How to Use Your Electric Kettle After Boiling Water For the First Time
Getting a feature-level electric kettle is all the secret to quickly improving your hot-drink routine, whether you're a tea addict or a green-tea fanatic. To prepare hot tea, many individuals simply place a pot over a hot flame, add some boiling water and pour the resulting hot liquid over the loose tea bags, regardless of temperature or type. Such instant action certainly makes it convenient to have tea any time you want, but those hot-water jugs take up much-needed counter space and waste effort.
If you brew on a regular basis, you know that electric kettle can be costly. It's not uncommon for electric tea kettles to cost upwards of a few hundred dollars. Fortunately, there are ways to find reasonably priced electric kettles. Many home improvement stores and even the internet's best shopping sites carry electric kettles at affordable prices. If you're a bit patient, you may even find great sales or free shipping offers.
Another option to cut electric kettles' prices down is to search for used electric kettles. Electric kettles that are used only for tea brewing can be purchased at a fraction of the cost of a brand new kettle. If you decide to sell your kettle in order to pay for new kitchen appliances or to upgrade your home's electrical wiring, you might consider buying a used kettle that is still in pretty good condition. In fact, some people would say that it's even better than a new electric kettle because you can still use it to boil water for tea or any other purposes.
Once you've decided on the specific model that you want, you need to determine how to care for your kettle. Electric kettles are usually made of stainless steel that will tarnish over time if it's not regularly seasoned. To prevent discoloration, lightly scour the interior of the electric kettle and wipe away any dirt, dust, and debris. You can also purchase special cleaning agents which are designed to safely and effectively remove stains from kettles without causing damage to its inner workings. If you frequently boil water for tea, you may also consider purchasing an electric tea kettle with temperature settings so that you can adjust the boiling point of your water to bring it to just the right temperature for tea brewing.
Keeping your electric kettle clean and free of buildup will help extend the life span of your electric appliance. You should also make sure that you don't brew tea near an electric kettle's spout because the build-up of steam could overflow and spill onto your hands and onto the tea pot itself. For this reason, it's important that you keep your electric kettle's spout far away from any heat source, including the back of the stove, where it could get hot while you're preparing a cup of tea. Using special tea ware, such as tea bags or tea pots, will help keep your electric kettle and your electric tea kettle clean and free of built-up mess.
To prepare your tea, fill your kettle up to the recommended maximum temperature and turn it on. Then, add a teaspoon of table salt to the boiling water and stir. Then, only use your fingers to push the button on the kettle's side to begin steaming the milk. In no time, you'll have a perfectly-brewed cup of tea waiting for you to enjoy. Be sure to check the water level periodically, since a leaking spout will quickly cause your kettle to overheat.
If you're going to use tea bags or tea pots when you make your own tea, be sure that they are pre-heated according to the package instructions. Some brands of tea pots and bags require that the water warm within 2 degrees Celsius when it is placed inside the kettle. Others recommend that the water warm within three degrees Celsius. This means that the water must be boiling when you put your tea bags in the kettle or pot, but not boiling when you place the kettle in the water.
Once your tea has finished brewing, remove the kettle from the water. Turn the valve on the electric kettle back on, so that the hot steam from the heating element comes out of the top of the valve. The valve should read "off". Now, remove the valve from the wall outlet and place the kettle back onto the floor. If your kettle did not come with a lid, you can use a plate or an insulated bowl to hold your kettle in place until the cooking is over and your tea is ready to sip.