If you're reading this, chances are you're a tea lover who doesn't own a tea kettle.
Maybe you just moved into a new place and haven't had a chance to buy one yet. Maybe you're trying to save money or live a more minimalist lifestyle. Or maybe you just don't see the need for another kitchen gadget.
Whatever the case may be, making tea without a tea kettle is totally doable—and I'm going to show you how.
Tea Bag Method
The simplest way to make tea without a kettle is to use a tea bag. All you need- in addition to the tea and a mug- is water and a means to get it up to the appropriate temperature your type of tea calls for.
Whether you use an electric coffee pot, a pot on the stove, an immersion heater- heck, even the microwave will work in a pinch- any way you have to get your water hot will do the trick.
Instructions
- Simply place a tea bag (or two ;) in a teacup or mug.
- Choose your heating method of choice and heat the water.
- Once it's hot, carefully pour it over your tea bag.
- Let it steep for at least 3-5 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Loose-Leaf Method
If you're looking for a more traditional cup of tea, loose-leaf tea is the way to go.
This method does (ideally) involve a few additional tools in order to keep the leaves out of your mouth, but they're not required and can easily be found online or in any home goods store.
That being said, in addition to your loose-leaf tea, teacup or mug, and hot water, either a tea strainer or a tea infuser will go a long way in making this method more enjoyable... tea kettle or not!
To brew loose-leaf tea without a kettle, decide on your heating method before you begin. Here are a few suggestions again:
- In a coffee pot
- In a pot on the stove
- In the microwave
- In an electric coffee pot
Instructions
- Start by heating up your water using whichever method suits you best.
- While your water is heating up to your desired temperature, add some loose-leaf tea (2-3 tablespoons should do the trick) into a tea infuser/strainer if using one.
- Place the tea infuser/strainer (if using) OR loose-leaf tea into your mug.
- Carefully pour the hot water over the infuser/strainer or loose tea leaves. (Make sure the water is high enough to cover the tea if using a strainer for steeping.)
- Steep for at least 5 minutes.
- After steeping, remove the infuser/strainer OR strain out the loose tea leaves.
- Enjoy your cup of tea!
*Note: If you don't have either an infuser or a strainer you can leave the leaves in your tea as you drink it (more power to ya lol) or you can use cheesecloth and pour your tea through it into another mug to strain them out. Pro-Tip: Be careful not to burn yourself! ;)
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are lots of different ways to make tea without using a kettle—you just have to get creative.
Give one or all of these options a try and if you still feel like you're missing out on the full experience without a kettle then use it as an excuse to invest in another kitchen gadget like an immersion heater, tea infuser bottle, or French press (we all know how much fun those can be).
So next time you're craving some tasty herbal goodness but don't have access to boiled water, remember this blog post and whip up some deliciousness sans kettle!
OR! Go all in and treat yourself to that kettle! Check out the 2 articles linked below for lists of the best stovetop kettles and best electric kettles that people are loving on Amazon. You can thank me later. ;) Thanks for reading! Cheers!
