea kettles are wonderful and so easy to use. We got ours relatively inexpensively online. I prefer it to microwaving or boiling on the stove.

Using the stove makes the house so hot. I use my electric kettle instead, as well as my pressure cooker, Ninja 3n1, rice cooker, and countertop oven. I hate using the stove/oven in the summer, March through November! Our ancestors surely were made of tough stuff to cook in kitchens in the summer with an open fire place. We have several of those live settlements around here, where you can experience the "Ole Timey Ways". We all take turns in school being part of the family. The girls are stuck in the house and the boys on the farm. Boy does that kitchen get hot. Even with a wood burning stove, it is still hot as all get out. We have wood burning stoves we use when we grind sugar cane for making syrup, plus the syrup pot going. Even in the 20s we are all super warm in the barn. The steam from the boiler collects on the tin roof and rains down. It is a great family time but I can't imagine doing it in the summer. A plus to escaping the heat, is saving on the electric bill. The kettle draws far less energy and produces far less heat (saving the A/C), than our kitchen stoves.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

wagirl — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 18:35:10 GMT

I use an electric kettle every day at least once but more like 3 or 4 times a day for hot water and I love it!! I use it to brew for ice tea and anytime hot water is needed. It heats up quicker than my stove top and like the poster above me, saves alot of electricity.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

NanciJ — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 18:38:59 GMT

I just bought a new whistling tea kettle in a beautiful shade of red. I normally would heat water in my microwave, but I have a new house and decided that a tea kettle would make a great addition to my kitchen. Love it!! I've been finding that I've been drinking tea again, and less coffee. The tea kettle just makes me smile, and I've even taken my tea pot out of the cupboard and started using it, if I have company.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

chickenbutt — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 18:58:09 GMT

I have a red teakettle that I purchased 13 years ago because it was the perfect red and it would look great on my black stove. To this day I've never used it for anything else. When I want tea I have these insulated plasticky car cup things that I use. I heat the water in the microwave and then put my teabags in.

If I want hot water for something else I just use one of these insulated cups - hot water from the faucet into the cup, cup into the microwave and I hit the button to heat either .5c, 1c, 1.5c, etc. Works great.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

sunshine45 — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:05:46 GMT

i have a tea kettle to boil the water and i also use a small teapot to steep the tea.

i am thinking about buying an electric samovar. it looks great and they make great tea!

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

deeva — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 19:19:40 GMT

I have an electric tea kettle and a stainless steel one I bought from Crate and Barrel about ten years ago. The stainless kettle is pretty with a blue glass knob on the lid. I use the electric kettle daily.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

151949 — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:02:29 GMT

I have a huge collection of teapots and one big KA teakettle in a color similar to gloss cinnamon. I love how it looks on my stove.We drink a lot of tea at our house, so it is a workhorse.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

Clover29 — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:07:11 GMT

I can't stand tea, but I still have a kettle. I use it for coffee bags.

We never say "tea kettle" in England, it's just a kettle. I needed a new one recently and went to Target. I couldn't find any kettles, so I asked an assistant. "Where are the kettles?" She looked at me like I was speaking Russian. "Kettles, for boiling water", I explained. "Oh," she said, "TEA kettles!" That was me told

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

bluejeansluvr — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:12:23 GMT

I feel more comfortable with a tea kettle. On top of the stove, or an electric one. When water is heated in a microwave, usually people use glass or ceramic containers, and glass and ceramic can explode in a microwave. It's really not safe, you can get a nasty burn like that. The problem is, you don't know when the glass gets hotter than it should be. Also, I don't think the water gets as hot, with a tea kettle.

Each to their own but I think boiling water in the microwave is like using a pressure cooker on top of the stove. Sure it's safe most of the time, but you never know when it's going to explode one day.

Re: Tea Kettle Really Necessary?

candys mine — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 22:30:00 GMT

Always have had a tea kettle on the stove. Even growing up we had more cups and mugs than glassware in the house.

Clover that's a funny story. I never thought about it like that before. I don't know too many people who still call large pots, kettles anymore but there's still a few of us around.