The science behind the perfect tea dunk – McVitie’s reveals exactly how long you should dip biscuits before it drops off

BISCUIT maker McVitie’s has hired its first-ever Chief Dunking Officer, who has revealed exactly how long you should dip biscuits before it disintegrates into mush.

There’s nothing worse than losing a biscuit to a cuppa, or a sediment and debris-rich brew.

Each biscuit has a unique texture, structure, flavour and size to the rest, which ultimately affects its so-called "dunkability" — Each biscuit has a unique texture, structure, flavour and size to the rest, which ultimately affects its so-called “dunkability”Credit: McVitie’s

As the UK’s very first Chief Dunking Officer, Dr Helen Pilcher’s first port of call is to put a stop to a gritty “over dunking” experience by explaining the science behind the ‘perfect tea dunk’.

“The natural porosity of a biscuit makes it an ideal snack to be dipped into a drink and soak up all the deliciousness,” Dr Pilcher explained.

“However, Brits are still susceptible to over-dunking their biscuits – which is why we have identified the Optimum Dunking Time and the Dunking Danger Zone for a range of McVitie’s classics.”

McVitie’s is the retailer behind some of the nation’s beloved biscuits: Digestives, Hobnobs, Gingernuts, Fruit Shortcakes, Rich Tea Biscuits, Jaffa Cakes and Penguins.

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“It’s utter dunking madness to enter this structurally dangerous territory.”

These 10 McVitie’s biscuits were put to the test: Digestives, Milk Chocolate Digestives, Milk Chocolate Caramel Digestives, Hobnobs, Milk Chocolate Hobnobs, Gingernuts, Fruit Shortcakes, Rich Tea Biscuits, Jaffa Cakes and Penguins.

Each biscuit was dunked vertically, to its mid-point, in a mug of freshly prepared tea (milk, no sugar), maintained at a temperature of 60 to 65C.

The study found the gingernut biscuit, for example, requires just 0.30 seconds in a hot, milky brew, to achieve dunking perfection.

While the chocolate hobnob requires 3.7 seconds.

The complete biscuit breakdown:

McVitie’s Biscuit	Optimal Dunking Time(seconds)	Dunking Danger Zone(seconds)	CDO’s Suggested Beverage Pairing
Ginger Nuts	0.3	7.3	“The Ginger Nut is the British Amaretti biscuit and just like its Italian counterpart, this lightly spiced biscuit is ideally complemented with milky coffee.”
Fruit Shortcake	0.3	5.3	“Chai latte – this aromatic brew, with sweet and spicy overtures, is the perfect companion for this understated biscuit classic.”
Digestive	0.4	11.2	“A sweet tea pairs perfectly with the almost savoury flavour of the Digestive.”
Hobnobs	0.5	12.5	“A tasty blank canvas, so versatile it will enhance any beverage you choose. A true dunking all-rounder.”
Rich Tea	0.6	8.8	“Taken with builders tea this is a British institution, on par with strawberries and cream at Wimbledon.”
Jaffa Cakes	0.6	9.2	“The sweet orange centre of Jaffa Cakes are perfectly offset by the bitter notes of a fresh brewed black coffee.”
Milk Chocolate Digestive	3.6	12.0	“Taken with Earl Grey tea – the chocolate mixes beautifully with the bergamot, to make a liquid chocolate orange flavour.”
Milk Chocolate Hobnobs	3.7	19.5	“Milk (warm or cold) is ideal – the creaminess of the milk pairs perfectly with the oatiness of the biscuit.”
Chocolate Caramel Digestive	5.0	40.1	“Cappuccino – known for its cocoa powder topping, why not intensify the experience with an extra hit of chocolatey sweetness.”
Penguin	6.5	540.0	“While I personally recommend a Penguin should be enjoyed undunked, a hot chocolate triggers a double-dose of chocolatey delight.”