I'm a brit living in America. At my office there's no kettle, but we have a hot water dispenser. Today it's broken. When I lamented I can't make a cup of tea, a colleague suggested I microwave the water. Trump is not the only thing that makes this place a hellscape.
@fesshole Honest question: why not? The tea won't care how the water got hot.

@virbonus

I wondered the same. It can’t affect the taste. Is it a principle thing? I boil a kettle on a stovetop every morning for coffee I make in a French press because that’s how I like to do it, but I’d microwave a cup of water for tea in a pinch.

Also don’t really trust the hot water from the tap. Idk why.

@fesshole

@dtm @virbonus @fesshole I'll leave physics to everyone else, but it can affect the taste if the microwave isn't sufficiently clean.

Given it's in a workplace, well, maybe American offices have a greater devotion to keeping kitchen equipment in perfect condition - but I would never boil water in a microwave at my office, it would have subtle hints of tuna casserole and cheap lasagne.

@RolloTreadway @virbonus @fesshole

First off, anyone microwaving tuna casserole at work should be taken out back and shot.

@dtm @RolloTreadway @fesshole A female colleague once microwaved her cheese noodles (with ripe Munster!!). One could smell it all along the 20m of office hallway. (She survived)
But normally our microwave is very clean - could be because our's is a predominantly female business?

@virbonus @RolloTreadway @fesshole

Many years ago I banned the use of microwave popcorn in the office because the smell is so strong.

@dtm @RolloTreadway @fesshole You sure wouldn't last a week in our office with that fine a sense of smell ...