I agree, restaurant tap water can be very hot ... there is even a faucet in some places I've seen from coffee machines that can dispense hot water. But all of them fall just below the threshold of boiling water which is 100 degrees C.

Tea needs boiling water at least for a moment in order to brew properly. I don't know the science of it ... I just know from experience and having had tea all my life. If you place an orange pekoe tea bag in anything but boiling water, it will never steep properly. In any other heated water, orange pekoe tea just comes out bland and not as tasty. Like I mentioned in my early comments, my family used to throw tea bags into boiling water and let it stay in rolling boiling water for about 30 seconds and it immediately brews a potent mixture of dark red liquid that has as much caffeine as coffee.

The only other great sin to steeping tea is to place the tea bag in boiling water and immediately mix it all with milk - that guarantees a ruined steeped tea. You wait about five full minutes for the tea to steep before mixing anything with it.

I've been frustrated by friends and family all my life who didn't grow up drinking tea because they'll boil some water, leave the water sit for a minute or two until it cools off from 100C or even wait several minutes until it cools off to 80C and then try to make a cup of tea. It drives me nuts when they serve me luke warm tea and then pour in a bit of milk into it all and everything turns white.

As you might have guessed ..... I love my tea.