'American Way' of Making Tea Sends Internet Into Meltdown

A woman has sparked transatlantic rage after showing British people online how she makes tea the "American way."

Professional skater Alex Murphy, from popular British show Dancing on Ice, sent the internet into a meltdown after showing how she makes Britain's favourite hot beverage.

Murphy gained over 10 million views in just five days after filming her tea-making routine on TikTok. The woman claimed to be making the tea for her boyfriend—who was less-than-impressed with the result.

She began by filling the mug with cold water and a tea bag, adding milk and sugar. Murphy went on to microwave the drink and gave a thumbs-up in the reflection.

After a stir, she handed the concoction over to her British boyfriend who was originally grateful for the drink. It didn't last long however, after he took a single sip.

"That's disgusting. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but that is not a cup of tea," he said.

"Are you having a laugh?" he replied, after discovering exactly how it was made. He gave his final thoughts with just one gesture: throwing the mug on the floor.

Murphy told Newsweek that she learned the method from her mom and that it's the real way they make it in her family. "We don't have much tea over in America—I'm from Boston. But that's genuinely how we would make it," she said. "We don't really have kettles in the U.S."

The video has caused internet-wide outrage from both Americans and British alike.

"That was painful to watch you make," wrote one user. "Throwing the cup was justified. If you say otherwise clearly you're not British," commented another TikTok viewer.

Some Americans however disputed the method of making tea, claiming that it's not common. "I have never seen anyone in America make it the way you claim is the American way," wrote one TikTok user.

"For anyone wondering, this is not how we do it in America," added another.

However, Murphy remained adamant that it is how Americans often make the drink, and even posted a video detailing each step. The skater claimed that both methods "taste the same" to her.

"The reaction online is HILARIOUS—people are saying to deport me and for my boyfriend to dump me immediately. I've been very much adopted by the British public since winning Dancing On Ice, but I think I may have crossed the line," said Murphy.

Despite hesitations over just how many Americans use this method, it isn't the first time it's been shared online.

In 2020, a social media influencer named Michelle went viral on TikTok with her daughter for making tea in a similar way. Gaining millions of views, the pair showed followers how they make "hot tea or British tea."

Unlike Murphy, she microwaved the water alone before adding the tea, sugar and milk.

But is seems the simple use of a microwave to heat water is what outrages the Brits, with the video sparking similar online debate.

In 2014, YouTuber Evan Edinger posted a satirical video on how to make "American tea" using a similar technique involving a microwave.

Although his take on the recipe was a clear joke, comments showed Americans confessing to making theirs in an identical manner.

"This is EXACTLY how I make tea when I don't want to start up a kettle and I'm craving something sweet," wrote one viewer.

They might be commonplace in British homes, but electric kettles are not so much of an everyday kitchen item across the U.S.

According to media reports, this is due to U.S. homes having far lower voltage than those in the U.K., meaning it would take far longer to heat water with an electricity-powered kettle.

Update 03/24/22, 4:51 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add comments from Alex Murphy.