Brewing Tea with a Countertop Hot Water Dispenser: Pros and Cons
The kitchen remodelling industry abounds with accessories aimed at delivering hot (if not boiling) water in a speedy fashion. Recently, one of our customers asked for our opinion regarding the pros/cons of brewing tea with a countertop hot water dispenser. First, her question:
I was wondering if you’d mind sharing your opinion about hot water. We are remodeling our kitchen and are considering a sink mounted hot water dispenser. The water is filtered and held in a tank underneath the sink, then dispensed through a small faucet on the sink. There are products with adjustable temperature settings. Some can get up to 200 degrees. I drink mostly Chinese black, oolong, green, and white teas (with an occasional pu-erh and rooibos thrown in). I don’t want to spend the money if this device is going to make a lousy cup of tea. What do you think?
We generally advise against using water that’s sat in your kettle leftover from the prior day’s boiling. Using leftover water can result in a brew that seems flat or stale. Water that’s straight from the tap is freshly aerated. Most countertop hot water dispensers (that I’m aware of) don’t actually aerate the water. This is one consideration (albeit a picky one).
November 03 2007 | Tea Preparation | 6 Comments »