my tea mug
A cup of tea: one of mankind’s finest inventions (Yeah, ok, antibiotics are good, the wheel isn’t too bad, etc) but there is a lingering dispute which i will try to end here: Does the milk go in first or not?
Let’s think about this rationally, tea has to be made with boiling water. Not nearly boiling water, not water that was boiling a few minutes ago. Jesus. Have you tasted tea like that? It is disgusting. People who make tea like that obviously don’t like tea. The water has to be boiling, and that’s the end of it.
Now it follows that if the milk is in first, the water won’t be boiling as it will be diluted by a load of cold milk, therefore the milk should go in last.
I hope that has cleared things up.
There is a theory that the milk-in-first thing is a class affectation – the upper classes would drink their tea from the finest bone china, which had a tendency to crack when boiling tea was poured in. Putting the milk in first readuced the temperature, and so cracking was avoided.This theory was put forward by Arthur Scargill, the trade unionist, who is apparently very serious about his tea. My brother recently met Arthur Scargill by mistake in a cafe and had a cup of tea .
What? Why Bother? 
Without doubt the milk goes in last, firstly for the exact reason you stated, but also it gives greater control as to how one takes their tea, strong or weaker. And for a really good cup of coffee ( not that I drink coffee, but I have to make it ), you really need to heat the cup up first. There are people that say you can burn coffee, but that’s just tosh…. just my 2p
Your first point is a good one, that I should’ve included in my arguement. I’ve not heard about the ‘heating up the coffee cup’ before – you might be right, but I’m not a big coffee drinker myself.
Don’t delude yourself – this argument has been going for aeons, and will con tinue to do so!! I think it really comes down to – whatever you prefer.