How To Make Tea In The Microwave? (2024 Update)

In a world where time is essential, some people have turned to microwaves to make their morning cup of tea. However, this stirred up the debate on how to make tea in the microwave.

Generally, you should microwave the water for 1 to 3 minutes and use enough to cover only the tea bag. Don’t put the tea leaves or tea bag in the microwave because it may burn. Making tea in the microwave depends on the power of your microwave, mug size and variety of tea. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about microwaving water for tea, along with a brief tutorial to help you make the best cuppa using the microwave.

Is It Safe To Use Microwaved Water For Tea?

The use of microwaves to heat food and liquids has been debated over the years. 

From a scientific and health standpoint, microwaved water is fairly safe and has the same effect as any other method for boiling water, according to a 2018 study.

That said, the safety of microwave water stems from other aspects as well. For example, always use a microwave-safe container when heating the water. 

You should also avoid having other ingredients with the water when you zap it, as some may not be suitable for microwaves. For example, only heat water and not the tea itself.

What concerns most people about microwave tea is its taste. You don’t have to worry about that because we’ll show you how to make microwave tea taste as close to kettle tea as possible in the following sections. 

How Long To Microwave Water For Tea?

Using a microwave to heat water for tea is convenient and quite simple. To heat your water in the microwave, use a microwave-safe mug. You’re only heating the water, not the tea itself. 

Avoid putting any loose leaves or tea bags in the microwave along with the water.

Generally, you should microwave the water for 1 to 3 minutes per eight-ounce serving of room-temperature water.  The exact time depends on the power of your microwave, mug size and variety of tea. Pause the microwave and stir to distribute the heat evenly and measure the temperature.

Making a flavorful cup of tea requires the right water temperature for each variety of tea. For example, black tea is brewed in water that’s 205°F, while green tea requires 175°F. Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your microwaved water.

Once you’ve figured out how long to microwave water for tea, you’ll know the time needed for the future. 

Factors That Affect Making Tea In The Microwave

Depending on the tea variety, you may need to raise or lower the time to boil water in a microwave.

The time the water boils in a microwave depends on various factors. These include:

• The amount of water you’re using: More water will take longer to boil.
• The starting temperature of water: Colder water can double the amount of time you need.
• The wattage of your microwave: Higher wattage or setting your microwave on the maximum setting can shorten the time necessary.

You’ll typically need smaller amounts of water when microwaving. As such, pause the microwave and check the water temperature every 30 seconds until it’s ready.

Does Microwaved Tea Taste Different?

The main problem with microwave water is that it heats up differently when compared to conventional heating methods. Microwaving can also cause uneven heat distribution throughout the water.

Hot water molecules rise in regular kettles, and cooler molecules fall inside the container. This creates convection currents that ensure uniform water temperature inside the kettle.

But in microwaves, the high energy waves cause the molecules to vibrate and heat up with minimal convection current. As a result, the temperature at the top may vary from the bottom, which can affect the flavor of your tea.

You can avoid this problem by using smaller amounts of water. This way, you can minimize the effect of non-uniform heating and enjoy a cup of tea that tastes fairly similar to kettle-prepared ones.

How To Make Tea With The Microwave

Now that you know more about microwave water and its pros and cons, here’s a helpful guide to show you how to use it to make a proper-tasting cup of tea.

Step 1: Prepare A Microwave-safe Mug

First, you’ll need to choose a suitable cup for your brew. Ideally, any microwave-safe cup or mug would do the trick. 

Even if your non-microwavable mug doesn’t break in the microwave, you should still avoid it because it’ll get extremely hot to touch.

We highly recommend going for microwave-safe glass cups because they’re easier to monitor, making the whole process much easier.

Most mugs will have a label at the bottom identifying that they’re microwave safe, which looks like wavy lines or the shape of a microwave. 

Tip: If you heat the empty mug in the microwave for 30 seconds and it comes out hot, it’s not microwave-safe.

Step 2: Microwave Your Water 

With your mug covered with enough water, put it inside the microwave to start zapping it on a high setting.

A good tip here is to put your mug slightly off-center, as this will allow the microwaves to become evenly distributed. As a result, the microwave will warm up the water as evenly as possible, reducing the effect of hot/cold spots that ruin the flavor of the tea.

As a general rule, you’ll need to take the mug out after the water starts steaming but before it starts boiling.

Step 3: Let Your Tea To Steep

After taking your microwaved mug out, place tea bag into the mug to brew for a few minutes.

We highly recommend covering the mug with a napkin, topper, plate, or kitchen towel during that stage to contain its heat and speed up the steeping process.

The steeping time may vary depending on the type of tea you’re using. Most regular black tea varieties usually brew around 2 to 5 minutes.

Step 4: Microwave The Remaining Water Or Milk

While you leave the tea to steep, you’ll need to heat the rest of your water. You’ll need to add the water to another mug and slip it into the microwave. You can also microwave milk or use it at room temperature if your tea is barely warm.

The amount of time here will also depend on the same factors we mentioned above, but in most cases, it should take around one minute for the water to boil at the high setting. When the water starts bubbling, you’ll know it’s time to take it out.

If you want to avoid overheating your water, you should microwave it over 45-second increments. This will also let you take it out and stir the water to distribute its heat evenly.

Step 5: Top Up Your Tea Mug

Give your water mug a final stir before pouring it over to distribute the heat evenly, minimizing the differences between kettle and microwave water.

Before serving the tea, it should be time to add any extra ingredients, such as sweeteners or flavoring agents.

How to Make Iced Tea in the Microwave

Preparing iced tea through the microwave is similar to making regular tea. The only difference is that the last step requires chilling the tea. Iced tea typically contains a fair bit of sugar, but you can use any sweeteners that best suit your palate.

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients and Tools

Start by gathering the necessary tools. In that case, you’ll need a Pyrex or any microwave-safe pitcher you have. 

The size of the pitcher will depend on your preferences and how many cups you want to serve. An average pitcher should be enough for four cups of iced tea.

Step 2: Prepare and Microwave The Water

Microwave four cups of water until it reaches the ideal temperature.

Place 4 to 6 teabags to a pitcher (depending on how strong you like your iced tea) and pour the hot water over it.

Step 3: Let the Tea Steep and Transfer to the Serving Pitcher

Allow the tea to steep for 4 to 5 minutes while covering the pitcher with a lid. You can also dunk the tea bag several times to make it stronger. 

Step 4: Add Extra Ingredients 

While the tea is still warm, add sugar, honey, and any other ingredients you want to dissolve or infuse and stir until they’re fully dissolved.

Step 5: Chill and Serve

Put your pitcher in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours to cool them down, but if you’re in a hurry, add some ice cubes to chill them out quickly. 

Once you’re ready for serving, add some fresh slices of lemon to give it a unique flavor.

Does Microwave Water Work With All Types Of Tea?

You can use microwave water with most types of tea, but it may only be ideal for some of them. 

For example, teas that work well with steeping methods will also work well with microwave water. This includes traditional green, black and oolong tea. Additionally, herbal teas work well because they’re more resilient to higher water temperatures.

On the other hand, some varieties, such as white tea, are too delicate and prone to overheating, which causes them to lose flavor and become bitter.

You should remember the steeping time because it can still vary from one tea to another. For instance, oolong tea and English teas may need around 3 minutes to steep, while other types, like peppermint tea, can take up to 5 minutes.

The Case for Not Making Tea In The Microwave

Making tea with a microwave is a personal choice. If you’re short on time, then it can be quite convenient. But if you’re a tea enthusiast then you likely want to stick with a kettle.

Here are several reason why you should not make tea in the microwave.

• Lack of Control: You have more control over the temperature of your water when you use kettle. It can be troublesome since microwaves unevenly distribute heat.
• Can’t Adjust Boiling Speed: Using a kettle also allow you to adjust your boiling speed by controlling how quickly or slowly you decrease or increase temperature. Whereas, you can’t with a microwave.
• Too Hot: You might burn yourself while taking boiling hot liquid out of a microwave.
• Auto Shutoff: When using an electric kettle, safety features like auto shutoff and low-level boil alarms can help keep you safe.

If any of these reason resonates with you, then my recommendation is to use an electric kettle instead.

Health Benefits Of Making Tea In The Microwave

The health benefits of drinking tea depend more on the active ingredients and less on the brewing method you’re using. Different tea varieties have different ingredients, so the health benefits will also vary.

For instance, black tea contains various alkaloids, including theaflavins, caffeine, polyphenols, catechins, and antioxidants. According to extensive studies, these ingredients reduce inflammation, boost the immune system, and may have anti-cancer effects.

In other words, whether you’re making tea by microwave or boiling water on the stove, you should expect the same health benefits.

A report by the Guardian shows that microwaving tea can help extract more active ingredients from the brew, making it healthier than traditional brewing methods.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

This marks the end of today’s guide, which shows how to microwave water for tea. As you can see, you typically need 1-3 minutes for a regular cup of tea. It’s a simple process once you’ve tweaked and figured out during your first time.

Making your tea using the microwave is quite convenient, and with the right process, you can avoid the bad taste associated with microwaves, so follow the steps above!