Tea is something that Britishers have loved for decades. For English people, a cup of tea is associated not only with refreshments but also with a stately vibe. And so, they are extra scrupulous in making the brew. This age-old English custom stirred a debate between Lisa Dallan, who goes by @yorkshirepeach on TikTok, and her husband. Lisa is a Georgian woman who moved from the US to the UK, and her husband’s tea method left her utterly confounded.
In her “tea debate” video, Lisa wrote “Who’s right? Me or my British husband” as the caption. She said in the video that she had just put the water in the kettle and boiled it. But suddenly, her husband asked, “Is the water fresh?” She was puzzled. “Sorry? What do you mean, is it from a stream? I got it from the faucet,” she replied.
Her husband then walked back to the tap, let the water pour for about 30 minutes, then filled the kettle, and re-boiled what he called “fresh water.” So, basically, she had two queries. “Does one need to let the tap run for some time to get fresh water?,” and second, “Does the kettle need to be refilled each time one sets out to boil it?”
The video became well-liked with nearly 600,000 views and over 4,000 comments. Plus, it was bookmarked by over 500 people. The comments section depicted people’s divided opinions on the “freshwater” and “kettle” debate. While a majority took the husband’s side, others were “Team Lisa."
Image Source: TikTok | @gems3019
@joscott46 said with a chuckle, “He‘s right. You should use fresh water for every cup of tea – honestly!” @bikerbikertiktok said, “Don't worry, us British are a strange bunch. We rinse a perfectly clean glass before we fill it up and drink it!” @imbknstw30u added “He’s right! Boiling water more than once changes the flavor of it!!”
Image Source: TikTok | @kategreenhill
@nicoletimmers13, whose mom does the same, commented, “I think it is because the water that comes out right away has been stuck in the pipes so you run it to get rid of the stale water in the pipe.” Explaining the science behind the fresh water, @netty4185 added, “Yes he is right, it's chemistry. Once the kettle boils, the oxygen molecules dance around and make a great cuppa. If you use the same water later on, the taste is not the same. Must be fresh water.”
Image Source: TikTok | @mrsgrover1
@jayoh.kayoh, who is not a Britisher but a German, said she also does the same as Lisa’s husband. Germans might share the Brit’s penchant for a good cuppa, but for Brits, it is something non-compromising. It is no surprise that Lewis Carroll, who was from Victorian England, was so fond of tea that he made the “tea party” a significant part of his novel “ Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.”
According to BBC, 84% of the UK population drinks tea every day and has been drinking it for over 350 years. While the English use a kettle to brew tea, the Americans prefer to microwave it.
However, when the matter concerns “fresh water,” it seems even Britishers are unaware of the full details. “I’m British. I suspect this is a hangover from years ago when we had lead pipes,” explained @neilbell499 in a comment. But the TikToker is not incorrect.
According to Pollution Issues, until around about 1970, British houses consisted of Roman lead pipes and water tanks. With time, the lead pipes began to become obsolete as people were afraid the water would be contaminated. But this didn’t entirely solve the problem. If someone today lives in a house built before the 1970s, it may be that they still have lead pipes, dark grey, thicker than copper, plastic, or steel. This clearly explains why Lisa’s husband did what he did with the kettle water.
But still, some TikTokers preferred to see the video as a comical flick. Most of them reacted with hilarious quips that left the comments section in stitches. “Those who are on a water meter do not do this,” remarked @sameold2323 with dozens of laughing emojis. @thingies3_d added, “You can’t boil water twice and make a decent brew.”
You can follow Yorkshire Peach on TikTok for more videos about the contrasting cultures of Britain and America.
This article originally appeared last year.
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A family makes heart shapes with their hands at sunset
Ketel Marte was brought to tears during an MLB game after facing a shameful fan taunt.
Baseball manager's poignant support for a player brought to tears after shameful fan taunt
Whether they’re expecting perfection from their favorite players or, worse, behaving callously toward opposing teams, sports fans often forget that athletes are human beings. But athletic competition has the ability to unify and uplift, even amid such painful and unpleasant encounters. Take, for example, a major-league baseball game held June 24, 2025 between the home team Chicago White Sox and visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.
A shameful low point occurred when Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was at bat in the seventh inning. Per ESPN, a fan reportedly yelled out a comment regarding Marte’s late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a 2017 car accident in the Dominican Republic. Team personnel, including manager Torey Lovullo, then requested the 22-year-old fan be ejected. (Though he was remorseful and admitted his actions were inappropriate, according to an ESPN source, he was nonetheless banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks.) "We commend the White Sox for taking immediate action in removing the fan," the MLB said in a statement. Marte reportedly declined to comment.
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While the fan’s behavior is inexcusable, it did spark a powerful and inspiring moment. After hearing the comment, Marte was visibly upset, prompting Lovullo to walk on the field, put his arm around him, and offer some words of encouragement. "[I said,] 'I love you, and I’m with you, and we’re all together, and you’re not alone,'" Lovullo said in a post-game interview, as documented by The Rich Eisen Show. "'No matter what happens, no matter what was said or what you’re heard, that guy is an idiot.’"
According to Arizona Republic, Lovullo heard the fan’s comment but didn’t want to repeat it. “I looked right at [Marte] when I heard,” he said. “I looked right at him, and he looked at the person, as well. He put his head down and I could tell it had an immediate impact on him, for sure."
Elsewhere in the post-game interview, the manager called the moment "terrible" and reflected on why he stood up for Marte. "Fans are nasty, and fans go too far sometimes," he said. "I love my players, and I’m gonna protect them…I’ve known Ketel for nine years. He’s had some unbelievably great moments and some hardships as well and some really tough moments in his life. I know those. At the end of the day, we’re human beings, and we have emotions. I saw him hurting, and I wanted to protect him."
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The following day, the Chicago White Sox X account sent out a message in support of Marte, writing, "We’re with you" and "Baseball is family." On The Rich Eisen Show, the show's host addressed the need to eradicate this kind of toxic athlete-fan interaction: "I was hearing [people saying], 'There’s no place for this in major league baseball.' There isn’t. There’s no place for this in our society. I understand that people are saying the MLB has got to do something about this. Fans have a right to heckle players—this is something that has happened forever…But there is a line."
In another recent, depressing sports moment with a beautiful coda, let’s look to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the first quarter, Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton tore his right Achilles tendon—a devastating injury that could potentially sideline him for most of the 2025-2026 season. Following the game, in a lovely display of sportsmanship, Thunder point-guard and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went to the Pacers locker room to check on his competitor. In a press conference, he said, "You just hate to see it, in sports in general. But in this moment, my heart dropped for him. I can't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It’s so unfortunate."
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