AIBU? Husband won't use previously boiled water for his tea

[Frazzlefrazle]

Petty light hearted discussion here however I have just boiled the kettle which had already had water in from earlier in the day so not fresh and made a herbal tea. 2 seconds later my husband tips out the hot water and fills it with fresh water and reboils for his Earl grey as apparently it makes the tea taste 'off if it's not completely fresh water! To me this just seemed very wasteful and maybe I have terrible taste but I haven't ever tasted my tea being 'off' so who is right?

YABU - I'm clearly a heathen all these years who drinks terrible tea
YANBU- He's a weirdo

It definitely tastes off with reboiled water.

I always tip the 'leftover' water into a jug and use that to rinse the sink/water plants rather than running the tap. I try not to waste the water, but I always run fresh for my tea, but I don't do that for coffee or herbal tea.

I just boil the right amount of water needed at the time, so I don't know if I'd notice if water had been boiled more than once. For delicate teas like earl grey or herbal teas it probably is a good idea to use freshly boiled water.

Yabu. Fresh boiled water for every cup here.

The vote is very evenly split!

For the climate and your bills, don't waste water or power. For your domestic harmony, get a different type of water heater, so only one cup-full is heated at a time. (Or, there are even types which provide boiling water as if from an ordinary tap, but that is a pretty expensive solution)
Also, for climate and bills, don't just chuck out the existing one, save it for the next time a kettle break-down happens, or, use it alongside the one-cup, because it may well be the best way to heat a pan-load of water, to cut down cooking time

I wouldn't use reboiled water for tea either. It tastes odd. Sometimes a bit limey.

I just read last night on the back of a tea box, to use fresh water as reboiled water can dull the favour and colour!

@FiveFootTwoEyesOfBlue

When you boil water, the water loses some of its oxygen, so tea made with previously boiled water won't taste as good as fresh. To me it doesn't taste 'off' though, just less flavour.

Exactly this - it’s the reaction of oxygen with the tea leaves that gives maximum tea flavour from the leaves. Boiled water has less oxygen in it as it’s been boiled out.

Yes, I never reboil water as it does taste horrible. I do only ever put a small amount of water in the kettle though so I'm not boiling a whole kettle full of water and then throwing most of it away

Put less in the kettle each time and you can both be happy.

@mowglika

That's really interesting. Pretty sure that's what he has been trying to say but I can't hear him over his smug 'I'm always right' face

I can't taste the difference myself, but I believe some people have more discerning tastebuds!

I use fresh water each time for my tea.
However I don't waste water because I use a one cup water heater which only dispenses one cup of hot water. I fill it from the filter jug.

Tea made with old water isn't nice.

Get a one cup kettle which just dispenses the amount you need. More energy efficient a d less water wasted.

i thought everyone knew that.
making a proper cup of tea ought to be simple, but so many people mess it up by being sloppy.
do it properly.
and scald the cup/pot first.

YABU it tastes wrong, flat and horrible. Would you leave a glass of water on the side in the morning and drink it in the evening? (Well I wouldn't anyway!)

It's a waste of water to chuck any remaining water. So yanbu.

Freshly boiled water is much nicer, so to that extent he’s right. However, he shouldn’t be filling it right up as that’s a waste of power - he should just put in enough for his tea each time.

my dh does this aswell drives me mad i say theres alreadsy some in there

i dont notice a difference i think its waste

Boiled water is boiled water.

There are a lot of people who waste water, apparently! I almost never empty my kettle.

My friend who is a barista said second boil is fine, any more isn't.

I always put enough in the kettle for just two cups anyway. You're supposed to put just enough in for what you need anyway to save energy or something.

Freshly drawn water brought to the boil for tea.

He's right, sorry!

You really can’t tell the difference 😂😂