Altering the tea making experience

The phrase “do you want a cup of tea” is a particular favourite of mine and I tend to utter these words more than others in my office. I’m not moaning about this however, as not only do I enjoy the experience of drinking tea I also enjoy the experience of making it. Whilst at work it gives you a reason to take a break from your computer screen and get away from your desk; I also think it is a friendly gesture to make tea for yourself and others around you.

In fact, I heard on the news the other day that research had concluded that merely the process of flicking on a kettle was supposed to be therapeutic and a recent experience at work has made me believe this to be true. Our kettle was replaced (presumably upgraded) to an urn, which holds 8 litres of water and periodically heats it all up to a temperature fairly close to boiling point. On the surface, I can see why this was considered a good idea as it means you no longer have to wait for the kettle to boil and you do not have to reboil when doing a large round. However, for me it has spoilt the experience of making a cup of tea.

Call me stuck in my ways, but I quite like having to wait for kettle to boil and I also think the tea tastes nicer as it is made with freshly boiled (i.e. hotter) water (I can see some sort of taste test coming on).
A few of us even restort to going to the kitchen on the lower floor of our offices to make tea, as there is still a kettle there!

The saying ‘why mend something that is not broken’ springs to mind.