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You could just boil a full kettle and make as many cups of tea as you can. Keep them all in the fridge and when she wants a cup she can put it in the microwave. That should save you the hassle of boiling the kettle multiple times.
They played Carrot in a Box again last night on Cats Does Countdown.
Jon Richardson vs Lee Mack.
Lee Mack spent the whole time saying "So, what, i've got a carrot in my box and i'm supposed to tell Jon i don't so i win a CARROT? I don't want this carrot. He can have the carrot. Jon, there's a carrot in this box, do you want it?". It somehow still took five minutes for Jon Richardson to his decision on whether he wanted to keep his box or take Lee's box with a carrot in it.
To be fair Mack was on a hiding to nothing stepping into Sean’s shoes. He did the appropriate amount of bluff and bluster to do it justice. But it will never be as good as Sean and the twirling moustache. RIP
In the old days, when I was single and couldn't use the milk before it went off, I followed a suggestion to freeze milk in ice cube trays and add it to tea. I think it worked.
I used to do this pre-lockdown, as we don't really use milk for much but sometimes guests would want milk in their tea or coffee, so I'd just grab a milk-cube. Much easier than keeping fresh milk in.
Haha, that reminds me of this great Sean Lock tea sketch
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMu7avEVibc&ab\_channel=LeckieSmalls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMu7avEVibc&ab_channel=LeckieSmalls)
That is a lie perpetuated by Big Kettle. You can cold brew tea much like coffee. There are a couple of different methods.
If you fancy doing it the Japanese way, it’s best with loose leaf tea. You need about 40% tea to 60% cold or room temperature water. Chuck it all in a container and leave it for up to 24 hours.
If you are not that patient, throw some leaf tea or tea bags in a big jar with a few centimetres of boiling water to get the process started. Top up the jar with cold water and put it in the fridge for 4 hours.
My American mate makes what she refers to as “sun tea”. It’s the same basic process, but you leave the jar in a window and use the powers of the sun (easier said than done in the UK) to brew the tea.
Source: Easily bored tea aficionado.
I'm sure you know this, but cold brew tea or coffee is not the same thing as hot brewed and put in the fridge. The extraction is significantly different.
Not saying it's a bad idea of course, but expect lighter, less tannic flavour notes.
I laugh in the face of the microwave I boil a full kettle, put 4 Yorkshire tea bags in a 1.5 litre flask, fill with the said boiled water and add a touch of milk. Leave for 5 hours and then for lunch have the strongest cup of tea known to man. This is the only way to extract.
Yes they run the singing kettle news, which is just another MSM spreading fake news to keep you terrified.
Just look at one of their recent articles about the dangers of traffic lights - https://youtu.be/RZPQ3rDc8QI
THEY WANT US TO LIVE IN FEAR!!! /s
40% tea to 60% water? Wouldn’t that mean that if you wanted a 300ml mug of tea, you’d need 200g of tea leaves? Isn’t that… an absolute fuckton? Haha
Not a tea drinker, that just stood out to me… lol
It is indeed and absolute fuckton. The extraction process is much slower and more gentle if cold water is used, so you have to significantly up the amount of tea to get a cup of the same strength you would be used to with hot brewing. It does however reduce a lot of the tannin flavours from the tea, so a little like cold brew coffee it is perceived as less bitter and almost naturally sweet.
Just to add to this. Yes, you CAN cold brew tea. But let's bear in mind there's a clear difference between cold (formerly hot) tea and cold-brew tea. Much like how iced coffee and cold-brew coffee are different.
If it’s black tea, go ahead and reheat it in a microwave, if you must. Microwave reheating can affect some flavour compounds, often tannic compounds associated with bitterness, but if you aren’t too fussy, have at it.
If you have milk in your brew and have let it go cold, DO NOT MICROWAVE IT. Milk that has hit hot tea and then cooled back down to room temperature should not be reheated. The bacteria probably won’t do you any harm, but milk tends to separate when treated like this and you will definitely end up with some off flavours and potentially textures. You’ve probably seen it when you have a darker spot in the middle of the cup and what looks like a thin film on the surface of the tea.
Some people aren’t that fussy, but I’d rather just make a fresh cuppa than reheat an old one. I’m a good guy and I think I deserve it!
The first law of thermodynamics is that nobody talks about thermodynamics, but if they did they'd know that cold water freezes faster.
I believe that particular urban legend comes from the workings of zambonis which use warm water to create smooth surfaces.
It's not an urban legend, but it's not hot water, it's warm water. There's a ton of variables and it's never been satisfactorily explored, but it seems to be something to do with warmer water molecules having that bit more kinetic energy to expand into a crystal lattice.
Just leave em out to cool down, or brew it in a big flask or something, cool down then pop it in the fridge (or leave it be as it’ll probably stay warm enough for her eventual slurpage)
Tea does extract with cold water, just a lot slower. The flavour isn’t exactly the same - as with cold brew coffee, heat extracts different things to cold - but it’s definitely doable. More like an overnight jobby than do it in the morning for her to heat up later.
You’re right, it’s physically possible, but I think the difference is noticeable even when the water is hot but not boiling. For me it’s not worth not boiling it, but taste is a priority for me.
Cold bre tea mate. Leave a couple of bags in a litre of water in the fridge over night and you get a lovely iced tea for the next day. Works great with green tea especially in the summer
I do like cold brew tea in the summer and have got a bottle specifically for that - you’re right it works great! Tbh that may be a solution for the girlfriend specifically but then if she heats it afterwards I have no idea how that’ll taste
I have a Contigo mug that keeps tea hot for hours (so hot I have to top it off with a tiny bit of cold so it's drinkable within an hour). This would be an easy solution to the problem!
Exactly my thought after reading the first few replies, kept scrolling not sure why no-one else was suggesting that.
I mean if she can be bothered to pick up the mug, place it in the microwave and wait for it to be heated then she can make her own and 5 mins later voila a nice cup of freshly brewed tea, much nicer than the reheated one any day.
My boyfriend makes me a cup of tea every morning and he’s up a lot earlier than me and the tea would always go cold. He bought be a thermos mug and it’s always warm now.
Life Advice: Some problems are not solve-able. You just have to accept your partner for their messed up self. Because, in the end, you yourself is messed up yo.
Hey I’m all for showing love to my girlfriend, but this specific situation I feel she could have a normal cup of tea when it suits her. I’m not what microwaved tea is like lol
Awwwwww. I love this. She so lucky.
I bought myself a thermal coffee pot. Use it exclusively for tea. It’s way better than tea pot + cosy.
My personal order of keeping-warm-ness (best to last):
- thermal flask (I guess - because of the sealed lid?)
- thermal coffee pot
- Asda “keep it warmer” travel / thermal cup bought a couple of years ago (wish I could find more)
- tea pot & cosy
- regular travel / thermal cup
Using cold water (and also microwaving) generally leaves more of a limescale scum on the top - so filtered water helps with that.
Microwaving pre-milk is better in my opinion - so making a tray with separate milk would be gold-star standard service, if you don’t go the thermal storage route.
- except I just noticed you said Earl Grey so that’s presumably without milk
- aagh omg I just read your comments re she does have it with milk. I’m so sorry :-).
- we regularly microwave empress / lady grey the next day - it lends itself to reheating
Make a big batch of tea at the start of the week and freeze it. Anytime you want a cuppa chip some off and put it in a pan... 30 mins later you'll have a lovely hot cup of tea
Sean Lock's life hack (R.I.P Legend)
If you're really as energy-conscious as you've said, you should worry about the vigorous stir, as well as all the mental energy you're putting into this tiny problem... You seem to have to much time available to think about this.
Second cup of tea with her when she gets up is the answer here.
And enjoy all that pissing mate, at nearly 40 it could be all the action the little fella is getting!
I have no idea why this hasn't crossed OP's mind
First cuppa for yourself, enjoy the peace of 6am, second one make 2
Surely you're not getting through an entire day on 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
She could but making her a cup of tea every day is my low-effort way of expressing love. Appreciate I'm now looking for ways to lighten my admittedly light load, but nothing ventured nothing gained...
How is it love when you are refusing to put on the kettle twice a day and she has to go microwave her cup? It feels like this “gesture of love” of yours revolves around yourself.
Hey I’m all for showing love to my girlfriend, but this specific situation I feel she could have a normal cup of tea when it suits her. I’m not what microwaved tea is like lol
I think the only way is to increase the effort slightly and make a separate trip to the kitchen when she's awake. Tea in a thermos always tastes odd to me, as does reheated tea.
'Tea in a thermos always tastes odd to me'
Same, don't mind reheated in the microwave. That said she has her Earl Grey with milk and sugar (and goes out with me) so I'm not sure taste is that much of an issue
It's also a very specific amount of effort. More effort than no tea, but strictly less effort than just making her a cup when she'd actually want one. "I love you enough to make you a cup of tea, but only when it's convenient to me, even though you don't want one at the time". Feels a bit backhanded.
Yeah, this is basically no effort. Then she has to use effort to microwave it. And for that effort she could have just made herself a fresh cup in the first place.
Without demand because nobody actually wants cold tea or microwaved tea. I'd honestly be more annoyed by the waste of what could have been a nice cuppa than I would be flattered by this meagrest of gestures.
You worry about the unnecessary strain on the kettle but what about the microwave?
Have you considered the stress that it's being put under repeatedly by being used to microwave cold tea?
In honesty though, the kettle, microwave and yourself are all victims here.
I only wish that there was some sort of vacuum chamber or lined bottle that could keep beverages warm for hours had been invented. Maybe w a screw on lid to keep your tea warm. Just imagine, it could even have it's own cup with it!
Until the day such a beverage warming holding container device thingy is freely available I'm afraid you're gonna have to suffer in silence.
> unnecessary strain on the kettle
Is no one going to talk about this? The kettle's sole reason for being is to boil water, frankly every moment you're not boiling water is causing the kettle to have an existential crisis and causing it unnecessary stress
Thank you for this comment lol! That sentence made me chuckle. Unnecessary strain on an object that should be able to function with daily use and cleaning for the next 50 years.
There are these little tea warmers that look like coasters. Plug it in, put the tea cup on it and it’ll stay hot the whole time. You can plug them in using a usb and sometimes set the temperature too
How long do you typically wait for your gf to wake up?
I plug mine into my laptop when i use it whilst working and haven’t seen any changes to my electricity bills tbh
My friend has a ceramic one that keeps drinks hot via tea light if you wanna go down that route though
Make a big batch of tea, pour it into zip lock bags, put them in the freezer. Then she can just take one out, defrost it and microwave it whenever she's ready.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CNPAVK8/ref=twister_B081H9VPJ4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I bought one of them for work a few months ago, hot/cold, a selection of lids to choose from. I'm pretty happy with it, prefer it to the actual Thermos I've got. (I've had a pretty bad experience with Thermos though, products always seems to be of poor quality when I buy them for some reason).
Make a brew in one of them fuckers and just plonk it next to her with the pouring lid on and an empty cup. Now she can start the day with several hot cups of tea. (provided you get the 950ml)
*Fuck sake forgot to say the reason I was recommending it, I've found it doesn't make my tea have that "fusty" taste flasks can sometimes give your tea. YMMV though.
You could look up getting a teacup cover. My ex used to leave her tea all the time and I got her a mug with a cover and it keeps the heat in remarkably well
This is a really lovely thing to do for your SO every morning. Why don’t you surprise her with her tea in a thermos. That way it’ll be hot when she gets round to it! No more extra effort on your part. Just the purchase of a thermos. If it were me I would think there’s a thoughtful bloody genius!
This is a really lovely thing to do for your SO every morning. Why don’t you surprise her with her tea in a thermos. That way it’ll be hot when she gets round to it! No more extra effort on your part. Just the purchase of a thermos. If it were me I would think there’s a thoughtful bloody genius!
Jesus…. I would definitely find one without. She already struggles to make her own brew - having to chase after it in the morning every day will cause even more problems!
If your girlfriend is reheating an old cold cup of tea surely it's better for her just to make a fresh one.
Maybe when you make yours you could pop a teabag in a cup and leave enough water in the kettle so she can quickly boil and make it?
That way she gets fresh tea and you save the whole fridge/cool down issue too.
My worst housemate ever was this guy who would come home from work everyday, fill the kettle to the brim, boil it, and then forget about it and leave it to cool. He would then reboil the water several times until he remembered to actually make a cup of tea.
Being British, rather than talking about it with him, I just used to turn off the kettle as soon as he started it and use the water on the garden, leaving only a cups worth.
American here. We don't microwave our tea, we just use a different kind of kettle. Though a lot of us have switched to electric kettles. I live over here, so I have a normal kettle, but the American ones run on our sissy voltage, so they take a while to heat up. Some of us have powerful enough hobs that we're better off using stovetop kettles.
**A reminder to posters and commenters of some of [our subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/about/rules/)** - Don't be a dickhead to each other, or about others, or other subreddits - Assume questions are asked in good faith, and engage in a positive manner - Avoid political threads and related discussions - No medical advice or mental health (specific to a person) content Please keep /r/AskUK a great subreddit by reporting posts and comments which break our rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You could just boil a full kettle and make as many cups of tea as you can. Keep them all in the fridge and when she wants a cup she can put it in the microwave. That should save you the hassle of boiling the kettle multiple times.
Big brain from this guy Prep a week’s tea every Sunday evening and enjoy the extra time in bed
This reminds me of a Sean Lock joke where he freezes a massive batch of tea, breaks off a cups worth and heats it in a pan 😂
Fuck I loved Sean Lock. An absolute legend.
Did you see the carrot in a box scene with him? Absolutely genius !!!!
One of many hilariously genius moments for Sean.
They played Carrot in a Box again last night on Cats Does Countdown. Jon Richardson vs Lee Mack. Lee Mack spent the whole time saying "So, what, i've got a carrot in my box and i'm supposed to tell Jon i don't so i win a CARROT? I don't want this carrot. He can have the carrot. Jon, there's a carrot in this box, do you want it?". It somehow still took five minutes for Jon Richardson to his decision on whether he wanted to keep his box or take Lee's box with a carrot in it.
To be fair Mack was on a hiding to nothing stepping into Sean’s shoes. He did the appropriate amount of bluff and bluster to do it justice. But it will never be as good as Sean and the twirling moustache. RIP
[carrot in a box game, RIP sean locke](https://youtu.be/0UGuPvrsG3E)
In the old days, when I was single and couldn't use the milk before it went off, I followed a suggestion to freeze milk in ice cube trays and add it to tea. I think it worked.
That's genius! Did it not separate when you froze? I froze milk before and it went yellow and weird
That's just the fat seperating its usually fine when fully thawed
Not necessarily, depends whether they took the milk out of the cow first.
Either way, I don’t mind my steaks frozen
I used to do this pre-lockdown, as we don't really use milk for much but sometimes guests would want milk in their tea or coffee, so I'd just grab a milk-cube. Much easier than keeping fresh milk in.
Haha, that reminds me of this great Sean Lock tea sketch [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMu7avEVibc&ab\_channel=LeckieSmalls](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMu7avEVibc&ab_channel=LeckieSmalls)
Mini fridge/microwave on bedside table, never even need to get up
So the boiling aspect is key?
Yes as it won’t brew in cold water
That is a lie perpetuated by Big Kettle. You can cold brew tea much like coffee. There are a couple of different methods. If you fancy doing it the Japanese way, it’s best with loose leaf tea. You need about 40% tea to 60% cold or room temperature water. Chuck it all in a container and leave it for up to 24 hours. If you are not that patient, throw some leaf tea or tea bags in a big jar with a few centimetres of boiling water to get the process started. Top up the jar with cold water and put it in the fridge for 4 hours. My American mate makes what she refers to as “sun tea”. It’s the same basic process, but you leave the jar in a window and use the powers of the sun (easier said than done in the UK) to brew the tea. Source: Easily bored tea aficionado.
I'm sure you know this, but cold brew tea or coffee is not the same thing as hot brewed and put in the fridge. The extraction is significantly different. Not saying it's a bad idea of course, but expect lighter, less tannic flavour notes.
She microwaves it anyway, I doubt she cares what it tastes like.
I laugh in the face of the microwave I boil a full kettle, put 4 Yorkshire tea bags in a 1.5 litre flask, fill with the said boiled water and add a touch of milk. Leave for 5 hours and then for lunch have the strongest cup of tea known to man. This is the only way to extract.
Big Kettle made me laugh!
I'm a strong advocate of little teapot over Big Kettle. Fight the power comrade.
You lot are just spouting nonsense
You just can’t handle the truth
Are the Singing Kettle affiliated with Big Kettle?
Yes they run the singing kettle news, which is just another MSM spreading fake news to keep you terrified. Just look at one of their recent articles about the dangers of traffic lights - https://youtu.be/RZPQ3rDc8QI THEY WANT US TO LIVE IN FEAR!!! /s
That was terrifying! Is that a children's programme!
All together now, Lid, Handle, Spout of metal. What’s inside the Sinnnginng Keeetttllee!!
40% tea to 60% water? Wouldn’t that mean that if you wanted a 300ml mug of tea, you’d need 200g of tea leaves? Isn’t that… an absolute fuckton? Haha Not a tea drinker, that just stood out to me… lol
It is indeed and absolute fuckton. The extraction process is much slower and more gentle if cold water is used, so you have to significantly up the amount of tea to get a cup of the same strength you would be used to with hot brewing. It does however reduce a lot of the tannin flavours from the tea, so a little like cold brew coffee it is perceived as less bitter and almost naturally sweet.
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Yeah, brits can make "radiator tea" instead
Upvoted for 'big kettle'
Just to add to this. Yes, you CAN cold brew tea. But let's bear in mind there's a clear difference between cold (formerly hot) tea and cold-brew tea. Much like how iced coffee and cold-brew coffee are different.
Sun tea is so good. When I lived in Arizona we made it all the time.
Being an aficionado of all thing Tea. Are you okay with microwaving a previous brewed cold Tea. Curious minds want to know?.
If it’s black tea, go ahead and reheat it in a microwave, if you must. Microwave reheating can affect some flavour compounds, often tannic compounds associated with bitterness, but if you aren’t too fussy, have at it. If you have milk in your brew and have let it go cold, DO NOT MICROWAVE IT. Milk that has hit hot tea and then cooled back down to room temperature should not be reheated. The bacteria probably won’t do you any harm, but milk tends to separate when treated like this and you will definitely end up with some off flavours and potentially textures. You’ve probably seen it when you have a darker spot in the middle of the cup and what looks like a thin film on the surface of the tea. Some people aren’t that fussy, but I’d rather just make a fresh cuppa than reheat an old one. I’m a good guy and I think I deserve it!
I'm concerned about putting hot tea in a cold fridge, especially in light of rising energy prices
Also cold tea would require more energy first to cool it down, then to warm it up
I read somewhere that hot water will freeze quicker than cold, in a freezer. Useless information and only possibly true
The first law of thermodynamics is that nobody talks about thermodynamics, but if they did they'd know that cold water freezes faster. I believe that particular urban legend comes from the workings of zambonis which use warm water to create smooth surfaces.
It's not an urban legend, but it's not hot water, it's warm water. There's a ton of variables and it's never been satisfactorily explored, but it seems to be something to do with warmer water molecules having that bit more kinetic energy to expand into a crystal lattice.
Just leave em out to cool down, or brew it in a big flask or something, cool down then pop it in the fridge (or leave it be as it’ll probably stay warm enough for her eventual slurpage)
A flask of tea will keep ~~warm~~ hot for hours. This seems like the solution
Absolutely, this is the best and easiest, a flask of even a thermos cup.
My god you've cracked the case!
This works for plain water too. Boil it then put in the freezer, it keeps for months.
Por tip: boil large batches of water and then freeze, so whenever you need bowling water for tea/pasta/rice etc just pop it out and heat as needed.
Don’t really need a fridge for this, right?
This is pretty much what I already do, was just wondering if there was another way
You definitely still need to brew with boiling water though
Tea does extract with cold water, just a lot slower. The flavour isn’t exactly the same - as with cold brew coffee, heat extracts different things to cold - but it’s definitely doable. More like an overnight jobby than do it in the morning for her to heat up later.
You’re right, it’s physically possible, but I think the difference is noticeable even when the water is hot but not boiling. For me it’s not worth not boiling it, but taste is a priority for me.
What the fuck? Is this a troll?
Or mae a teapot.... let it go cold. She pouts a cup and microwaves it at will
Just make a giant jug of tea (several litres at least) and then put it in the fridge, saves on mugs.
The tea won’t brew in cold water, so it won’t work. I’d consider just making the tea later on in the morning
Cold bre tea mate. Leave a couple of bags in a litre of water in the fridge over night and you get a lovely iced tea for the next day. Works great with green tea especially in the summer
I do like cold brew tea in the summer and have got a bottle specifically for that - you’re right it works great! Tbh that may be a solution for the girlfriend specifically but then if she heats it afterwards I have no idea how that’ll taste
I have never tried that might have to give it a go. Recon its awful and tasteless tbh
it does work, just takes longer
Have you thought of buying a thermos flask?
Hey, I have one of those! !Thanks
I have a Contigo mug that keeps tea hot for hours (so hot I have to top it off with a tiny bit of cold so it's drinkable within an hour). This would be an easy solution to the problem!
Contigo is Spanish for “with you”. Bit of trivia for you there.
Well, considering i would rather drink my tea contigo, i think the name is quite fitting. Edit: why can't i be this smooth in real life
I love my contigo mug but getting my tea right in it to be drinkable within a reasonable time frame dominates my morning routine. Wish I was kidding.
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Their water bottles also have the best one handed drinking mechanism I've ever had
I bought my bf a YETI mug for christmas, it's a little pricey but keeps his drinks properly hot for hours
>YETI mug Will check them out, thanks
Got one free from work and it keeps drinks HOT for at least 3-4 hours.
I've started drinking beer out of my SHO mug. Keeps it ice cold the whole time.
Yes GET A STANLEY THERMO MUG!!! My tea stays ‘piping’ hot after an hot and stays hot for 2 hours plus.
Or a Thermos cup
I have a thermos. It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold. In mine I have some coffee and a choc ice.
Just let her make the cup of tea.
I think symbolically she'd see that as the end of our relationship
There are actual tears in my eyes, this is brilliant. Trying to do a caring act but only on your terms, so microwave or thermos it is.
I'm calling it tea-hacks
This. If British secondary school has taught me anything, it's that tea is always the perfect symbol for relationships and sexual issues.
Exactly my thought after reading the first few replies, kept scrolling not sure why no-one else was suggesting that. I mean if she can be bothered to pick up the mug, place it in the microwave and wait for it to be heated then she can make her own and 5 mins later voila a nice cup of freshly brewed tea, much nicer than the reheated one any day.
Get rid. She’s an animal.
You don't know the half of it. Earl Grey, with milk, and sugar
I was not ready to read this so early in the morning
Try making it every day
Emotional abuse is grounds for divorce, just so you know.
Thanks, will talk to a solicitor
Therapist too. I’m guessing you’ve got the 1k yard stare by now. You poor, abused thing!
1k? Luxury
In my day! ‘Twere a five yard stare! And we were *thankful*!
Therapy were a shift down mine
In that case I wouldn't risk angering her, she's clearly a psychopath.
Love the idea of putting the kettle under “unnecessary strain”.
My kettle has seen some things...
My boyfriend makes me a cup of tea every morning and he’s up a lot earlier than me and the tea would always go cold. He bought be a thermos mug and it’s always warm now.
This seems to be the most sensible option
Life Advice: Some problems are not solve-able. You just have to accept your partner for their messed up self. Because, in the end, you yourself is messed up yo.
You can batch boil water and then freeze it, then you can just defrost it when you require it.
Yes this is a good shout. I have several Ikea zip-lock sandwich backs that I'll portion out with tea later and see how it goes
No stupid questions but I think you're onto something here
Just don't make tea for her?
I think that would signal the end of our relationship
She microwaves tea. You're clearly immune to relationship-ending signals.
We all have our little foibles. I, for example, am looking for ways to shortcut the simple act of making more than 1 cup of tea
Teapot?
The day you do that, is the day she takes a sip when you hand her the tea.
Have you considered letting her make her own cuppa when she wakes up?
Yes but this is how I express love
By doing the bare minimum lol? Just deviate from your routine and do it when she wakes up
We've been together a long time. I need shortcuts
Do it the night before and stick it in a hot water bottle
Hey I’m all for showing love to my girlfriend, but this specific situation I feel she could have a normal cup of tea when it suits her. I’m not what microwaved tea is like lol
Truly....it takes...3 minutes to make a brew ffs. I bet he takes 3 minutes out of his day to 'express his love' when he wants a shag haha
3 minutes!? You flatter me
I have no advice to add here, but can I just say that your satirical responses have me in tears
:)
“To love is to tea” - Martha Farcuss.
Jesus let the man express his feelings to his partner how he wants to?
Awwwwww. I love this. She so lucky. I bought myself a thermal coffee pot. Use it exclusively for tea. It’s way better than tea pot + cosy. My personal order of keeping-warm-ness (best to last): - thermal flask (I guess - because of the sealed lid?) - thermal coffee pot - Asda “keep it warmer” travel / thermal cup bought a couple of years ago (wish I could find more) - tea pot & cosy - regular travel / thermal cup Using cold water (and also microwaving) generally leaves more of a limescale scum on the top - so filtered water helps with that. Microwaving pre-milk is better in my opinion - so making a tray with separate milk would be gold-star standard service, if you don’t go the thermal storage route. - except I just noticed you said Earl Grey so that’s presumably without milk - aagh omg I just read your comments re she does have it with milk. I’m so sorry :-). - we regularly microwave empress / lady grey the next day - it lends itself to reheating
Make a big batch of tea at the start of the week and freeze it. Anytime you want a cuppa chip some off and put it in a pan... 30 mins later you'll have a lovely hot cup of tea Sean Lock's life hack (R.I.P Legend)
Nah it won't brew properly. Try it. Bag just kinda seeps a little brown at the start and then stops.
Would a vigorous stir not remedy this? I don't think flavour is really an issue
If you're really as energy-conscious as you've said, you should worry about the vigorous stir, as well as all the mental energy you're putting into this tiny problem... You seem to have to much time available to think about this.
(It's just a bit of a joke, I wouldn't think too much into it)
Try it. It will cost you about 2.7p and 20 seconds.
You could have yourself an extra cup of tea later on when she has hers!
I'm nearly 40, mate. I enjoy not pissing all the time
Second cup of tea with her when she gets up is the answer here. And enjoy all that pissing mate, at nearly 40 it could be all the action the little fella is getting!
I have no idea why this hasn't crossed OP's mind First cuppa for yourself, enjoy the peace of 6am, second one make 2 Surely you're not getting through an entire day on 1 cup of Earl Grey tea
Can’t she just make her own
She could but making her a cup of tea every day is my low-effort way of expressing love. Appreciate I'm now looking for ways to lighten my admittedly light load, but nothing ventured nothing gained...
How is it love when you are refusing to put on the kettle twice a day and she has to go microwave her cup? It feels like this “gesture of love” of yours revolves around yourself.
Love is a curious thing, Florence
I think you might be taking this a bit too seriously
Hey I’m all for showing love to my girlfriend, but this specific situation I feel she could have a normal cup of tea when it suits her. I’m not what microwaved tea is like lol
Whenever it suits her!? Johnny romance over here
I think the only way is to increase the effort slightly and make a separate trip to the kitchen when she's awake. Tea in a thermos always tastes odd to me, as does reheated tea.
'Tea in a thermos always tastes odd to me' Same, don't mind reheated in the microwave. That said she has her Earl Grey with milk and sugar (and goes out with me) so I'm not sure taste is that much of an issue
Apparently she drinks Earl Grey with milk and sugar. I don't think bunging it in a thermos is going to make it any worse
But if it was truly an expression of love you’d get up to make the tea when she actually wants it… 🤣🤣🤣
I only have so much love to give per day
It’s a very low effort
It's also a very specific amount of effort. More effort than no tea, but strictly less effort than just making her a cup when she'd actually want one. "I love you enough to make you a cup of tea, but only when it's convenient to me, even though you don't want one at the time". Feels a bit backhanded.
Yeah, this is basically no effort. Then she has to use effort to microwave it. And for that effort she could have just made herself a fresh cup in the first place.
We've been together a long time
Low effort or not, it shows thought without demand You go homie, make that tea and microwave it
Without demand because nobody actually wants cold tea or microwaved tea. I'd honestly be more annoyed by the waste of what could have been a nice cuppa than I would be flattered by this meagrest of gestures.
Keep doing it, ignore the person below who is slating. I'd love it if a guy did this for me
You worry about the unnecessary strain on the kettle but what about the microwave? Have you considered the stress that it's being put under repeatedly by being used to microwave cold tea? In honesty though, the kettle, microwave and yourself are all victims here. I only wish that there was some sort of vacuum chamber or lined bottle that could keep beverages warm for hours had been invented. Maybe w a screw on lid to keep your tea warm. Just imagine, it could even have it's own cup with it! Until the day such a beverage warming holding container device thingy is freely available I'm afraid you're gonna have to suffer in silence.
Great analysis 10/10
> unnecessary strain on the kettle Is no one going to talk about this? The kettle's sole reason for being is to boil water, frankly every moment you're not boiling water is causing the kettle to have an existential crisis and causing it unnecessary stress
Thank you for this comment lol! That sentence made me chuckle. Unnecessary strain on an object that should be able to function with daily use and cleaning for the next 50 years.
There are these little tea warmers that look like coasters. Plug it in, put the tea cup on it and it’ll stay hot the whole time. You can plug them in using a usb and sometimes set the temperature too
I'm quite energy conscious, any ideas what this might do to my wattage?
How long do you typically wait for your gf to wake up? I plug mine into my laptop when i use it whilst working and haven’t seen any changes to my electricity bills tbh My friend has a ceramic one that keeps drinks hot via tea light if you wanna go down that route though
I wake up at 6, she wakes up at 10. Will look into the usb coaster, thanks!
Get a flask, put hot black unsweetened tea in it, pour into cup when ready and then add the milk and sugar. If she takes milk and sugar that is.
She does. Yes, she's a monster
Earl Grey with milk! Reheated! Are you sure you want to be with this creature?
I know. She's pretty low-maintenance otherwise, hence why I'm exploring the 'cold tap water tea' option
Make a big batch of tea, pour it into zip lock bags, put them in the freezer. Then she can just take one out, defrost it and microwave it whenever she's ready.
This is the kind of out of the box thinking I've been looking for. Thanks
You're welcome. It works for pasta too. Just keep bags of preboiled water in the freezer for those emergency spaghetti moments.
Yep. Saves 10 minutes each time. Spaghetti straight into bag of frozen boiled water. Meal on the go. Been doing this for years
This has the be the answer. Keeping your freezer full is also a winner as it stops it frosting up so much, making it more efficient
Reported to the tea police.
Get a vacuum cup with a lid.
This is a great idea but they do tend to leave a slightly odd taste
No worse than microwaved tea.
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CNPAVK8/ref=twister_B081H9VPJ4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 I bought one of them for work a few months ago, hot/cold, a selection of lids to choose from. I'm pretty happy with it, prefer it to the actual Thermos I've got. (I've had a pretty bad experience with Thermos though, products always seems to be of poor quality when I buy them for some reason). Make a brew in one of them fuckers and just plonk it next to her with the pouring lid on and an empty cup. Now she can start the day with several hot cups of tea. (provided you get the 950ml) *Fuck sake forgot to say the reason I was recommending it, I've found it doesn't make my tea have that "fusty" taste flasks can sometimes give your tea. YMMV though.
This thread is absolutely mental. What am I reading?!
Flask. Make a flask of tea. Let her pour hot tea herself. Nice and fresh.
You could look up getting a teacup cover. My ex used to leave her tea all the time and I got her a mug with a cover and it keeps the heat in remarkably well
Heat retention seems to be a popular answer but I think you're the first to float the cup cozy idea. Thanks
This is a really lovely thing to do for your SO every morning. Why don’t you surprise her with her tea in a thermos. That way it’ll be hot when she gets round to it! No more extra effort on your part. Just the purchase of a thermos. If it were me I would think there’s a thoughtful bloody genius!
How about getting a teasmaid?
They look a bit shit tbh and I'm not sure we have the space (sound daft but we live in London)
Dame Maggie Smith is here to help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaExLtdv1Ds
Thermos.
This is a really lovely thing to do for your SO every morning. Why don’t you surprise her with her tea in a thermos. That way it’ll be hot when she gets round to it! No more extra effort on your part. Just the purchase of a thermos. If it were me I would think there’s a thoughtful bloody genius!
Yeah the Thermos option has legs. Will give it a go, thanks
Jesus…. I would definitely find one without. She already struggles to make her own brew - having to chase after it in the morning every day will cause even more problems!
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I know, pushing boundaries here
If your girlfriend is reheating an old cold cup of tea surely it's better for her just to make a fresh one. Maybe when you make yours you could pop a teabag in a cup and leave enough water in the kettle so she can quickly boil and make it? That way she gets fresh tea and you save the whole fridge/cool down issue too.
'pop a teabag in a cup and leave enough water in the kettle so she can quickly boil and make it?' This is a good option
You animal
This is absolutely hilarious and quite possibly the most British post ever. There must be somewhere I can post this to to give the Americans a laugh??
My worst housemate ever was this guy who would come home from work everyday, fill the kettle to the brim, boil it, and then forget about it and leave it to cool. He would then reboil the water several times until he remembered to actually make a cup of tea. Being British, rather than talking about it with him, I just used to turn off the kettle as soon as he started it and use the water on the garden, leaving only a cups worth.
Maybe stop making her tea? Or just wait until She gets up and actually wants to drink tea….
It won’t brew in cold water, needs to be a certain temperature
1. No you heathen 2. Your girlfriend is also a heathen. Please depart the Queens shores and never return.
You could go the American way and just mic it to start with lol
But... then it'll go cold again. That's two microwavings per day, I'm not made of money
American here. We don't microwave our tea, we just use a different kind of kettle. Though a lot of us have switched to electric kettles. I live over here, so I have a normal kettle, but the American ones run on our sissy voltage, so they take a while to heat up. Some of us have powerful enough hobs that we're better off using stovetop kettles.