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When I'm in a hurry, I make tea by heating up a cup of water in the microwave for 2 or 2 minutes, then steeping a bag of tea.

The problem is, the tea bag floats, so if I leave it in the cup while microwaving it, the tea bag won't steep. Thus, I dunk it with a spoon or fork after I take the cup out of the microwave, but that means wasting 2 or 3 minutes.

How could the tea bag be kept in the water while microwaving it? Holding it with a heavy utensil won't work if that utensil is made of metal. I've tried plastic ones but those aren't heavy enough.

Is there a hack simpler than a dedicated gadget?

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4 Answers 4

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Soak the tea bag first by running it under cold water from the faucet.

Once it's thoroughly waterlogged, it will be heavier than the water it displaces, thus sinking.

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  • Wouldn't that screw up the tea?
    – s3v3ns
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 14:02
  • @s3v3ns How so?
    – Mooseman
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 14:03
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    i am just guessing, since you are putting the teabag under a running water, i would just think that it washes some of the...flavor? away. Maybe it is just my imagination. Or maybe it doesn't work the same with cold water?
    – s3v3ns
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 14:05
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    @s3v3ns Just edited to specify cold water in my answer. I don't think it would have any effect, seeing as the remaining water going down the drain is perfectly clear.
    – Mooseman
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 14:07
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    @Mooseman - for sure! Just making the point that here (UK), you don't have tea unless you pour boiling water onto it, it ain't 'tea' otherwise, it's a sort of coloured watery hot drink. I'd rather have a glass of water instead...
    – Bamboo
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 16:37
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I have had this problem as well. My solution: pour hot water in the glass add the tea bag add some sugar and mix it along with the tea bag in the cup, it won't rise then :)

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I use a silicone spoon. Silicone has great heat-resistant qualities so it can withstand being in the microwave without melting and it keeps the teabag submerged just like you asked! Another plus is that they are pretty cheap to buy online.

enter image description here

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You can use a metal spoon to keep it down.

Contrary to popular belief, metal in a microwave isn't 100% a no go. It is just easier to present it that way to avoid confusion as few people know the workings of a microwave and the consequences thereof.

While it generally is discouraged to leave metal objects in the microwave, the problem isn't the metal itself. Rather that metal will reflect microwaves and not absorb them to increase temperature. You already have metal walls in your oven for this reason. They help reflect the microwaves so eventually they will hit the food or liquid and me absorbed. If you have a mass of something containing water (i.e. pretty much anything organic) a little extra metal should not cause any problems. Especially if it is partially or fully submerged in the liquid.

I found another source of this by Google. I don't know the credentials of this site, so take it with a grain of salt. It does however look like he knows what he is talking about.

Note: Please don't do this haphazardly and carelessly. Find another source than me saying this and read a little on why this works. A microwave oven is a powerful tool capable of concentrating about a kilowatt of energy in a small area. Treat it with respect.

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