Was just sitting here thinking about water, hardness and boiling temperatures. I was thinking about how harder water has a higher boiling point because of the solutes. Hard water therefore might be excellent for warming pots/pitchers/cups if you have ready access to it. It might mean the rinse and the first brew are a few degrees hotter.
I don't have a way to test this theory, but maybe someone can try it out? Two hard water rinses to heat everything might mean even higher temperatures.
Re: Get Your Pot Hotter
1) Evidence to back that up, please?
2) Hard water makes bad tea, in my experience.
3) Just pour water over the outside of the pot to heat it more.
4) If a pot doesn't get or stay hot enough for a particular tea, it's time to try a different pot pairing.
2) Hard water makes bad tea, in my experience.
3) Just pour water over the outside of the pot to heat it more.
4) If a pot doesn't get or stay hot enough for a particular tea, it's time to try a different pot pairing.
Re: Get Your Pot Hotter
I think Jay meant to use the hard water only to heat the pot, not to make tea.tingjunkie wrote: 1) Evidence to back that up, please?
2) Hard water makes bad tea, in my experience.
3) Just pour water over the outside of the pot to heat it more.
4) If a pot doesn't get or stay hot enough for a particular tea, it's time to try a different pot pairing.
Pouring water from the outside may actually help cooling it down faster, depending on the outside temperature of where you are making tea. Ok for hot countries, maybe not so good in cooler climates...
Re: Get Your Pot Hotter
Even if it works I don't think it would make huge difference. Also boiling 2 different waters for tea is a little silly. I just use a Mr. Coffee cup warmer when I want my pot to stay hot for longer periods. Even that feels excessive sometimes.jayinhk wrote: Was just sitting here thinking about water, hardness and boiling temperatures. I was thinking about how harder water has a higher boiling point because of the solutes. Hard water therefore might be excellent for warming pots/pitchers/cups if you have ready access to it. It might mean the rinse and the first brew are a few degrees hotter.
I don't have a way to test this theory, but maybe someone can try it out? Two hard water rinses to heat everything might mean even higher temperatures.
Re: Get Your Pot Hotter
From talking to pedant we now know the water thing makes a tiny difference as far as raising heat. If you want to get your tea as hot as possible...brew at sea level!Zared wrote:Even if it works I don't think it would make huge difference. Also boiling 2 different waters for tea is a little silly. I just use a Mr. Coffee cup warmer when I want my pot to stay hot for longer periods. Even that feels excessive sometimes.jayinhk wrote: Was just sitting here thinking about water, hardness and boiling temperatures. I was thinking about how harder water has a higher boiling point because of the solutes. Hard water therefore might be excellent for warming pots/pitchers/cups if you have ready access to it. It might mean the rinse and the first brew are a few degrees hotter.
I don't have a way to test this theory, but maybe someone can try it out? Two hard water rinses to heat everything might mean even higher temperatures.
Re: Get Your Pot Hotter
I appreciate a scientific mind, but seriously... out of the hundreds of variables that can go in to brewing tea, worrying about the water being a fraction of a degree hotter isn't going to make a bit of difference. If you feel you have mastered the other aspects of brewing, and this is your final frontier, then don't let me stop you, but I tend to think there are other variables that you may wish to play around with first.