When water is heated to a certain point, it begins to break down into individual hydrogen and oxygen atoms. When water boils, these ions escape from the liquid and start a reaction that creates steam. Even though water has only been heated to a certain point, the minerals in the water can make it hot enough for tea brewing purposes.
Water that is too hot will cause your tea to be bitter and also causes the coffee machine’s electric heating element to become ineffective. The heat from the electric heating element can also warp your stainless steel pot or kettle, causing it to function improperly in the future.